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New Mexico Secretary of State election, 2018 (June 5 Democratic primary)

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New Mexico Secretary of State
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: March 13, 2018
Primary: June 5, 2018
General: November 6, 2018
Pre-election incumbent(s):
Maggie Toulouse Oliver (Democrat)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voting in New Mexico
Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness
State executive elections in 2018
Impact of term limits in 2018
State government trifectas
State government triplexes
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018
New Mexico
executive elections
Governor

Lieutenant governor
Attorney general
Secretary of state
Treasurer
Auditor
Public lands commissioner
Public education commissioner
Public regulation commissioner

A Democratic Party primary election took place on June 5, 2018, in New Mexico to determine which candidate would run as the party's nominee in the state's November 6, 2018, secretary of state election.

For more information about secretary of state elections in 2018, click here.

SETTING THE STAGE
  • Heading into the 2018 election, the sitting secretary of state was Maggie Toulouse Oliver (D), who was first elected in a special election in 2016. Oliver announced on June 20, 2017, that she would seek election to a full four-year term in 2018.
  • In 2018, New Mexico was under divided government. It had held this status since Gov. Susana Martinez (R) took office in 2011. New Mexico was also under divided triplex control.
  • In presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, New Mexico was won by the Democratic candidate in 2000, 2008, 2012, and 2016 and by the Republican candidate in 2004. The widest margin of victory was Barack Obama's 15 percent margin in 2008 while the narrowest was Al Gore's 0.06 percent margin in 2000.

    • Candidates and election results

    Incumbent Maggie Toulouse Oliver advanced from the Democratic primary for New Mexico Secretary of State on June 5, 2018.

    Democratic primary election
    Democratic primary for New Mexico Secretary of State

    Candidate
    %
    Votes
    ✔
    Image of Maggie Toulouse Oliver
    		Maggie Toulouse Oliver
     
    100.0
     
    		148,545

    Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.

    		Total votes: 148,545
    Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
    If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

    Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

    Context of the 2018 election

    Past elections

    2016

    See also: New Mexico Secretary of State election, 2016

    Maggie Toulouse Oliver was unopposed in the 2016 Democratic primary election.[1]

    Voter information

    How the primary works

    A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. New Mexico utilizes a semi-closed primary process; participation in each party's primary is limited to registered party members and unaffiliated voters.[2][3][4][5]

    For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

    Poll times

    In New Mexico, all polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Mountain Time on Election Day. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[6][7]

    Registration requirements

    Check your voter registration status here.

    To register to vote in New Mexico, each applicant must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of New Mexico, and at least 18 years old by the time of the next election. People convicted of a felony are eligible to vote after their prison time is completed, even if they are still on probation, parole, or another form of supervised release. Individuals who have been declared mentally incapacitated may not register to vote.[8]

    Potential New Mexico voters who were not registered automatically may use the New Mexico voter registration form, the national voter registration form, or the state's online voter registration portal to register. Completed registration materials may be mailed or delivered by hand to election officials. To register online, an applicant must have a state-issued ID. First-time applicants registering by mail must attach a valid form of identification to their registration materials, which includes a current and valid photo identification, or, a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, student identification card or other government document, including tribal IDs that show the voter's name and current address.[8]

    Automatic registration

    See also: Automatic voter registration

    New Mexico has automatic voter registration. Eligible voters are automatically registered to vote when they interact with a department of motor vehicles unless they opt out.[9][10]

    Online registration

    See also: Online voter registration

    New Mexico has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

    Same-day registration

    See also: Same-day voter registration

    New Mexico allows same-day voter registration.[11]

    Residency requirements

    In New Mexico, individuals can register to vote as soon as they become residents of the state.[12]

    Verification of citizenship

    See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

    New Mexico does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote.[13]

    All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[14] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

    Verifying your registration

    The New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.

    Voter ID requirements

    New Mexico does not require voters to present identification while voting, in most cases. However, if an individual registered to vote for the first time by mail and did not provide verification of his or her identity then, the voter will have to show identification.[15]

    Those voters can present the following forms of identification:

    • Current and valid photo identification
    • Current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, student identification card, or other government document, including identification issued by an Indian nation, tribe, or pueblo that shows the voter’s name and current address

    Some municipalities require identification when voting in local elections. Click here for more information.

