# 1974 New Mexico gubernatorial election

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The 1974 New Mexico gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 1974, in order to elect the Governor of New Mexico. Due to term limits, incumbent Democrat Bruce King was ineligible to seek a second term as governor. Democrat Jerry Apodaca narrowly defeated Republican Joe Skeen. This election saw Hidalgo County vote for a Republican gubernatorial candidate for the first time ever.

## Primary election
### Democratic primary

The Democratic primary was won by state senator Jerry Apodaca.

#### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Jerry Apodaca | 45,477 | 30.58% |
| | Democratic | Tibo J. Chavez | 35,090 | 23.61% |
| | Democratic | Odis Echols | 25,760 | 17.33% |
| | Democratic | Bobby M. Mayfield | 22,806 | 15.35% |
| | Democratic | Drew Cloud | 12,707 | 8.55% |
| | Democratic | Boston Witt | 6,798 | 4.57% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 148,636 | 100.00% |

### Republican primary

The Republican primary was won by former state senator Joe Skeen.

#### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Joe Skeen | 28,227 | 55.43% |
| | Republican | John P. Eastham | 15,003 | 29.46% |
| | Republican | James L. Hughes | 4,758 | 9.34% |
| | Republican | Walter E. Bruce | 2,913 | 5.72% |
| | Republican | Scattering | 26 | 0.05% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 50,927 | 100.00% |

## General election
### Results

1974 New Mexico gubernatorial election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Jerry Apodaca | 164,172 | 49.94% | −1.32% |
| | Republican | Joe Skeen | 160,430 | 48.80% | +2.43% |
| | American Independent | Gene Gonzales | 4,140 | 1.24% | |
| | | Scattering | 78 | 0.02% | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,742 | 1.14% | |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 328,742 | 100.00% | |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Swing | -3.75% | |

### Results by county

| County | Jerry Apodaca Democratic | Jerry Apodaca Democratic | Joe Skeen Republican | Joe Skeen Republican | Gene Gonzales AIP | Gene Gonzales AIP | Margin | Margin | Total votes cast |
| County | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | Total votes cast |
| Bernalillo | 49,287 | 45.65% | 56,799 | 52.61% | 1,820 | 1.69% | -7,512 | -6.96% | 107,960 |
| Catron | 433 | 40.73% | 617 | 58.04% | 13 | 1.22% | -184 | -17.31% | 1,063 |
| Chaves | 5,068 | 34.04% | 9,744 | 65.44% | 75 | 0.50% | -4,676 | -31.40% | 14,890 |
| Colfax | 1,909 | 46.87% | 2,128 | 52.25% | 34 | 0.83% | -219 | -5.38% | 4,073 |
| Curry | 2,828 | 35.83% | 5,014 | 63.53% | 50 | 0.63% | -2,186 | -27.70% | 7,892 |
| De Baca | 428 | 41.88% | 588 | 57.53% | 6 | 0.59% | -160 | -15.66% | 1,022 |
| Doña Ana | 11,511 | 55.49% | 9,007 | 43.42% | 225 | 1.08% | 2,504 | 12.07% | 20,745 |
| Eddy | 7,162 | 52.08% | 6,517 | 47.39% | 74 | 0.54% | 645 | 4.69% | 13,753 |
| Grant | 4,117 | 54.25% | 3,395 | 44.74% | 77 | 1.01% | 722 | 9.51% | 7,589 |
| Guadalupe | 1,550 | 71.40% | 606 | 27.91% | 15 | 0.69% | 944 | 43.48% | 2,171 |
| Harding | 254 | 41.23% | 360 | 58.44% | 2 | 0.32% | -106 | -17.21% | 616 |
| Hidalgo | 629 | 47.19% | 688 | 51.61% | 16 | 1.20% | -59 | -4.43% | 1,333 |
| Lea | 4,389 | 39.48% | 6,666 | 59.96% | 62 | 0.56% | -2,277 | -20.48% | 11,117 |
| Lincoln | 1,168 | 35.95% | 2,049 | 63.07% | 31 | 0.95% | -881 | -27.12% | 3,249 |
| Los Alamos | 2,640 | 39.41% | 3,932 | 58.70% | 126 | 1.88% | -1,292 | -19.29% | 6,699 |
| Luna | 2,005 | 43.25% | 2,578 | 55.61% | 53 | 1.14% | -573 | -12.36% | 4,636 |
| McKinley | 5,019 | 60.87% | 3,021 | 36.64% | 206 | 2.50% | 1,998 | 24.23% | 8,246 |
| Mora | 1,516 | 62.52% | 902 | 37.20% | 7 | 0.29% | 614 | 25.32% | 2,425 |
| Otero | 4,167 | 47.60% | 4,478 | 51.15% | 109 | 1.25% | -311 | -3.55% | 8,754 |
| Quay | 1,609 | 42.20% | 2,174 | 57.02% | 30 | 0.79% | -565 | -14.82% | 3,813 |
| Rio Arriba | 7,210 | 78.10% | 1,974 | 21.38% | 48 | 0.52% | 5,236 | 56.72% | 9,232 |
| Roosevelt | 1,912 | 36.44% | 3,296 | 62.82% | 39 | 0.74% | -1,384 | -26.38% | 5,247 |
| San Juan | 5,855 | 40.42% | 8,382 | 57.86% | 249 | 1.72% | -2,527 | -17.44% | 14,487 |
| San Miguel | 5,495 | 69.33% | 2,354 | 29.70% | 77 | 0.97% | 3,141 | 39.63% | 7,926 |
| Sandoval | 4,069 | 61.07% | 2,476 | 37.16% | 116 | 1.74% | 1,593 | 23.91% | 6,663 |
| Santa Fe | 14,154 | 64.15% | 7,706 | 34.92% | 193 | 0.87% | 6,448 | 29.22% | 22,065 |
| Sierra | 924 | 37.33% | 1,514 | 61.17% | 37 | 1.49% | -590 | -23.84% | 2,475 |
| Socorro | 2,420 | 58.41% | 1,689 | 40.77% | 34 | 0.82% | 731 | 17.64% | 4,143 |
| Taos | 4,618 | 73.30% | 1,635 | 25.95% | 47 | 0.75% | 2,983 | 47.35% | 6,300 |
| Torrance | 1,152 | 44.39% | 1,415 | 54.53% | 28 | 1.08% | -263 | -10.13% | 2,595 |
| Union | 783 | 38.74% | 1,206 | 59.67% | 32 | 1.58% | -423 | -20.93% | 2,021 |
| Valencia | 7,891 | 58.27% | 5,520 | 40.76% | 131 | 0.97% | 2,371 | 17.51% | 13,542 |
| Total | 164,172 | 49.94% | 160,430 | 48.80% | 4,062 | 1.24% | 3,742 | 1.14% | 328,742 |

#### Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

* Socorro

#### Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

* Catron
* Colfax
* Curry
* De Baca
* Hidalgo
* Lea
* Luna
* Otero
* Quay
* Roosevelt
* Sierra
* Torrance
* Union