Democratic candidate Melanie Stansbur on Tuesday defeated New Mexico state Sen. Mark Moores (R) in the special election to fill the House seat formerly held by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, The Associated Press reported.
Stansbury, an environmental expert who was elected to the state House in 2018, leaned heavily on her science background to cast herself as a champion for New Mexico’s natural resources.
The special election in New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District was seen as an early test of both parties’ strengths ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. Throughout the race, Moores repeatedly painted Stansbury as unsupportive of law enforcement and campaigned against surging crime rates, including the rising homicide rate in Albuquerque.
Democrats currently hold an eight-seat advantage in the House and are expected to face an uphill battle next year to protect their majority in the lower chamber. A handful of House Democrats are either retiring or seeking other elected offices next year. Meanwhile, decennial redistricting is expected to favor Republicans, who hold power in key state legislatures.
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Democrats are also confronting the historical truth that the party of a new president typically loses ground in the midterms. But the New Mexico race is giving Democrats a new hope to keep their razor-thin majority in the House.
