New Mexico Senate leaders look to hang on in primary

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Several longtime Democratic legislators who have resisted initiatives ranging from spending increases to the legalization of recreational marijuana were facing stiff opposition Tuesday as liberal advocacy groups push the party toward a more progressive agenda.

Senate President Mary Kay Papen of Las Cruces and Senate finance committee leader John Arthur Smith of Deming were among those with primary opponents. Others include Clemente Sanchez of Grants, George Muñoz of Gallup and Gabriel Ramos of Silver City.

Ramos fell short Tuesday, losing his bid for the Democratic nomination to Siah Correa Hemphill, who was endorsed by the governor. Ramos had held the seat since 2019, when he was appointed to fill a vacant seat left by Lt. Gov. Howie Morales.

Papen was in a close race with Carrie Hamblen of Las Cruces, while Smith had a narrow lead over Neomi Martinez-Parra of Lordsburg, a former vice chairwoman of the state Democratic Party.

Sanchez, chairman of a committee on corporate affairs, was narrowly trailing his challenger, retired teacher Pamela Cordova of Belen.

The incumbent senators broke ranks with a majority of Democrats in 2019 to uphold the state’s dormant criminal ban on abortion. Critics also have said the incumbent Democrats helped to water down a House-approved version of the state’s 2019 minimum wage hike and have resisted spending increases from a state education trust fund.

The primary coincides with New Mexico's first major steps toward reopening the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic, as a special legislative session looms on budget and economic recovery matters on June 18. The pandemic response is expected to quickly wipe out state reserves despite more than $1.2 billion in related federal assistance.

Muñoz is defending his seat from Democrat Noreen Kelly of Church Rock.

In other races, Sen. Richard Martinez of Ojo Caliente was seeking a sixth term and an uncertain political future after being convicted and jailed for drunken driving after rear-ending a car at a red stoplight in Española last year. He was trailing primary competitor Leo Jaramillo, a Rio Arriba County Commissioner and Española resident. Jaramillo also has acknowledged a drunken driving conviction more than 20 years ago.

State Republican Party officials have said they're positioning ahead of the general election to challenge Democrats in Albuquerque swing seats and on new fronts in Las Cruces and elsewhere.

Democrats hold a 46-24 majority in the state House and a 26-16 advantage in the Senate.