Taos Election Stunner: The Anglo Ascendancy!
Ascendant Anglo politicians and fresh new faces dominated the win column in the June 5, 2012 primary. This year just about all the candidates endorsed by The Taos News won (in contrast to the past). The traditional Hispanic voters stayed home or voted to let the Anglos do it. (Full disclosure: some of my oldest friends are Anglos!)
Apparently voters were tired of old faces and old names regardless of the record—except for the District Attorney’s race, where incumbent Donald Gallegos won handily. As you can see below, the unofficial results from the New Mexico Secretary of State’s office show that few of the races were close.
Vote splitting in Hispanic head-to-head contests helped Jeff McElroy (District judge), Jeff Shannon (Magistrate judge), and Tom Blankenhorn (County Commission) win their races. Sarah Backus as expected beat an unexpectedly strong Ernestina Cruz for the other district court judgeship. Willie Cordova beat back the off and on again Ed Adams on the republican side, winning the right to challenge democrat Shannon in the December magistrate’s judge race. And Taos County will have a new clerk, Anna Martinez, and a new treasurer, Susan Trujillo.
Former Commissioner Gabe Romero, who is seen as levelheaded, swamped his opponents in the southern valley. Gabe and Tom Blankenhorn, whose record as a county employee was forthright, along with incumbent Commissioner Barrone should give the County Commission a distinctly different tone. Blankenhorn is the first Anglo Commissioner in modern memory. Let’s hope the commission has a change of heart when it comes to the Struck familia–La Martina controversy in Ranchos.
Taos democrats Senator Carlos Cisneros and Representative Bobby Gonzales faced no opposition and will continue to serve in the New Mexico legislature. Statewide, the Senate race with democrat Martin Heinrich and republican Heather Wilson will be a much-watched race in November. As for President Obama and challenger Mitt Romney, quien sabe? The country itself appears to be edging toward a kind of extreme right wing ideology, wherein corporate influence is rising and billions of dollars will be spent to influence voters. Obama has apparently abandoned many of his supporters so the presidential election should be as close as your next door neighbor.
DEMOCRAT
US Senator
Martin Heinrich 2607
Hector Balderas 3448
Court of Appeals Judge
Monica Zamora 3258
Victor Lopez 2322
State Senate District 8
Thomas A. Garcia 153
Pete Campos 169
Public Regulation Commission District 3
Brad Gallegos 1467
Valerie Espinoza 1718
Daniel Maki 803
Virginia Vigil 1763
Eighth Judicial District Court Judge Division 2
Ernestina Cruz 2723
Sarah Backus 3537
Eighth Judicial District Court Judge Division 3
Jeff McElroy 2716
Helen Lopez 1527
Floyd Lopez 1939
Eighth Judicial District Attorney
Donald Gallegos 3557
Sarah Montoya 2518
Magistrate Judge Division 2
Jeffrey Shannon 2914
Miguel Romero 2432
Cynthia Santistevan 778
County Commission District 3
Gabriel Romero 645
Joe Valdez 204
Beverly Armijo 202
Antonio Cruz 140
Andrew Chavez 178
County Commission District 4
Tom Blankenhorn 727
Floyd Archuleta 693
Pennie Herrera-Wardlow 230
County Clerk
Anna Martinez 3588
Lillian Rael Miller 2457
County Treasurer
Susan Trujillo 4435
Lorraine Coca-Ruiz 1593
REPUBLICAN
US President
Ron Paul 114
Newt Gingrich 61
Mitt Romney 516
Rick Santorum 73
US Senator
Heather Wilson 622
Greg Sowards 184
US Representative District 3
Fredrick Newton 422
Jefferson Byrd 286
Magistrate Judge Division 2
Edward Adams 334
William Cordova 431