Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Pearce’s huge win over Lara confounds Democratic pundits (R, NM-2)
The Albuquerque Journal ^ | November 9, 2014 | Michael Coleman

Posted on 11/10/2014 10:14:11 AM PST by CedarDave

The conservative Hobbs Republican not only defeated [Roxanne "Rocky"] Lara, a Carlsbad lawyer and former Eddy County commissioner, but he, percentage-wise, racked up the most commanding election victory in the state – and of his congressional career. [Steve] Pearce won every county in the 2nd Congressional District, even outpacing Lara in heavily Democratic Doña Ana County.

When all the ballots were tallied, Pearce took nearly 65 percent of the 2nd District vote, compared with Lara’s 35 percent.

As far as the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee was concerned, the general election in New Mexico’s 2nd District wasn’t supposed to turn out this way. The House Democrats’ Washington-based political arm viewed Pearce as vulnerable in a district with a large Hispanic population where Democrats outnumber Republicans.

Popular Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima said the Democrats’ national environmental appeals tend to backfire in a district in which many depend on oil and gas to put food on the table. Socially liberal appeals – vocal support for gay marriage, for example – don’t play well among conservative Hispanics, he said.

Rebecca Long [a Republican Lea County commissioner] said the reason for Pearce’s success is simple: He works hard, spends a lot of time in the district and – despite his economic status as a millionaire who got rich in the oil business – never forgets where he came from.

“He has worked the oil fields, and he rolls up his sleeves and gets right in the middle of what needs to be done,” Long said. “He understands hard work. He came from nothing, and he understands the American dream. And he is here all the time. We see him here in Hobbs and in Las Cruces – all of this district – all of the time.”

(Excerpt) Read more at abqjournal.com ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections; US: New Mexico
KEYWORDS: nm2; pearce; stevepearce
NM-2 extends from just south of ABQ in Bernalillo County to the Mexican border and from Texas on the east to Arizona on the west. It is one of the largest districts in the US, larger than several states.

Lengthy article that explores Steve's win but also shows some possible future pitfalls - a large Hispanic population that either is not registered or does not vote, or both.

Journal articles require a subscription or you may view the article by answering two survey questions.

1 posted on 11/10/2014 10:14:11 AM PST by CedarDave
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: LegendHasIt; leapfrog0202; Santa Fe_Conservative; DesertDreamer; OneWingedShark; CougarGA7; ...

NM list PING!

I may not PING for all New Mexico articles. To see New Mexico articles by topic click here: New Mexico Topics

To see NM articles by keyword, click here: New Mexico Keywords

To see the NM Message Page, click here: New Mexico Messages

(The NM list is available on my FR homepage for anyone to use. Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from the list.)
(For ABQ Journal articles requiring a subscription, scroll down to the bottom of the page to view the article for free after answering a question or watching a short video commercial.)

2 posted on 11/10/2014 10:23:34 AM PST by CedarDave
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CedarDave

35% - lol

would not be surprised if she lost the women vote and the Hispanic male vote like Wendy Davis did


3 posted on 11/10/2014 10:28:47 AM PST by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CedarDave
65% to 35% — that's a huge difference!

It's interesting/nice to see that humanity still confounds experts.

4 posted on 11/10/2014 10:37:02 AM PST by OneWingedShark (Q: Why am I here? A: To do Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CedarDave
vocal support for gay marriage, for example – don’t play well among conservative Hispanics, he said.

Bingo!.......................

5 posted on 11/10/2014 10:40:10 AM PST by Red Badger (If you compromise with evil, you just get more evil..........................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CedarDave
a large Hispanic population that either is not registered or does not vote, or both.

Or maybe because they are illegal?

6 posted on 11/10/2014 10:49:16 AM PST by itsahoot (Voting for a Progressive RINO is the same as voting for any other Tyrant.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger
and:

...Democrats’ national environmental appeals tend to backfire in a district in which many depend on oil and gas to put food on the table.

The Democrats in north central NM have a different opinion - they vehemently oppose natural resource development because of the constant anti-development, anti-business rants from Santa Fe environmentalists who demonstrate and sue on any activity that may provide non-governmental income in the area. Use of coal for power generation, anti-fracking and closure of forest lands to cattle to protect a mouse are only three of the most recent issues they are protesting.

7 posted on 11/10/2014 10:52:36 AM PST by CedarDave
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: itsahoot
Or maybe because they are illegal?

