Steve Pearce, left, and Harry Teague (Photos by Heath Haussamen)
A new poll conducted for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee shows U.S. Rep. Harry Teague, D-N.M., pulling away from GOP challenger Steve Pearce in what has been one of the hottest House races in the nation.
The two have been neck and neck in polling released over the last few months, but the new poll has Teague leading by 7 points – 51 percent to 44 percent – and over the magical 50-percent mark.
The survey of 400 likely voters, conducted Tuesday-Thursday, has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points, according to a DCCC news release. It was conducted by Anzalone Liszt Research.
“The more New Mexicans are reminded of the Steve Pearce record – backing the economic policies that drove our economy into the ditch, like protecting tax loopholes that encourage companies to ship American jobs overseas, support for privatizing Social Security and Medicare, and ripping the safety net out from underneath New Mexico seniors – the less they like what they find,” Andy Stone, western regional press secretary for the DCCC, said in a news release. “As this poll shows, voters understand that Steve Pearce is wrong for New Mexico.”
A recent Albuquerque Journal poll had Teague leading by 3 percent. In April, an internal Teague poll had him leading by 1 percent. An independent poll showed Pearce leading by 2 percent in February, and an internal Pearce poll conducted that same month had Pearce leading by 4 percent.
There’s been an unquestionable trend: The race has gradually moved from leaning in Pearce’s favor to leaning in Teague’s. Why? A Thursday commentary in the Las Cruces Sun-News by Daniel Balke presents some ideas.
First, he wrote, “Teague is outworking Pearce. … On March 1, for instance, after little more than a year in office, he held his 100th ‘Harry in Your Hometown’ community meeting. For New Mexicans not used to interacting with their elected representatives in Washington, Teague’s tireless travel and accessibility provide a refreshing change.”
Second, “Harry has tapped into one of the Second District’s most politically active constituencies: veterans. Upon arriving in Washington, the congressman demanded a spot on the Veterans Affairs Committee and co-sponsored legislation securing advanced appropriations for the Department of Veterans Affairs. He also led congressional efforts to boost support for veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and established a hotline to help Second District veterans access health and other services in their area.”
Third, Balke wrote, “Teague is remarkably likable.”
Update, Sept. 14, 11:05 a.m.
Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund pointed to its recent TV ads attacking Pearce as another factor that has led to the race shifting in Teague’s favor.
“Defenders Action Fund has just spent a month on the airwaves reminding voters of Pearce’s record, putting $250,000 behind TV ads Remember and Twice,” Defenders spokeswoman Jessica Brand said. “That’s got to be in the mix when discussing considerable movement in this race.”