# 1986 New Mexico gubernatorial election

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The 1986 New Mexico gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 1986, in order to elect the governor of New Mexico. Due to term limits, incumbent Democratic governor Toney Anaya was ineligible to seek a second term as governor. This was the last time until 2022, that the state elected a governor of the same party as the sitting president.

## Primary election
### Democratic primary

Ray Powell was unopposed in the Democratic primary.

### Republican primary

The Republican primary was won by former New Mexico Republican Party chair Garrey Carruthers, who defeated five other candidates.

#### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Garrey Carruthers | 27,671 | 31.05% |
| | Republican | Joseph H. Mercer | 23,560 | 26.44% |
| | Republican | Colin R. McMillan | 19,807 | 22.23% |
| | Republican | Frank M. Bond | 10,619 | 11.92% |
| | Republican | Paul F. Becht | 6,566 | 7.37% |
| | Republican | William Jay Loomis Jr. | 884 | 0.99% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 89,107 | 100.00% |

## General election
### Results

1986 New Mexico gubernatorial election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Garrey Carruthers | 209,455 | 53.05% | +6.02% |
| | Democratic | Ray Powell | 185,378 | 46.95% | −6.02% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 24,077 | 6.10% | |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 394,833 | 100.00% | |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Swing | +12.04% | |

### Results by county

| County | Garrey Carruthers Republican | Garrey Carruthers Republican | Ray Powell Democratic | Ray Powell Democratic | Margin | Margin | Total votes cast |
| County | # | % | # | % | # | % | Total votes cast |
| Bernalillo | 66,820 | 53.68% | 57,656 | 46.32% | 9,164 | 7.36% | 124,476 |
| Catron | 814 | 63.89% | 460 | 36.11% | 354 | 27.79% | 1,274 |
| Chaves | 10,788 | 63.80% | 6,121 | 36.20% | 4,667 | 27.60% | 16,909 |
| Cibola | 2,491 | 48.46% | 2,649 | 51.54% | -158 | -3.07% | 5,140 |
| Colfax | 1,997 | 46.17% | 2,328 | 53.83% | -331 | -7.65% | 4,325 |
| Curry | 5,742 | 59.53% | 3,904 | 40.47% | 1,838 | 19.05% | 9,646 |
| De Baca | 548 | 52.09% | 504 | 47.91% | 44 | 4.18% | 1,052 |
| Doña Ana | 17,343 | 60.80% | 11,183 | 39.20% | 6,160 | 21.59% | 28,526 |
| Eddy | 7,771 | 50.48% | 7,622 | 49.52% | 149 | 0.97% | 15,393 |
| Grant | 3,605 | 46.11% | 4,214 | 53.89% | -609 | -7.79% | 7,819 |
| Guadalupe | 791 | 43.44% | 1,030 | 56.56% | -239 | -13.12% | 1,821 |
| Harding | 320 | 60.04% | 213 | 39.96% | 107 | 20.08% | 533 |
| Hidalgo | 995 | 59.30% | 683 | 40.70% | 312 | 18.59% | 1,678 |
| Lea | 8,813 | 65.64% | 4,613 | 34.36% | 4,200 | 31.28% | 13,426 |
| Lincoln | 3,049 | 71.57% | 1,211 | 28.43% | 1,838 | 43.15% | 4,260 |
| Los Alamos | 4,729 | 59.32% | 3,243 | 40.68% | 1,486 | 18.64% | 7,972 |
| Luna | 3,122 | 58.60% | 2,206 | 41.40% | 916 | 17.19% | 5,328 |
| McKinley | 4,514 | 39.56% | 6,897 | 60.44% | -2,383 | -20.88% | 11,411 |
| Mora | 965 | 44.47% | 1,205 | 55.53% | -240 | -11.06% | 2,170 |
| Otero | 6,728 | 60.94% | 4,313 | 39.06% | 2,415 | 21.87% | 11,041 |
| Quay | 1,924 | 57.11% | 1,445 | 42.89% | 479 | 14.22% | 3,369 |
| Rio Arriba | 3,197 | 33.77% | 6,269 | 66.23% | -3,072 | -32.45% | 9,466 |
| Roosevelt | 2,702 | 59.90% | 1,809 | 40.10% | 893 | 19.80% | 4,511 |
| San Juan | 13,184 | 61.24% | 8,345 | 38.76% | 4,839 | 22.48% | 21,529 |
| San Miguel | 2,510 | 35.04% | 4,654 | 64.96% | -2,144 | -29.93% | 7,164 |
| Sandoval | 6,521 | 48.50% | 6,924 | 51.50% | -403 | -3.00% | 13,445 |
| Santa Fe | 10,800 | 39.51% | 16,537 | 60.49% | -5,737 | -20.99% | 27,337 |
| Sierra | 2,463 | 67.17% | 1,204 | 32.83% | 1,259 | 34.33% | 3,667 |
| Socorro | 2,545 | 51.21% | 2,425 | 48.79% | 120 | 2.41% | 4,970 |
| Taos | 2,636 | 33.60% | 5,210 | 66.40% | -2,574 | -32.81% | 7,846 |
| Torrance | 1,895 | 55.90% | 1,495 | 44.10% | 400 | 11.80% | 3,390 |
| Union | 974 | 60.57% | 634 | 39.43% | 340 | 21.14% | 1,608 |
| Valencia | 6,159 | 49.95% | 6,172 | 50.05% | -13 | -0.11% | 12,331 |
| Total | 209,455 | 53.05% | 185,378 | 46.95% | 24,077 | 6.10% | 394,833 |

#### Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

* Bernalillo
* Harding
* Hidalgo
* Socorro
* Torrance