# 1956 New Mexico gubernatorial election

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The 1956 New Mexico gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 1956, in order to elect the Governor of New Mexico. Incumbent Democrat John F. Simms ran for reelection to a second term but was defeated by former governor Edwin L. Mechem. This was the last gubernatorial election until 1994 in which a Republican carried Sandoval County.

## Primary election
### Democratic primary

The Democratic primary was won by incumbent governor John F. Simms.

#### Results

New Mexico Democratic gubernatorial primary, 1956 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | John F. Simms (incumbent) | 46,722 | 48.30% |
| | Democratic | Ingram B. Pickett | 43,937 | 45.42% |
| | Democratic | Robert F. Stephens | 6,067 | 6.27% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 96,726 | 100.00% |

### Republican primary

The Republican primary was won by former governor Edwin L. Mechem.

#### Results

[data missing]

## General election
### Results

1956 New Mexico gubernatorial election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Edwin L. Mechem | 131,488 | 52.23% | +9.24% |
| | Democratic | John F. Simms (incumbent) | 120,263 | 47.77% | −9.24% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,225 | 4.46% | |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 251,751 | 100.00% | |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Swing | +18.49% | |

### Results by county

| County | Edwin L. Mechem Republican | Edwin L. Mechem Republican | John F. Simms Democratic | John F. Simms Democratic | Margin | Margin | Total votes cast |
| County | # | % | # | % | # | % | Total votes cast |
| Bernalillo | 38,207 | 59.02% | 26,525 | 40.98% | 11,682 | 18.05% | 64,732 |
| Catron | 668 | 56.18% | 521 | 43.82% | 147 | 12.36% | 1,189 |
| Chaves | 6,167 | 52.23% | 5,640 | 47.77% | 527 | 4.46% | 11,807 |
| Colfax | 2,907 | 54.40% | 2,437 | 45.60% | 470 | 8.79% | 5,344 |
| Curry | 4,371 | 52.38% | 3,974 | 47.62% | 397 | 4.76% | 8,345 |
| De Baca | 652 | 50.15% | 648 | 49.85% | 4 | 0.31% | 1,300 |
| Doña Ana | 6,476 | 54.50% | 5,407 | 45.50% | 1,069 | 9.00% | 11,883 |
| Eddy | 5,346 | 37.10% | 9,065 | 62.90% | -3,719 | -25.81% | 14,411 |
| Grant | 2,772 | 38.29% | 4,467 | 61.71% | -1,695 | -23.41% | 7,239 |
| Guadalupe | 1,443 | 53.07% | 1,276 | 46.93% | 167 | 6.14% | 2,719 |
| Harding | 632 | 57.82% | 461 | 42.18% | 171 | 15.65% | 1,093 |
| Hidalgo | 589 | 37.93% | 964 | 62.07% | -375 | -24.15% | 1,553 |
| Lea | 4,401 | 37.87% | 7,220 | 62.13% | -2,819 | -24.26% | 11,621 |
| Lincoln | 1,790 | 59.59% | 1,214 | 40.41% | 576 | 19.17% | 3,004 |
| Los Alamos | 1,689 | 36.69% | 2,914 | 63.31% | -1,225 | -26.61% | 4,603 |
| Luna | 1,151 | 38.52% | 1,837 | 61.48% | -686 | -22.96% | 2,988 |
| McKinley | 4,329 | 56.03% | 3,397 | 43.97% | 932 | 12.06% | 7,726 |
| Mora | 1,736 | 58.59% | 1,227 | 41.41% | 509 | 17.18% | 2,963 |
| Otero | 3,097 | 48.58% | 3,278 | 51.42% | -181 | -2.84% | 6,375 |
| Quay | 2,095 | 48.60% | 2,216 | 51.40% | -121 | -2.81% | 4,311 |
| Rio Arriba | 4,721 | 53.40% | 4,119 | 46.60% | 602 | 6.81% | 8,840 |
| Roosevelt | 2,315 | 46.64% | 2,649 | 53.36% | -334 | -6.73% | 4,964 |
| San Juan | 4,067 | 53.83% | 3,488 | 46.17% | 579 | 7.66% | 7,555 |
| San Miguel | 4,984 | 54.54% | 4,154 | 45.46% | 830 | 9.08% | 9,138 |
| Sandoval | 1,837 | 53.68% | 1,585 | 46.32% | 252 | 7.36% | 3,422 |
| Santa Fe | 8,392 | 51.59% | 7,875 | 48.41% | 517 | 3.18% | 16,267 |
| Sierra | 1,734 | 58.27% | 1,242 | 41.73% | 492 | 16.53% | 2,976 |
| Socorro | 2,149 | 56.01% | 1,688 | 43.99% | 461 | 12.01% | 3,837 |
| Taos | 3,162 | 54.19% | 2,673 | 45.81% | 489 | 8.38% | 5,835 |
| Torrance | 1,461 | 53.01% | 1,295 | 46.99% | 166 | 6.02% | 2,756 |
| Union | 1,394 | 50.42% | 1,371 | 49.58% | 23 | 0.83% | 2,765 |
| Valencia | 4,754 | 58.05% | 3,436 | 41.95% | 1,318 | 16.09% | 8,190 |
| Total | 131,488 | 52.23% | 120,263 | 47.77% | 11,225 | 4.46% | 251,751 |

#### Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

* Bernalillo
* Chaves
* Colfax
* Curry
* De Baca
* Doña Ana
* Guadalupe
* McKinley
* Rio Arriba
* San Miguel
* Sandoval
* Santa Fe
* Sierra
* Socorro
* Taos
* Torrance
* Union
* Valencia