2010 New Mexico gubernatorial election

The 2010 New Mexico gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2010. Democratic governor Bill Richardson was term limited and could not seek a third consecutive term.

On June 1, 2010, the Republicans nominated Susana Martínez, the district attorney for Doña Ana County, New Mexico, and the Democrats nominated Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish.

While it was initially thought that Richardson would resign early to become Secretary of Commerce in the Obama administration, Richardson withdrew from the position due to allegations of corruption that were later cleared and he remained governor until the conclusion of his term.

Susana Martínez won the election on November 2, 2010, and became New Mexico's first elected female governor, as well as the first Latina governor of any state.

Democratic nomination
The Democratic primary election was held on June 1, 2010.

Candidate

 * Diane Denish, lieutenant governor

Republican nomination
The Republican primary was held on June 1, 2010. Susana Martinez won the Republican nomination by getting over 50 percent of the vote in the primary. A pre-primary convention was held on March 13 and Martinez received 47 percent of the pre-primary Republican vote.

Declared

 * Janice Arnold-Jones, state representative
 * Pete Domenici, Jr., attorney and son of former U.S. Senator Pete Domenici
 * Susana Martínez, Doña Ana County district attorney
 * Allen Weh, former chairman of the Republican Party of New Mexico

Declined

 * Steve Pearce, former U.S. representative and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2008 (ran for Congress)
 * Heather Wilson, former U.S. representative and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2008
 * Gregory Zanetti, former Bernalillo County Republican Party chair and New Mexico National Guard brigadier general

Convention
A pre-primary nominating convention was held on March 13, 2010. Susana Martinez was victorious, winning the support of 46.65 percent of delegates, while Allen Weh received 26.32%, Janice Arnold-Jones received 13.16%, Doug Turner won 9.43%, and Pete Domenici, Jr. won 4.61%. Candidates who receive less than 20% of the convention vote are required to collect twice as many signatures as those who received 20% in order to appear on the primary ballot. Nonetheless, Arnold-Jones, Turner and Domenici all signaled their intention to remain in the race.

Results
[[File:New Mexico gubernatorial Republican primary, 2010.svg|thumb|200px|Results by county: Martínez

{{legend|#cc2f4a|60–70%}}

{{legend|#e27f90|50–60%}}

{{legend|#f2b3be|40–50%}}

{{legend|#ffccd0|<40%}} Weh

{{legend|#ffccaa|<40%}}

{{legend|#ffb380|40–50%}} ]]

Polling

 * With Arnold-Jones


 * With Domenici, Jr.


 * With Turner


 * With Weh

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

 * Bernalillo (largest city: Albuquerque)
 * Chaves (largest village: Roswell)
 * Curry (largest village: Clovis)
 * Doña Ana (largest city: Las Cruces)
 * Eddy (largest city: Carlsbad)
 * Guadalupe (largest city: Santa Rosa)
 * Harding (largest city: Roy)
 * Hidalgo (largest city: Lordsburg)
 * Lea (largest city: Hobbs)
 * Lincoln (largest city: Roidoso)
 * Luna (largest city: Deming)
 * Otero (largest city: Alamogordo)
 * Quay (largest city: Tucumcari)
 * Roosevelt (largest city: Portales)
 * Sandoval (largest city: Rancho)
 * San Juan (largest city: Farmington)
 * Sierra (largest city: Truth or Consequences)
 * Socorro (largest city: Socorro)
 * Torrance (largest city: Moriarty)
 * Union (largest city: Clayton)
 * Valencia (largest village: Los Lunas)
 * De Baca (largest city: Fort Sumner)
 * Colfax (largest city: Raton)
 * Los Alamos (largest city: Los Alamos)