    Early voting

    New Mexico permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website. Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

    Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.

    Absentee voting

    All voters are eligible to vote absentee in New Mexico. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.[16]

    The county clerk must receive the absentee ballot application no later than the 14th day before the election. A voter may request an absentee ballot by filling out and returning an application form, or by completing an online application. Completed ballots must be returned to the county clerk or voter's precinct before 7 p.m. on Election Day in order to be counted.[16][17]


    State overview

    Partisan control

    This section details the partisan control of state and federal positions in New Mexico heading into the 2018 elections.

    Congressional delegation

    • Following the 2014 elections, Democrats held both U.S. Senate seats in New Mexico.
    • Democrats held two of the state's three U.S. House seats while Republicans held the third.

    State executives

    • As of September 2018, Democrats held 15 of 27 state executive offices. Republicans held six, Libertarians held one, and the remaining five were held by nonpartisan officials.
    • The governor of New Mexico was Republican Susana Martinez. Martinez won office in 2010 and was re-elected in 2014.

    State legislature

    Trifecta status

    2018 elections

    See also: New Mexico elections, 2018

    New Mexico held elections for the following positions in 2018:

    Demographics

    Demographic data for New Mexico
     New MexicoU.S.
    Total population:2,080,328316,515,021
    Land area (sq mi):121,2983,531,905
    Race and ethnicity**
    White:73.2%73.6%
    Black/African American:2.1%12.6%
    Asian:1.4%5.1%
    Native American:9.1%0.8%
    Pacific Islander:0.1%0.2%
    Two or more:3.3%3%
    Hispanic/Latino:47.4%17.1%
    Education
    High school graduation rate:84.2%86.7%
    College graduation rate:26.3%29.8%
    Income
    Median household income:$44,963$53,889
    Persons below poverty level:24.7%11.3%
    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
    Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in New Mexico.
    **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

    As of July 2016, New Mexico's three largest cities were Albuquerque (pop. est. 560,000), Las Cruces (pop. est. 100,000), and Rio Rancho (pop. est. 96,000).[18]

    State election history

    This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in New Mexico from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from New Mexico Secretary of State.

    Historical elections

    Presidential elections, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the results of the presidential election in New Mexico every year from 2000 to 2016.

    Election results (President of the United States), New Mexico 2000-2016
    Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
    2016 Democratic Party Hillary Clinton 48.3% Republican Party Donald Trump 40.0% 8.3%
    2012 Democratic Party Barack Obama 53.0% Republican Party Mitt Romney 42.8% 10.2%
    2008 Democratic Party Barack Obama 56.9% Republican Party John McCain 41.8% 15.1%
    2004 Republican Party George W. Bush 49.8% Democratic Party John Kerry 49.1% 0.7%
    2000 Democratic Party Al Gore 47.9% Republican Party George W. Bush 47.9% 0.0%

    U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in New Mexico from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.

    Election results (U.S. Senator), New Mexico 2000-2014
    Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
    2014 Democratic Party Tom Udall 55.6% Republican Party Allan Weh 44.4% 11.2%
    2012 Democratic Party Martin Heinrich 51.0% Republican Party Heather Wilson 45.3% 5.7%
    2008 Democratic Party Tom Udall 61.3% Republican Party Steve Pearce 38.7% 22.6%
    2006 Democratic Party Jeff Bingaman 70.6% Republican Party Allen McCulloch 29.3% 41.3%
    2002 Republican Party Pete Domenici 65.0% Democratic Party Gloria Tristani 35.0% 30.0%
    2000 Democratic Party Jeff Bingaman 62.7% Republican Party Bill Redmond 37.3% 25.4%

    Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the results of the gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in New Mexico.

