Losing candidates have hard choices to make

The governor’s race might have earned the big headlines — Michelle Lujan Grisham topping the field in the Democratic primary and Steve Pearce unopposed on the GOP side.

Yet the hardest-fought statewide race had to be the battle for land commissioner, with Stephanie Garcia Richard besting Garrett VeneKlasen and George Muñoz. Garcia Richard took 39.5 percent to VeneKlasen’s 37.2 percent, with Muñoz at 23.3.

She won by just over 3,700 votes, a close race by any standard.

Contrast that narrow victory to Lujan Grisham’s win over Jeff Apodaca and Joseph Cervantes. The Democratic primary winner had 66.4 percent of the vote to Apodaca’s 22.1 percent and Cervantes’ 11.5 percent. She smoked the guys, in other words.

VeneKlasen, although disappointed at his close race, immediately endorsed his opponent.

He recorded a video with her and the day after the primary wrote on Facebook that, “I am so grateful for the incredible outpouring of support from all of you — every call, every house party, and every donation has shown just how much New Mexicans care for our public lands.

“Together, we have fought to fundamentally transform how we manage public lands in New Mexico with clean energy and ecotourism.

And we have taken a strong stand against the Trump administration’s hateful border wall and unconstitutional federal land grabs.

“While this is not the outcome we had hoped for, I ask that you will join me in supporting our Democratic nominee, Stephanie Garcia Richard, who will be the champion we need for education and for our public lands.”

That’s how to lose with grace.

Apodaca could take a few lessons in losing. Despite being trounced, the son of former Gov. Jerry Apodaca has failed to do what primary losers generally do, smile and get to work for the party nominee.

Or, in instances where the campaign was too bitter, at least stay quiet.

Instead, Apodaca has signed on as spokesman for a political action committee, New Mexico Democrats for Democracy, which actively campaigned against Lujan Grisham in the primary.

The PAC claims it wants to change “New Mexico for the better by supporting candidates instead of parties,” but its social media output generally has been antiMichelle all the time, rather than presenting a positive, bipartisan agenda.

In his announcement that he is teaming up with New Mexico Democrats for Democracy, Apodaca says he will push his platform and agenda, focusing on electing “candidates not parties.”

Most recently, Apodaca was a surprise guest at a Pearce speech, being invited to the podium Monday to be photographed shaking hands with the GOP candidate.

Apodaca is saying that his goal is to push both candidates to support his plan to invest in New Mexico, but said of Pearce, “I think he has a pretty good plan.”

Apocaca is reaching out to Lujan Grisham for a discussion; she should respond. It never hurts to talk.

Pearce, as governor, likely won’t agree with the bulk of what Apodaca said was his platform — everything from legalizing marijuana to raising the minimum wage.

There’s a big disconnect between Apodaca the candidate and Pearce.

A fierce competitor since his footballplaying days and his successful fight against cancer, Apodaca could show more grace in defeat. For a lesson in sportsmanship, just look to Garrett VeneKlasen. That, folks, is how it should be done.