Most state officials avoiding endorsements during primaries

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Democratic New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham says she doesn't plan to endorse any of her party's candidates for president during the primaries.

Lujan Grisham spokesman Nora Sackett said Tuesday that no endorsements are being made in the presidential race or the primary for an open congressional seat in northern New Mexico.

Most members of the state's congressional delegation also are wary about weighing in, with the exception of U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland. One of the first Native American women to be elected to Congress, Haaland threw her support behind Elizabeth Warren early on and just finished a three-state swing campaigning for the candidate.

U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, who is running for an open Senate seat, will not be endorsing anyone in the presidential contest but says he'll support the eventual nominee.

Because the presidential field is changing rapidly, freshman Rep. Xochitl Torres Small said she hasn't decided on which candidate to support. Torres Small is riunning for re-election in a sprawling district that includes a stretch of the border with Mexico and is home to a portion of one of the nation's most prolific oil and gas basins.

“I remain concerned by some of the policies the candidates have proposed, including a federal ban on fracking,” she said. "Right now, my focus remains on delivering for New Mexicans by increasing access to rural health care, implementing a strong, smart, and fair border policy and growing our local economies.”

Voters in the state are particularly attuned to the issue of oil and gas, as the industry brings in significant revenue and helps pay for public education and other government programs.

If no presidential candidate wins a majority of pledged delegates, Lujan Grisham could be called on as an automatic super delegate at the Democratic national convention to vote. Previously members of Congress and other party leaders voted as super delegates in the initial convention balloting.

While serving in Congress in 2016, Lujan Grisham voted as a super delegate to help Hillary Clinton clinch the party nomination after Clinton won the state's primary over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Under new Democratic National Committee rules, if no candidate receives support from a majority of pledged delegates on the first ballot at the convention, about 770 super delegates would be allowed to vote on a second ballot.