    Election results (Governor), New Mexico 2000-2016
    Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
    2014 Republican Party Susana Martinez 57.3% Democratic Party Gary King 42.7% 14.6%
    2010 Republican Party Susana Martinez 53.3% Democratic Party Diane Denish 46.5% 6.8%
    2006 Democratic Party Bill Richardson 68.8% Republican Party John Dendahl 31.2% 37.6%
    2002 Democratic Party Bill Richardson 55.5% Republican Party John Sanchez 39.0% 16.5%

    Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent New Mexico in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

    Congressional delegation, New Mexico 2000-2016
    Year Republicans Republicans (%) Democrats Democrats (%) Balance of power
    2016 Republican Party 1 33.3% Democratic Party 2 66.7% D+1
    2014 Republican Party 1 33.3% Democratic Party 2 66.7% D+1
    2012 Republican Party 1 33.3% Democratic Party 2 66.7% D+1
    2010 Republican Party 1 33.3% Democratic Party 2 66.7% D+1
    2008 Republican Party 0 0.0% Democratic Party 3 100.0% D+3
    2006 Republican Party 2 66.7% Democratic Party 1 33.3% R+1
    2004 Republican Party 2 66.7% Democratic Party 1 33.3% R+1
    2002 Republican Party 2 66.7% Democratic Party 1 33.3% R+1
    2000 Republican Party 2 66.7% Democratic Party 1 33.3% R+1

    Trifectas, 1992-2017

    A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.

    New Mexico Party Control: 1992-2025
    Eighteen years of Democratic trifectas  •  No Republican trifectas
    Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

    Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
    Governor D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D
    Senate D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D
    House D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R D D D D D D D D D


    Pivot Counties

    See also: Pivot Counties by state

    Three of 33 New Mexico counties—9 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

    Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
    County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
    Colfax County, New Mexico 8.55% 2.24% 10.73%
    Hidalgo County, New Mexico 6.73% 4.96% 2.92%
    Valencia County, New Mexico 8.60% 2.47% 7.72%

    In the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton (D) won New Mexico with 48.3 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 40 percent. In presidential elections between 1912 and 2016, New Mexico voted Democratic 56 percent of the time and Republican 44 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, New Mexico voted Democratic four times. The state voted Republican in 2004.[19]

    Presidential results by legislative district

    The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in New Mexico. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[20][21]

    In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 45 out of 70 state House districts in New Mexico with an average margin of victory of 29.5 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 45 out of 70 state House districts in New Mexico with an average margin of victory of 26.7 points. Clinton won nine districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
    In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 25 out of 70 state House districts in New Mexico with an average margin of victory of 24.4 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 25 out of 70 state House districts in New Mexico with an average margin of victory of 27 points. Trump won two districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.


    See also

    New Mexico government:

    Elections:

    Ballotpedia exclusives:

    External links

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ New Mexico Secretary of State, "2016 Primary Official Results," accessed September 29, 2017
    2. ↑ New Mexico Legislature, "2025 Regular Session - SB 16," accessed June 20, 2025
    3. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed August 22, 2024
    4. ↑ Ballotpedia research conducted December 26, 2013, through January 3, 2014, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
    5. ↑ New Mexico Secretary of State, "FAQs for Primary & General Election Candidacy," accessed August 22, 2024
    6. ↑ New Mexico Compilation Commission, "New Mexico Statutes - Chapter 1, Article 12.1," accessed June 24, 2025
    7. ↑ New Mexico Secretary of State, "Voter Bill of Rights," accessed June 24, 2025
    8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 New Mexico Secretary of State, “Voter Registration Information,” accessed June 24, 2025
    9. ↑ New Mexico Compilation Commission, "New Mexico Statutes - Chapter 1, Article 1-4-5.2", accessed June 24, 2025
    10. ↑ New Mexico Compilation Commission, "New Mexico Statutes - Chapter 1, Article 1-4-5.8", accessed June 24, 2025
    11. ↑ New Mexico Compilation Commission, "New Mexico Statutes - Chapter 1, Article 1-4-5.7", accessed June 24, 2025
    12. ↑ New Mexico Secretary of State, "Voter Registration Eligibility Requirements and FAQs," accessed June 24, 2025
    13. ↑ The State of New Mexico, "Voter Registration Form," accessed June 24, 2025
    14. ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
    15. ↑ New Mexico Secretary of State, "Voting," accessed June 24, 2025
    16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 New Mexico Secretary of State, "Absentee and Early Voting," accessed June 24, 2025
    17. ↑ New Mexico Secretary of State, "Absentee Voting by Mail," accessed June 24, 2025
    18. ↑ New Mexico Demographics by Cubit, "New Mexico Cities by Population," accessed September 7, 2018
    19. ↑ 270towin.com, "New Mexico," accessed August 8, 2017
    20. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
    21. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
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