Pearce elected to another term as chair of New Mexico GOP

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Former Congressman Steve Pearce will serve another term as chairman of the Republican Party of New Mexico, beating three challengers to hold on to the leadership post.

Members of the party’s central committee voted during an online meeting Monday. There were questions about the initial tally as it showed Pearce ahead of radio station owner Eddy Aragon by just one vote. Party spokesman Mike Curtis said a coding mistake by the company tallying the results was corrected and Pearce ended up with a 29-vote lead.

Pearce said he wants to continue growing the party and focusing on legislative seats and mayoral races around the state.

“There’s more work to be done," he said in a statement. “I am very excited to get our party more unified, to expand its footprint in New Mexico and to make our party even more inclusive and diverse.”

Registered Democrats outnumber Republican voters in the state. However, GOP registrations have grown by more than 10% since November 2018, double the growth of that seen among Democrat registrations over the same period.