Lujn edges Ronchetti in N.M. U.S. Senate race
Ben Ray Luján, the six-term U.S. representative from Nambé, captured a hard-fought victory over Republican Mark Ronchetti and Libertarian Bob Walsh in the race for the U.S. Senate, keeping the seat in the Democratic column.
For Democrats, the victory allows their party to maintain its control of New Mexico’s Senate delegation amid a bitterly partisan environment in Washington. For Luján, it represents a step up in a long political career during which he served New Mexico’s 3rd Congressional District over the past 12 years. Before that he was a member of the Public Regulation Commission.
Additionally, Luján will become the first Hispanic U.S. senator from the state since Democratic Sen. Joseph Montoya left office in 1977. According to the official vote count from the Secretary of State’s Office late Tuesday night, Luján won 51 percent of the vote compared to 46 percent for Ronchetti. Walsh got 3 percent.
Luján, who succeeds the retiring Tom Udall in the Senate, emphasized his support for clean energy and environmental protection initiatives. He also called for the Affordable Care Act to be held intact, arguing efforts by President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans to overturn the landmark Obama-era legislation would increase premiums and take away protections for preexisting conditions.
Meanwhile, Ronchetti, who is best known as the former chief meteorologist for KRQE-TV in Albuquerque, ... portrayed himself as a law-and-order candidate who favored Trump’s deployment of federal law enforcement to Albuquerque and would effectively combat crime in the city.
https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/elections/luj-n-edges-ronchetti-in-u-s-senate-race/article_dc616670-1d22-11eb-9023-8fc60178156d.html