New Mexico leaders react
Rep.’s vote to back case against Trump has attracted GOP/ conservative backlash
Political observers expect New Mexico Democratic Rep. Xochitl Torres Small’s vote in favor of the impeachment of President Donald Trump to be an issue well into the 2020 campaign.
But they are skeptical impeachment will have an impact in the U.S. Senate race involving U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján or other state races next year.
“In New Mexico, I don’t believe it will have as much of a difference in statewide races or two of the congressional races,” said Brian Sanderoff, president of Albuquerque-based Research & Polling Inc. “The state has been trending blue, with Obama winning the state by 10 and 14 percentage points, and Hillary (Clinton) winning by eight points. The race where it could really make a difference is in the 2nd Congressional District race, where Trump won by more than 10%. I’m sure outside groups and the eventual Republican nominee will continue to use it against Xochitl Torres Small strategically.”
At least one group affiliated with Republican House leadership — the American Action Network — spent more than $350,000 in digital and television advertisements targeting Torres Small before she came out in favor of impeachment on Sunday.
“I’m sure a lot more will be spent because of her vote,” University of New Mexico political science professor Lonna Atkeson said.
Trump’s reelection campaign had already been concentrating on Torres Small, who represents a traditionally Republican district. It staged “Stop the Madness” protests at Torres Small’s offices and some of the events she hosted in the 2nd Congressional District.
A response from the White House following her announcement seems to indicate those activities will continue.
“Rep. Xochitl Torres Small is choosing Nancy Pelosi and progressive Democrats over the New Mexicans she represents,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Steven Groves said in a statement. “It is a shame that she is letting this hyper-partisan impeachment hoax get in the way of supporting our veterans, securing our southern border and growing our economy, but her constituents can rest assured that President Trump has not stopped working to deliver on these promises.”
Atkeson said she wasn’t surprised Torres Small made the decision to vote for impeachment, despite being targeted by Republican and conservative groups.
“She’s a Democrat and there has been a lot of pressure to support impeachment,” Atkeson said. “If she votes against it, it could lead to a primary challenge. It might also affect who funds her campaign.”
“I know she faced a lot of pressure from members of her own party,” Sanderoff added. “And I don’t think her vote for impeachment will make much of a difference in the southeastern part of the state where she will lose by 40% of the vote regardless of how she voted. She has to hold the moderate to conservative Democrats or independents who are either opposed to impeachment or on the fence.”
Sanderoff and Atkeson do not believe U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland will face much of a backlash, with Atkeson calling the Albuquerque area “very blue at the present.”
Sanderoff believes Luján could be targeted in the Senate race because of his vote.
“I can see it used against Ben Ray Luján in a targeted way to certain constituencies through things like direct mailings,” he said.
But he believes other issues may be more important in that race and other statewide races by the time the general election rolls around.
“If the election was two weeks away, how a person voted would be a lot more significant and impactful,” Sanderoff said. “A year from now, there may be bigger issues on the minds of New Mexicans. It might be jobs, crime or education.”