Luján seeks U.S. House leadership role.

As the final ballots continued to trickle in Wednesday, the results of the gubernatorial contest painted a dominant picture.

Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham racked up significant wins in the state’s three largest counties: Bernalillo by 24 percent, Doña Ana by 17 percent, Santa Fe by 57 percent.

As ever, Bernalillo County was crucial, as it is the state’s most populous by a wide margin. More than a third of the total votes in the gubernatorial contest came from the Albuquerque area, where Democratic enthusiasm not only boosted Lujan Grisham but lifted a number of Democratic challengers into Republican-held seats in the Duke City.

Lujan Grisham’s 62 percent performance there was the best since former Gov. Bill Richardson won Bernalillo County with 68 percent in 2006.

Republican Steve Pearce’s efforts to win votes in the northern reaches of the state fell flat. Although Northern New Mexico is traditionally Democratic, Pearce argued his social conservative message would resonate with rural, more conservative Democrats.

It was not to be. Lujan Grisham dominated in the Democratic strongholds of Santa Fe, Rio Arriba and Taos while flipping McKinley and Sandoval counties, both of which went for Gov. Susana Martinez in 2014.

Los Alamos County, which Martinez won with 60 percent, flocked to Lujan Grisham, who took 58 percent.

Youth and Families Department and the Health and Human Services Department, which Lujan Grisham suggested was not up to her standard.

“Part of the transition team effort will be to take a look and confirm whether or not my suspicions are accurate,” she said.