# 2021 New Mexico's 1st congressional district special election

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A special election was held on June 1, 2021, to fill the vacancy in New Mexico's 1st congressional district created by Representative Deb Haaland's resignation from the United States House of Representatives to become the Secretary of the Interior in Joe Biden's administration.
State Representatives Patricia Roybal Caballero, Georgene Louis and Melanie Stansbury and state Senator Antoinette Sedillo Lopez sought the Democratic nomination. State Senator Mark Moores, radio host Eddy Aragon and activist Elisa Martinez sought the Republican nomination.
The Democratic Party nominated Stansbury; the Republican Party nominated Moores; the Libertarian Party selected Chris Manning; former Commissioner of Public Lands Aubrey Dunn Jr. ran as an independent. Stansbury won the election with over 60% percent of the vote.

## Background

Representative Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico's 1st congressional district announced in 2016, that she would seek the Democratic nomination for the 2018 gubernatorial election. Deb Haaland, the former chair of the Democratic Party of New Mexico, ran for the seat with the Democratic nomination and won in the 2018 election. She was reelected in the 2020 election.
Haaland was selected by President Joe Biden to serve as Secretary of the Interior and she was approved by the United States Senate by a vote of fifty-one to forty. Haaland resigned from her seat on March 16, 2021, and a special election was ordered by the Secretary of State of New Mexico to be held on June 1. Each party's state central committee selected their candidate for the special election instead of using a primary system.

## Democratic committee selection

Antoinette Sedillo Lopez, a member of the New Mexico Senate who had run in the 2018 Democratic primary for the seat, and Melanie Stansbury, a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives, announced on December 21, 2020, that they would seek the Democratic nomination for the special election. On January 4, 2021, Georgene Louis, a member of the state house, announced that she would seek the Democratic nomination. Victor Reyes, the legislator director for Governor Lujan Grisham, announced on January 8, that he would seek the Democratic nomination. Patricia Roybal Caballero, a member of the state house, announced her campaign on January 27.
Stansbury won the nomination after defeating Sedillo Lopez, who had placed first in the first round of voting, in the runoff.

### Candidates
#### Selected

* Melanie Stansbury, state representative

#### Eliminated in second round

* Antoinette Sedillo Lopez, state senator and candidate for New Mexico's 1st congressional district in 2018

#### Eliminated in first round

* Francisco Fernández, filmmaker
* Selinda Guerrero, community organizer
* Georgene Louis, state representative
* Randi McGinn, attorney
* Victor Reyes, legislative director for Governor of New Mexico Michelle Lujan Grisham
* Patricia Roybal Caballero, state representative

#### Declined

* Javier Martínez, state representative
* Maggie Toulouse Oliver, New Mexico Secretary of State

### Endorsements

Individuals
* Mark Ruffalo, actor and producer
* Wes Studi, Cherokee actor and film producer
State legislators
* Ruth Buffalo, North Dakota State Representative from district 27 (2018–present)
* Christina Haswood, Kansas State Representative from district 10 (2021–present)
* Ponka-We Victors, Kansas State Representative from district 103 (2011–present)
Organizations
* Brand New Congress
U.S. representatives
* David Cicilline, U.S. Representative from RI-01 (2011–present)
* Chris Pappas, U.S. Representative from NH-01 (2019–present)
* Mark Takano, U.S. Representative for CA-41 (2013–present)
* Ritchie Torres, U.S. Representative from NY-15 (2021–present)
* Marc Veasey, U.S. Representative from TX-33 (2013–present)
Organizations
* Equality PAC
* LGBTQ Victory Fund
Organizations
* Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund
* Food & Water Action
* Friends of the Earth Action
* Progressive Democrats of America
Individuals
* Diane Denish, former lieutenant governor of New Mexico (2003–2011)
Organizations
* 314 Action
* American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
* Climate Hawks Vote
* Moms Demand Action
* Sierra Club

#### Convention results

Democratic convention results :
| Candidate | First round votes | First round pct. | Second round votes | Second round pct. |
| Melanie Stansbury | 43 | 21.61% | 103 | 51.24% |
| Antoinette Sedillo Lopez | 74 | 37.19% | 97 | 48.26% |
| Randi McGinn | 34 | 17.09% | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| Victor Reyes | 18 | 9.05% | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| Selinda Guerrero | 13 | 6.53% | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| Georgene Louis | 13 | 6.53% | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| Francisco Fernández | 2 | 1.01% | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| Patricia Roybal Caballero | 1 | 0.50% | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| Abstained | 1 | 0.50% | 1 | 0.50% |
| Total | 199 | 100% | 201 | 100% |

## Republican committee selection

State Senator Mark Moores was selected by the Republican state central committee to serve as the Republican candidate in the special election on March 27.

### Candidates
#### Selected

* Mark Moores, state senator

#### Not selected

* Eddy Aragon, radio host and owner of KIVA-AM
* Michaela Chavez, bookkeeper
* Ronnie Lucero, finance manager
* Elisa Martinez, anti-abortion activist and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2020
* Tracy Trujillo
* Jared Vander Dussen, attorney

#### Withdrew before committee selection

* Michelle Garcia Holmes, retired police detective, nominee for Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico in 2018, and nominee for this district in 2020

### Endorsements

Organizations
* NRA Political Victory Fund
* Republican Party of New Mexico

### Convention results

Republican convention results :
| Candidate | Votes | Pct. |
| Mark Moores | 49 | 40% |
| Eddy Aragon | 34 | 28% |
| Elisa Martinez | 20 | 17% |
| Jared Vander Dussen | 7 | 6% |
| Ronnie Lucero | 6 | 5% |
| Michaela Chavez | 5 | 4% |
| Jonathan Gonzalez | 0 | 0% |
| Total | 121 | 100% |

## Libertarian committee selection
### Candidates
#### Selected

* Chris Manning, staff auditor, Arizona National Guard veteran, and Libertarian candidate for New Mexico's 3rd congressional district in 2018

## Independents

Aubrey Dunn Jr., who had served as the New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands as a Republican and Libertarian, filed to run as an independent for the seat on January 8, 2021. Laura Olivas and Robert Ornelas ran as write-in candidates.

