New Mexico contest for governor enters final week with presidential endorsements

With New Mexico's gubernatorial election a week away, presidents past and present are weighing in on the matchup between incumbent Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Republican challenger Mark Ronchetti.

Former president Barack Obama endorsed Lujan Grisham last week, and his successor, Donald Trump, announced his endorsement of Ronchetti Monday morning. President Joe Biden is expected to visit Albuquerque on Thursday for a Democratic Party rally.

Trump's endorsement of Ronchetti, via a post on Trump's Truth Social platform, echoed one of the main lines of attack Republicans have aimed against Lujan Grisham, who is seeking a second term. Trump hammered the governor on New Mexico crime rates, drug and human trafficking at the U.S.-Mexico border, and promised Ronchetti — best known as a longtime meteorologist for KRQE-TV who ran for the U.S. Senate in 2020 — would deliver better results.

Republicans have also taken Lujan Grisham to task for New Mexico's low performance on educational assessments following pandemic-related school closures as well as economic turbulence during the first two years of COVID-19's prevalence. In the closing weeks, Ronchetti has also raised Lujan Grisham's settlement of a sexual harassment claim by a former spokesperson for her 2018 campaign.

The governor, meanwhile, has highlighted state investments in K-12 and higher education, healthcare services, economic growth since COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, ambitious climate change goals and a promise to protect the right to terminate pregnancies in New Mexico.

She immediately used Trump's endorsement to tie Ronchetti to fears among some independents about Trump's potential return to power, should he run for president in 2024. Her campaign warned that Ronchetti "would bring Donald Trump's extreme national Republican policies to New Mexico."

Abortion emerged as a prominent campaign issue following the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling striking down a federal right to the procedure last summer.

Ronchetti has suggested putting the matter to New Mexicans in a referendum and has endorsed banning abortion after 15 weeks of gestation except for cases involving rape, incest or danger to a mother's life. Meanwhile, a prominent pastor in Albuquerque, Legacy Church's Steve Smothermon, has repeatedly stated that Ronchetti has favored a more sweeping ban in private discussions.

Lujan Grisham has vowed to resist any further restrictions, after New Mexico's repeal of a dormant 1969 abortion ban in 2021, and has pledged to use her discretionary capital outlay to fund a new women's health clinic in Doña Ana County.

Although New Mexico is a three-party state, Libertarian candidate Karen Bedonie appears to have gained little traction as measured in opinion polls. Bedonie is a former Republican and fervent Trump supporter who exited the GOP primary to run as a Libertarian instead. In a Facebook live stream, she laid claim to the conservative vote and said, "That man cannot win with me in the way." Notably, New Mexico's most famous Libertarian, Gary Johnson, endorsed Ronchetti over Bedonie, who garnered 3 to 5 percent in different polls reported in recent days.

A poll conducted for the Albuquerque Journal and reported last weekend showed Lujan Grisham's support reaching 50 percent, after a slow climb against Ronchetti, who polled at 42 percent of likely voters. Bedonie drew the support of 3 percent, coming in behind "undecided" with 5 percent.

The divide in support was little changed from the Journal's first poll in August and, if anything, the governor's support may have increased slightly despite intense negative advertising by Ronchetti, the GOP and political action committees.

A different poll conducted for KOB-TV showed Lujan Grisham leading Ronchetti 46 percent to 39 percent, with Bedonie reaching 5 percent and 9 percent of participants undecided. Although that 9 percent is greater than the governor's 7-point lead in that poll, it does not predict how many undecideds will cast their ballot at all.

A third poll, conducted by Emerson College for The Hill, showed a much closer split in support: Just under 49 percent for Lujan Grisham and 46 percent for Ronchetti, with Bedonie at 1.5 percent.

Ultimately, New Mexicans will choose their next governor by voting rather than opinion polls and presidential endorsements. More than 259,000 voters had already cast ballots as of Tuesday, the majority of whom were registered Democrats.

Republican participation could prove greater on Election Day, Nov. 8, however, tightening the count in the final hours of voting.

Algernon D'Ammassa can be reached at 575-541-5451, adammassa@lcsun-news.com or @AlgernonWrites on Twitter.

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This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: New Mexico contest for governor enters final week