What does Berry’s victory mean for 2010?
A screen shot of the Albuquerque Journal’s online coverage of Berry’s victory.
Does it reveal a GOP rebound? Anti-incumbent sentiment? A divided Democratic Party? Politicos share their thoughts as NM heads into next year’s mid-term election
There was lots of celebrating among Republicans on Tuesday evening as Albuquerque elected its first GOP mayor since 1985 and gave Republicans a sorely needed victory in a state in which they’ve moved close the brink of irrelevancy in recent years.
Republicans also took control of the Albuquerque City Council.
Even Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele noticed the victory by incoming Mayor Richard Berry, saying it “demonstrates the continuing popularity of conservative principles not only in New Mexico but nationwide.”
“As we approach elections this fall and in 2010, I am confident we will see many more Americans choosing Republicans to represent their best interests,” Steele said in a news release. “Candidates like Richard J. Berry, who are active proponents of lower taxes, smaller government and small businesses, are the future of the Republican Party, and I look forward to helping them all toward victory.”
But Republican activist and blogger Mario Burgos of Cedar Crest said Berry’s victory had more to do with anti-incumbent sentiment than it did a swing of the pendulum back to the GOP.
“I think the Republicans still have their work cut out for them in 2010, but it’s definitely a notice to all incumbents — which the majority in this state are Democrats — that there is an anti-incumbent sentiment out there, and it hasn’t gone away,” Burgos said in an interview. “… People in New Mexico have had enough.”
The GOP is trying next year to take back two congressional seats it lost in 2008 and win the governor’s race. The last is critical for the party because if Republicans don’t have the governor on their side, they’ll have almost no influence in redistricting in the next decade and risk being pushed further toward irrelevancy in state government.
Michael Ray Huerta of Las Cruces, a member of the Democratic Party’s state central committee, said in an interview that it’s up to Democrats to ensure the GOP doesn’t gain ground next year. He pointed to the fact that two Democrats were on the ticket competing with Berry on Tuesday and may have split the left’s vote.
The majority of voters — 56 percent — did pick either Martin Chávez or Richard Romero. The fact that those voters weren’t united behind one candidate, Huerta said, reveals “a divide between the progressives and the more moderate Dems.”
“That’s something that Democrats need to stop from happening,” Huerta said. “Because we can’t let this happen to Harry Teague. We can’t let this happen to Martin Heinrich. And we can’t let this happen to Diane Denish.”
“We need for Democrats to come together to decide where our party stands,” Huerta said.
The Democratic vote probably wasn’t split only between Chávez and Romero. Some analysts said it appeared that Berry also picked up the support of a significant number of Democratic voters — maybe as high as 15-20 percent.
Berry referred to that in a statement released by his campaign.
“This was a victory for a broad-based coalition of Albuquerque residents hungry for common-sense leadership,” he said. “I look forward to being the mayor for all of Albuquerque.”
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This is definite proof that the people are fed up with the present structure in our state. As with our President, many people can see that voting a straight ticket is not the way to go.
It will be interesting to see how things stack up during the 2010 election, now that the eyes of the people are open to the mistake that was made in the last election. The chink in the dam is there, all the people have to do is keep pushing on it and the dam will break. This will lead us back into a sane government for the people of this state and this country.
It must be further noted that since this was a “nonpartisan” race, it is possible that some people voted strictly based on name recognition. There are many people that vote on issues based strictly on superficial criteria.
Folks, although Richard Berry ran a good campaign, I wouldn’t say this reveals anything about anti-incumbent sentiment in New Mexico. It’s obvious that Mr. Berry prevailed because the two Hispanic Democrats split the 56% vote. Sadly this was not a non-partisan election, and the majority of people that voted for Romero (the so called progressives) would never have voted for Mr. Berry in a run-off, they would have voted for Marty Chavez.
This is not unlike how the pre-primary Hillary Clinton voter did not vote for McCain. However, had there been a three way race between Hillary, Obama and McCain, then McCain would have prevailed. I don’t think that scenario would have revealed the tide turning for the Republicans either.
And further, in my opinion, Chavez and Romero also don’t represent a particular “split” between the moderates and the progressives—Chavez was a competent mayor and Romero is a likable and well known candidate. They both had their fervent bases, and both their bases turned out. I think most would agree that 56% for the Dems is a good turnout.
But Richard Berry carried the day, so congrats to the winner.
I’m inclined to think that Chavez & Romero split the vote and could have easily won if one of them wasn’t there.
This is an encouraging sign that perhaps, just perhaps, a crack is forming in the entrenched La Politica power base that has ruled NM for decades. Mayor Marty has been a very loyal foot soldier for La Politica over the years. They told him not to run against Patsy, he didn’t, they told him not to run against Heinrich, he complied, they told him to stay out of the coronation of yet another Udall dynasty member, he did not demur. So now he wants yet another turn and the La Politica bosses abandon him, or perhaps they have lost the stroke they once had to run NM as they see fit. Maybe the later, we can hope. But I always feel sorry for professional politicians who don’t know when to quit and have very few skills outside being an elected bureaucrats. Since he hasn’t had a real job for decades, he will need some help finding one. But there is always lobbying, helping businesses “do business” with the city, county, and state, and other similar type activities. Since NM is not serious about any corruption, cronyism, and pay for play laws that is still fertile ground.
This is indeed a move toward significant progress for the Republican Party in New Mexico. Burgos was right, people here are sick of the nonsense the Dems have brought upon NM in the past few decades.
I applaud RJ’s victory, and I wish him the best. I hope and pray that this is the beginning of a new day, where an equal political playing field will begin to be a possibility in New Mexico.