Thursday, November 05, 2020Three Election Takeaways And A Dip Into The Reader Mailbag --The results make it more difficult for MLG to impose restrictions because of the coronavirus. The strong Trump vote will encourage those who have all along been skeptical of and/or defied the public health orders. The state needs to do a better job with contact tracing, identifying the "hot spots" and if necessary do targeted shutdowns. The days of closing the entire state down without widespread protest and defiance ended Election Night. The onus is on the state to step up its game. --The challenge of redistricting the southern congressional district to make it more Dem has suddenly grown more challenging with GOP Congresswoman-elect Yvette Herrell taking the seat. Resistance to do a gerrymander will be much more vocal and public. Not that the Dems won't make a play to turn it blue but some of their own members may not have the stomach for the fight that would surely ensue. --Progressives will have the muscle at the next session of the Legislature but they don't have the money. The state is scraping buy awaiting federal relief, But with the US Senate staying in the hands of the R's any coronavirus relief package could be modest. The progressive agenda that doesn't cost direct tax dollars (legalized marijuna, abortion and tapping the $20 billion Land Grant Permanent Fund for early childhood education) will have the best chances. MAILBAG Richard Flores writes: In one of your pre-election blogs there was some speculation that Republican Mark Ronchetti's run for the US Senate was a precursor to a future run for Albuquerque mayor. If in fact that was the thinking, his resounding loss in Albuquerque puts that idea to rest! With regard to Rep. Xochitl Torres Small, it has been and will continue to be extremely difficult for any Democrat to win that district given the vast disparity between registered Republicans and Registered Democrats in southeastern New Mexico. Ronchetti lost to Lujan 57 to 41% in Bernalillo County, just shy of 50,000 votes. He finished six points behind Lujan statewide--52-46. That's a one point improvement from Election Night for Lujan as late returns are tallied. President Trump lost Bernalillo County to VP Biden 61-37% and 76,000 votes. Reacer Carl Stevens writes: The Dems in Albuquerque and northern New Mexico have so little understanding of the dynamics of southern New Mexico. I had hopes that the congressional race would at least be closer and a fantasy that Torres Small might be able to pull it out, but most Democrats down here did not have that optimistic feeling. As a Dem from Southeast New Mexico, who lived and worked in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, I can tell you that they are truly different worlds. There was really nothing to pin hopes of ballot splitting on other than an assumption that the Yvette Herrell-Claire Chase Republican primary fight would spill into the general. And a Senior Alligator writes: I hope the progressives in Santa Fe and Albuquerque are pleased that they tanked Xochitl with their absolute negligence of her race (where were the all hands on deck for Xochitl??). I bet they are real happy to let the Republicans back into the delegation and to have slimmer margins in the US House. Where was MLG for Xochitl in Cruces? And Joe Biden may win, but he’s winning ugly. The long knives do tend to come out after an election, don't they? Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here.  
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