### Candidates
#### Declared

* Aubrey Dunn Jr., former Republican-turned-Libertarian New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands (2015–2019), Republican candidate for New Mexico's 2nd congressional district in 2018, and Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate in 2018

#### Certified write-in

* Laura Olivas
* Robert Ornelas, perennial candidate (previously associated with the American Independent Party)

### Endorsements

* Moms Demand Action

## General election
### Predictions

| Source | Ranking | As of |
| The Cook Political Report | Likely D | June 1, 2021 |
| Inside Elections | Solid D | May 7, 2021 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Likely D | May 26, 2021 |

### Endorsements

Executive branch officials
* Joe Biden, 46th president of the United States (2021–present)
* Deb Haaland, 54th United States Secretary of the Interior (2021–present) and former U.S. Representative from NM-01 (2019–2021)
U.S. senators
* Cory Booker, United States Senator from New Jersey (2013–present)
* Martin Heinrich, United States Senator from New Mexico (2013–present)
* Ben Ray Luján, United States Senator from New Mexico (2021–present)
* Elizabeth Warren, United States Senator from Massachusetts (2013–present)
U.S. representatives
* Mondaire Jones, U.S. Representative from NY-17 (2021–present)
* Nancy Pelosi, 52nd Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (2019–present) and U.S. Representative from CA-12 (1987–present)
* Adam Schiff, U.S. Representative from California's 28th congressional district, previously numbered 27th and 29th (2001–present)
State officials
* Diane Denish, former lieutenant governor of New Mexico (2003–2011)
* Michelle Lujan Grisham, 32nd governor of New Mexico (2019–present)
Individuals
* Jill Biden, First Lady of the United States
* Doug Emhoff, Second Gentleman of the United States
Organizations
* 314 Action
* American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
* Climate Hawks Vote
* Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC
* EMILY's List
* End Citizens United
* Giffords
* J Street PAC
* League of Conservation Voters
* Let America Vote
* Moms Demand Action
* National Association of Social Workers
* National Wildlife Federation Action Fund
* New Mexico Working Families Party
* Planned Parenthood
* Sierra Club
Executive branch officials
* Nikki Haley, 29th United States Ambassador to the United Nations (2017–2018) and 116th governor of South Carolina (2011–2017)
U.S. representatives
* Yvette Herrell, U.S. Representative from New Mexico's 2nd congressional district (2021–present), member of the New Mexico House of Representatives from the 51st district (2011–2019)
* Ronny Jackson, U.S. Representative from Texas's 13th congressional district (2021–present) and 1st Chief Medical Advisor to the President
Newspapers
* Albuquerque Journal
Organizations
* National Federation of Independent Business
* National Right to Life Committee
* NRA Political Victory Fund
* Republican Party of New Mexico
* Moms Demand Action (co-endorsed with Stansbury)

### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Melanie Stansbury (D) | Mark Moores (R) | Aubrey Dunn (I) | Chris Manning (L) | Undecided |
| RRH Elections (R) | May 18–21, 2021 | 555 (LV) | ± 4.2% | 49% | 33% | 5% | 3% | 9% |

#### Notes

* ↑ Key: A – all adults RV – registered voters LV – likely voters V – unclear

### Results

2021 New Mexico's 1st congressional district special election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Melanie Stansbury | 79,838 | 60.36% | +2.17% |
| | Republican | Mark Moores | 47,111 | 35.62% | −6.19% |
| | Independent | Aubrey Dunn Jr. | 3,534 | 2.67% | N/A |
| | Libertarian | Chris Manning | 1,734 | 1.31% | N/A |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 46 | 0.03% | N/A |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 132,263 | 100.0% | |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

#### By county

| County | Melanie Stansbury Democratic | Melanie Stansbury Democratic | Mark Moores Republican | Mark Moores Republican | Various candidates Other parties | Various candidates Other parties | Margin | Margin | Total votes |
| County | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | Total votes |
| Bernalillo | 74,181 | 61.40% | 41,984 | 34.75% | 4,641 | 3.84% | 32,197 | 26.65% | 120,806 |
| Sandoval | 3,686 | 59.36% | 2,289 | 36.86% | 235 | 3.78% | 1,397 | 22.50% | 6,210 |
| Santa Fe | 611 | 38.94% | 875 | 55.77% | 83 | 5.29% | −264 | −16.83% | 1,569 |
| Torrance | 945 | 34.43% | 1,503 | 54.75% | 297 | 10.82% | −558 | −20.33% | 2,745 |
| Valencia | 415 | 44.58% | 460 | 49.41% | 56 | 6.01% | −45 | −4.83% | 931 |
| Totals | 79,838 | 60.36% | 47,111 | 35.62% | 5,314 | 4.02% | 32,727 | 24.74% | 132,263 |