New Mexico - 2nd District
South -- Las Cruces, Roswell, Little Texas
CQ Politics Race Rating: Tossup
House Race Rating ChartIncumbent — Harry Teague (D); Running for re-election
Year | Election | Candidate | Votes | Percent |
---|---|---|---|---|
2008 | general | Harry Teague (D) | 129,572 | 56% |
Ed Tinsley (R) | 101,980 | 44% |
TOf the state’s three freshman Democrats, Teague is in the most conservative district and therefore is the most vulnerable. Should he return to Congress next year, it will be a true success story for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.After an expensive 2008 campaign, Teague is up against a more difficult opponent in former Rep. Steve Pearce (R), a seasoned campaigner who left the seat open last cycle for an unsuccessful Senate bid.Both Teague and Pearce have gotten rich off of oil, and both could spend some of their own money if necessary. It may not be, as both have been successful in raising money and were running nearly even in cash on hand through the first half of the year.Outside groups and both party campaign committees are targeting the district with TV ads. The first ad on TV was by the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, an environmental group that labeled Pearce, who served three terms in the House, “one of the most corrupt Members of Congress.”Pearce has attacked Teague for his support for the stimulus, cap-and-trade and “big government, liberal policies” in general.
Race Information
- Incumbent: Harry Teague, D
- First Elected: 2008 (1st term)
- Last Elected: 2008 (55.96%)
- Incumbent Status: Running for re-election
- CQ Politics Race Rating: Tossup
District Information
Politics in America District Profile
Before hosting the first atomic bomb explosion in 1945, the mostly rural 2nd, covering the southern half of the state, looked like the old American West. Since then, the area has attracted nuclear research and waste facilities to the remote Chihuahua Desert and its deep salt beds.
Towns in the 2nd have built a stable economy on traditional Western industries: copper and lead mining in the Mexican Highlands along the Arizona border; and oil and gas, as well as cattle and sheep ranching, in the southeastern corner of the state. Severe water shortages prevent large-scale industrial development and larger corporate farming. New Mexico’s strong military presence is evident in the 2nd, home of Holloman Air Force Base and White Sands Missile Range.
New Mexico State University, based in Las Cruces and known for agricultural research, now uses a 64,000-acre section of its ranch as a proving ground for new border security technologies developed by government contractors.
Democrats hold the vast majority of local offices, although some voters still support GOP candidates at the federal level. In 2008, Republican John McCain won 50 percent of the 2nd’s presidential vote, but the U.S. House seat flipped to Democratic control.
Major Industry
Agriculture, mining, oil and gas, defense
Military Bases
Holloman Air Force Base, 2,779 military, 1,041 civilian (2008); White Sands Missile Range, 434 military, 6,158 civilian (2006)
Cities
Las Cruces, 74,267; Roswell, 45,293; Alamogordo, 35,582; Hobbs, 28,657
Notable
Roswell hosts an annual UFO festival near the site where a UFO allegedly crashed in 1947.
- Demographics (2000 census)
- Population: 606,406
- Under 18: 28.9%
- Over 65: 13.0%
- Married: 56%
- Non-Hispanic White: 44%
- Black: 2%
- Hispanic: 47%
- Asian: 1%
- Foreign Born: 11%
- Language other than English: 40.5%
- Median Household Income: 29,269
- Owner Occupied Housing: 72.0%
- Income above $200k: 0.8
- Workforce/Education (2000 census)
- White Collar: 53%
- Blue Collar: 28.7%
- Services: 18.4%
- Bachelor's Degree: 17%
- Graduate Education: 6.8%
- Civilian Veterans: 64,370
Year | Election | Candidate | Votes | Percent |
---|---|---|---|---|
2008 | general | Harry Teague (D) | 129,572 | 56% |
Ed Tinsley (R) | 101,980 | 44% | ||
2006 | general | Steve Pearce (R) | 92,620 | 59.4% |
Albert Kissling (D) | 63,119 | 40.5% | ||
2004 | general | Steve Pearce (R) | 130,498 | 60.2% |
Gary King (D) | 86,292 | 39.8% | ||
2002 | general | Steve Pearce (R) | 79,631 | 56.2% |
John Smith (D) | 61,916 | 43.7% | ||
George Dewey (GREEN) | 43 | 0% | ||
Padraig Lynch (R) | 39 | 0% |
Year | Democrat | Republican | Independent |
---|---|---|---|
2008 | Barack Obama: 49% | John McCain: 50% | |
2004 | John Kerry: 41% | George W. Bush: 58% | |
2000 | Al Gore: 43% | George W. Bush: 54% |