Primary results: Stewart to take on Hollister for sheriff

In the Tuesday, June 7 primary, Doña Ana County Democrats renominated Sheriff Kim Stewart for a second four-year term and joined other Democrats in New Mexico’s newly redrawn 2^nd Congressional District in nominating former Las Cruces City Councilor (he also is a former Las Cruces Bulletin business editor) Gabriel Vasquez for Congress. Vasquez will challenge incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Yvette Herrell of Alamogordo in the Nov. 8 general election.

In other local races, Democrats nominated Robert Lara for district judge, former county Democratic Party Chair and Salud! de Mesilla co-owner Christopher Schaljo-Hernandez for county commission in district one, Las Cruces business owner and former mayoral candidate Gina Ortega for county assessor and Judith Ann Baca for probate judge. None of those four will have an opponent in the November general election.

County Republicans chose former U.S. Marshal and Las Cruces police officer Byron Hollister to run against Stewart for sheriff. A plurality of county Republicans supported state Rep. Rebecca Dow of Truth or Consequences for governor, but 2020 U.S. Senate candidate Mark Ronchetti of Albuquerque won the primary statewide and will oppose incumbent Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham in November.

The county had a turnout of approximately 16.4 percent, as 15,490 of the county’s 94,403 voters cast ballots in the Democratic, Republican and Libertarian primaries, according to the New Mexico Secretary of State’s office. Statewide, the turnout was 25.33 percent, as 261,452 Democrats, Republicans and Libertarians voted. New Mexico has a closed primary, which means people who don’t have a party affiliation or who belong to a minor party can’t vote in the primary.

Here are unofficial returns in contested races in the June 7 primary:

• Governor (Republican): Mark Ronchetti: 68,270 (58 percent), Rebecca Dow: 18,105 (15 percent), Greg Zanetti: 16,292 (14 percent), Jay C. Block: 12,388 (11 percent), Ethel Maharg: 1,828 (2 percent)
• Governor (Libertarian): Karen Bedonie: 967 (94 percent), Ginger Grider (write-in): 65 (6 percent)
• Lt. Gov. (Republican): Anthony “Ant” L. Thornton: 64,026 (60 percent), Peggy L. Muller-Aragon: 43,188 (40 percent)
• U.S. House of Representatives, District 2 (Democrat): Gabriel Vasquez: 23,896 (76 percent), Darshan N. Patel: 7,487 (24 percent)
• Attorney general (Democrat): Raul Torres: 72,644 (53 percent), Brian Colon: 63,226 (47 percent). Incumbent Democrat Hector Balderas is term limited.
• State treasurer (Democrat): Laura Montoya: 74,931 (59 percent), Heather Benavidez: 52,676 (41 percent). Incumbent Democrat Tim Eichenberg is term limited.
• State auditor (Democrat): Joseph Maestas: 74,126 (57 percent), Zackary A. Quintero: 55,197 (43 percent). Incumbent Democrat Brian Colon ran for attorney general.
• Third Judicial District Judge (Democrat): Robert Lara: 4,679 (55 percent), Jessica L. Streeter (incumbent): 3,892 (45 percent)
• County sheriff (Democrat): Sheriff Kim Stewart (incumbent): 5,218 (59 percent), James Frietze: 3,668 (41 percent)
  • County sheriff (Republican): Byron Hollister: 3,497 (58 percent), Omar Chavez: 2,496 (42 percent)
• Doña Ana County Commission, District 1 (Democrat): Christopher Schaljo-Hernandez: 913 (40 percent), Emma Johnson Ortiz: 851 (37 percent), Lynn Ellins (incumbent): 535 (23 percent)
  • County assessor (Democrat): Gina Ortega: 3,441 (41 percent), Ruben Reyes: 2,597 (31 percent), Daniel Sambrano: 2,440 (29 percent). Incumbent Democrat Lutecia Duarte-Benavidez did not run re-election.
• County probate judge: Las Cruces Police Department Victim’s Assistance Program Coordinator Judith Ann Baca: 4,385 (58 percent), Norma L. Torres Roberts: 3,212 (42 percent). Incumbent Diana Bustamante was term limited.

For complete returns, visit https://electionresults.sos.state.nm.us/Default.aspx?.