2006 New Mexico gubernatorial election

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2006 New Mexico gubernatorial election
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←  2002 November 7, 2006 2010  →
  Bill Richardson at an event in Kensington, New Hampshire, March 18, 2006.jpg JOHN DENDAHL (170280092) (cropped).jpg
Nominee Bill Richardson John Dendahl
Party Democratic Republican
Running mate Diane Denish Sue Wilson Beffort
Popular vote384,806174,364
Percentage68.82%31.18%
2006 New Mexico gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
County results
Richardson:      50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%
Dendahl:      50–60%
Governor before election

Bill Richardson
Democratic

Elected Governor

Bill Richardson
Democratic

The 2006 New Mexico gubernatorial election was a race for the governor of New Mexico held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democratic governor Bill Richardson was running for re-election. He faced Republican John Dendahl in the general election and won by a landslide. As of 2025, this was the last time a male candidate was elected Governor of New Mexico.

Contents

The scale of Richardson's lopsided victory was nearly unprecedented in the traditionally competitive state. Richardson's 68.82% share of the vote is the highest achieved by any gubernatorial candidate in the state by a wide margin, beating the previous record of 60.21% set in 1964. Richardson came within six votes of sweeping every county the state, a feat that has never been achieved in any gubernatorial (or presidential) election in the state.

Primary election

Democratic party

Candidates

Results

Democratic primary results [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Bill Richardson (incumbent) 107,720 99.64%
Democratic Anselmo A. Chávez (write-in)3880.36%
Total votes108,108 100.00%

Republican party

Candidates

  • James R. Damron, physician
  • George Brent Bailey Jr., educator and minister

Results

Republican primary results [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican James R. Damron 52,888 99.58%
Republican George Bailey (write-in)2250.42%
Total votes53,113 100.00%

General election

Candidates

Campaign

James R. Damron easily won the Republican primary, but withdrew from the race on June 17, 2006, due to a lack of fundraising. John Dendahl was appointed by the Republican State Central Committee to replace him. There were no general election debates between the two candidates.

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
The Cook Political Report [2] Solid DNovember 6, 2006
Sabato's Crystal Ball [3] Safe DNovember 6, 2006
Rothenberg Political Report [4] Safe DNovember 2, 2006
Real Clear Politics [5] Safe DNovember 6, 2006

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Bill
Richardson (D)		John
Dendahl (R)		OtherUndecided
Research & Polling Inc. of Albuquerque [6] September 25–28, 2006——60%28%——
Rasmussen Reports [7] September 7, 2006——61%26%——
Research & Polling Inc. of Albuquerque [6] August 25–31, 2006——57%28%——
Rasmussen Reports [8] June 26, 2006——56%32%——

Results

2006 New Mexico gubernatorial election [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Bill Richardson (incumbent) 384,806 68.82% +13.33%
Republican John Dendahl 174,36431.18%−7.86%
Majority 210,44237.63%
Total votes559,170 100.00%
Democratic hold Swing +21.19%

By county

Richardson was the first Democrat to win Lincoln County since John E. Miles in 1940. He was also the first Democrat to carry Chaves County, Los Alamos County, and San Juan County since Jack M. Campbell in 1964.

This is the most recent election in which a Democrat has carried Chaves County, Colfax County, Curry County, De Baca County, Eddy County, Harding County, Hidalgo County, Lea County, Lincoln County, Luna County, Otero County, Quay County, Roosevelt County, San Juan County, Sierra County, Torrance County, Union County, and Valencia County.

CountyBill Richardson
Democratic		John Dendahl
Republican		MarginTotal votes cast
# %# %# %
Bernalillo 133,19568.17%62,20531.83%70,99036.33%195,400
Catron 85749.83%86350.17%-6-0.35%1,720
Chaves 9,06057.49%6,70042.51%2,36014.97%15,760
Cibola 4,69875.97%1,48624.03%3,21251.94%6,184
Colfax 3,12564.39%1,72835.61%1,39728.79%4,853
Curry 5,77163.35%3,33936.65%2,43226.70%9,110
De Baca 55962.67%33337.33%22625.34%892
Doña Ana 27,51070.82%11,33529.18%16,17541.64%38,845
Eddy 8,53960.25%5,63339.75%2,90620.51%14,172
Grant 7,50272.55%2,83827.45%4,66445.11%10,430
Guadalupe 1,54684.30%28815.70%1,25868.59%1,834
Harding 43372.65%16327.35%27045.30%596
Hidalgo 1,03771.12%42128.88%61642.25%1,458
Lea 6,47355.13%5,26844.87%1,20510.26%11,741
Lincoln 4,01759.91%2,68840.09%1,32919.82%6,705
Los Alamos 5,67065.94%2,92934.06%2,74131.88%8,599
Luna 4,28470.33%1,80729.67%2,47740.67%6,091
McKinley 14,97386.05%2,42713.95%12,54672.10%17,400
Mora 1,73873.80%61726.20%1,12147.60%2,355
Otero 8,27157.80%6,03942.20%2,23215.60%14,310
Quay 2,13465.86%1,10634.14%1,02831.73%3,240
Rio Arriba 8,62181.46%1,96218.54%6,65962.92%10,583
Roosevelt 2,35057.32%1,75042.68%60014.63%4,100
San Juan 18,84660.08%12,52139.92%6,32520,16%31,367
San Miguel 6,88478.85%1,84721.15%5,03757.69%8,731
Sandoval 24,72267.69%11,80332.31%12,91935.37%36,525
Santa Fe 37,64979.07%9,96520.93%27,68458.14%47,614
Sierra 2,44557.49%1,80842.51%63714.98%4,253
Socorro 4,55172.78%17,0227.22%2,84945.56%6,253
Taos 9,93786.70%1,52413.30%8,41373.41%11,461
Torrance 3,28060.67%2,12639.33%1,15421.35%5,406
Union 90762.42%54637.58%36124.85%1,453
Valencia 13,22266.71%6,59733.29%6,62533.43%19,819
Total384,80668.82%174,36431.18%210,44237.63%559,170
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Canvass of Returns of Primary Election Held on June 6, 2006" (PDF). New Mexico Secretary of State. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  2. ↑ "2006 Governor Race Ratings for November 6, 2006" (PDF). The Cook Political Report. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 5, 2008. Retrieved October 1, 2006.
  3. ↑ "Election Eve 2006: THE FINAL PREDICTIONS". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  4. ↑ "2006 Gubernatorial Ratings". Senate Ratings. The Rothenberg Political Report. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Election 2006". Real Clear Politics. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  6. 1 2 Research & Polling Inc. of Albuquerque
  7. ↑ Rasmussen Reports
  8. ↑ Rasmussen Reports
  9. ↑ "Canvass of Returns of General Election Held on November 7, 2006" (PDF). New Mexico Secretary of State. Retrieved July 29, 2024.

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