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Democrats fended off a Republican attempt to make New Mexico’s First Congressional District special election a sign of a red wave to come in 2022, with Melanie Stansbury projected to win the seat. The presumed victory comes after some help from national Democrats flying in to campaign for her and funneling donations her way.
Stansbury, a state representative since 2019, had more than 60% of the first-counted early votes, enough for Decision Desk HQ to project her as the winner less than an hour after polls closed on Tuesday. Republican state Sen. Mark Moores was trailing far behind. Libertarian Chris Manning and independent and former state land commissioner Aubrey Dunn each had single-digit support.
Democrat Melanie Stansbury, pictured, won the special election in New Mexico on Tuesday to fill the vacant seat previously held by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.
Associated Press
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Democrat Melanie Stansbury won election to Congress for New Mexico on Tuesday with a campaign closely tied to initiatives of the Biden administration.
Stanbury prevailed in an open, four-way race to fill a vacant seat previously held by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. The 42-year-old state legislator outpaced her Republican rival by more than 30,000 votes, garnering roughly six of every 10 votes as ballots were tallied into the night.
Stansbury closely tethered her bid for Congress to proposed and enacted Democratic legislation on pandemic relief, infrastructure spending and interventions to slow climate change. Her victory shores up the Democratic majority in Congress ahead of 2022 midterm elections.