Most of the illegals in my area try to fly under the radar as they have good oil-patch jobs, work hard and keep their noses clean. I have no idea how many of them have legitimate documents but since they can get NM driver's licenses that's a start. On some jobs I supervise, the foreman speaks English but gives instructions to his crew in Spanish.

More importantly, they have families where the little ones are US citizens and are rapidly coming into the public school system. In four years our school enrollment has pushed us from 11th to 8th in the state and this year we saw an increase in over 500 new students from the previous year. We are building two new elementary schools that will open next fall and are waiving a master's degree requirement for new teachers.

8 posted on 11/10/2014 11:00:39 AM PST by CedarDave
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

That’s a ticket, as well as economic freedom in the urban areas to a rebound with Hispanic voters, not pandering on “amnesty”.

-J.S.


9 posted on 11/10/2014 11:10:07 AM PST by JSDude1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: CedarDave

And... north central NM dems are very dependent on public handouts, welfare addicted.

The Hispanics I know from southern NM are suffering greatly from their “relatives” pouring across the border, being victimized and are not happy about it.


10 posted on 11/10/2014 1:46:17 PM PST by ican'tbelieveit
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: ican'tbelieveit
And... north central NM dems are very dependent on public handouts, welfare addicted.

Very true.

The Hispanics I know from southern NM are suffering greatly from their “relatives” pouring across the border, being victimized and are not happy about it.

If I understand your comment correctly, the Hispanics in southern NM are the ones being victimized by uncontrolled immigration due to a lack of effective border security.

11 posted on 11/10/2014 1:58:59 PM PST by CedarDave
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: CedarDave
Comments on the Journal article from the "American Thinker":

How Dems' plans to play Hispanic card crashed and burned in New Mexico

12 posted on 11/10/2014 2:31:47 PM PST by CedarDave
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CedarDave

I looked up the names of some of the people in Rocky Lara’s ads and found out several of them had been in trouble for stunts they pulled while in positions of power in the Carlsbad area. Especially that older woman that starred in the ad asking Pearce, ‘what were you thinking?’. Several in her family were investigated or censored or removed from positions. How pathetic that Rocky Lara thought THOSE were the people to speak up for how wonderful she was in ads.


13 posted on 11/10/2014 2:53:11 PM PST by leapfrog0202 ("the American presidency is not supposed to be a journey of personal discovery" Sarah Palin)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: leapfrog0202
Good for you! Reminds me of the ad by a schoolteacher against Susana four years ago. Susana had put her husband in jail for kidnapping!

"Convicted"

14 posted on 11/10/2014 3:13:26 PM PST by CedarDave
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: CedarDave

Good for you! Reminds me of the ad by a schoolteacher against Susana four years ago. Susana had put her husband in jail for kidnapping!
“Convicted”


Exactly, that was terrible! IMO, if those are the type of people Rocky Lara wanted speaking for her, THAT is a huge reflection on her values.


15 posted on 11/10/2014 3:50:54 PM PST by leapfrog0202 ("the American presidency is not supposed to be a journey of personal discovery" Sarah Palin)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: CedarDave
Socially liberal appeals – vocal support for gay marriage, for example – don’t play well among conservative Hispanics . . .

Imagine that. Well, they'll just double down and support it MORE vocally, I suppose. After all, what do the stupid voters know?

16 posted on 11/10/2014 4:40:14 PM PST by madprof98
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CedarDave
Socially liberal appeals – vocal support for gay marriage, for example – don’t play well among conservative Hispanics, he said.

But we LOST the culture war!

< /RINO>

17 posted on 11/10/2014 4:43:10 PM PST by Colonel_Flagg ("Compromise" means you've already decided you lost.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CedarDave

Democrats won’t be able to find enough votes to steal that election.


18 posted on 11/10/2014 6:21:52 PM PST by wastedyears (I may be stupid, but at least I'm not Darwin Awards stupid.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CedarDave

Hmmmm.... NM2 is an upset... nice...the Dems thought they would win it...


19 posted on 11/10/2014 8:16:44 PM PST by ExCTCitizen (I'm ExCTCitizen and I approve this reply. If it does offend Libs, I'm NOT sorry...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CedarDave

I think your summary is very concise. Yes, lack of border control is making their lives unbearable.

It reminds me of pictures my grandmother had of the grasshoppers during the dustbowl period. The ground literally crawled. And nothing was left in their path, stripped bare.


20 posted on 11/11/2014 6:26:28 AM PST by ican'tbelieveit
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson