Bill Redmond (and long before him, Manuel Lujan) did pretty well in the north. Of couse, the Redmond didn't get much monetary suppoft against Udall. (Redmond was leading in the polls until Friday before the election.)
I have heard some comments about Republicans trying to steal the election by manipulating the voting machines. I think the main problem will be more "found votes" for Kerry, if necessry.
Redmond won a special election against a candidate that even dumbocrats thought was too corrupt to vote for. He lost soundly in the election that followed in the next year. Lujan dominated the first district on the strength of a large Albuquerque contigent and the best voter constituency program even known on Capitol Hill. Once NM gained a third district, Republicans have held onto the Alb area and have been shut out of the northern area (since Richardson).