Incumbent Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM) has a slight lead over her Republican challenger, Mark Ronchetti, according to a survey by Emerson College Polling/The Hill.
The survey says that 48% of those polled support Grisham, while 43% say they support Ronchetti, with 5% undecided and 3% planning to vote for someone else.
Grisham is getting a large bloc of support from Hispanic voters.
Mark Ronchetti
| Facebook/Mark Ronchetti
“New Mexico Hispanic voters support Lujan Grisham over Ronchetti by a ten-point margin, 50% to 40%," Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, said on its website. "The governor’s lead decreases to two points among white voters. In addition, Lujan Grisham holds a 9-point lead among women voters, whereas, among men, the gubernatorial election is even, 47% support Lujan Grisham and Ronchetti respectively.”
Both gubernatorial candidates are viewed favorably, with 52% liking Grisham and 51% liking Ronchetti.
Forty-six percent view Lujan Grisham unfavorably and 41% view Ronchetti unfavorably. Nine percent are unsure or have never heard of Ronchetti, compared to 2% who have not heard of or are neutral toward Lujan Grisham.
“Of voters (who) have not yet decided on their vote for governor, 30% either have no opinion or have never heard of Ronchetti, compared to 6% for Lujan Grisham,” Kimball said. “This gives both candidates the opportunity to create a narrative around Ronchetti and influence those undecided voters over the next eight weeks.”
On a national level, New Mexico likely voters are split on President Joe Biden: 47% approve and 47% disapprove of the job he is doing as president. This is five points higher, and his disapproval is four points lower than the August Emerson national survey.
The economy is the most important issue among potential voters, with 35% listing it as a priority, followed by abortion access (15%), health care (12%), crime (11%), immigration (6%) and education (6%). Fifty-one percent of voters said the overturning of Roe v. Wade makes them more likely to vote in the 2022 midterm election, while 45% say it makes no difference. Two-thirds of voters polled said crime has increased in New Mexico in the past year.