New Mexico exit polling finds Obama ahead

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A CNN exit poll of people who voted in today’s New Mexico Democratic caucus has Barack Obama with a slight lead over Hillary Clinton. Of 905 people surveyed after voting today, 53 percent of men said they voted for Obama, while 39 percent said they voted for Clinton. Each candidate had the votes of 47 percent of women, according to the exit poll. Women made up 56 percent of those surveyed, and men made up 44 percent. Take it for what it’s worth, but there it is. Continue Reading

Early results from other states

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Polls are now closed in New Mexico. We have no idea at this point how soon the state Democratic Party will report results, but I’ll have them here when they are released. People are still in line at some polling places, and as long as they were there before 7 p.m., they get to vote. In the meantime, there are some results from other states. Hillary Clinton has won Oklahoma, Tennessee, Massachusetts, Arkansas and New York, while Barack Obama has won Georgia, Illinois and Delaware. Continue Reading

Stay updated on the election tonight

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Here are a couple of ways to stay informed about today’s New Mexico Democratic caucus and other Super Tuesday results after the polls close at 7 p.m.: I’ll be taking part this evening in KNME-TV’s live Super Tuesday show, which will be broadcast from 7-8 p.m. Those of you who can’t watch it on television can watch it live online by clicking here. I’ll also have complete coverage of the election on this site, so check back throughout the evening. Results will also appear, at some point, on the state Democratic Party’s Web site. Continue Reading

Voter turnout high in Las Cruces, around the state

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Voter turnout in Las Cruces and most areas around the state is very high for today’s Democratic presidential caucus, forcing the state party to dip into its emergency reserve of ballots because some polling locations have run out. Just after noon, when the polls opened, more than 60 people stood in line to vote at Mesilla Park Recreation Center in Las Cruces. A couple of miles away at Valley View Elementary – a location that usually doesn’t have long lines – more than 100 people waited in line. Shortly after the lunch hour, lines shortened at some places. At Las Cruces City Hall, about 30 people were in line to vote just after 1 p.m. A few minutes later, about 40 people were in line at Camino Real Middle School. Continue Reading

1,000 show up to see Obama’s wife in Las Cruces

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Michelle Obama, the wife of Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama, tried to win over undecideds during a speech on Monday evening in Las Cruces by saying her husband’s character is what sets him apart. Pointing out that her husband was the editor of the Harvard Law Review, Obama said that made him the top law student at the top law school in the nation. He could have chosen to become a high-power lawyer on Wall Street, she said, but he instead moved after he graduated to Chicago to work for a small constitutional law firm that defended peoples’ voting rights. Obama told the group that her husband worked before attending law school as a community organizer in tough Chicago neighborhoods. “There is nobody else in this race who has made that kind of decision to work with people on the ground,” she said. Continue Reading

Clinton gets high-profile Las Cruces endorsements

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A number of high-profile Las Crucens endorsed Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign on Sunday. The endorsements were announced at an event in Mesilla attended by former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Henry Cisneros, one of Clinton’s more visible supporters. Among those endorsing Clinton was Mesilla Mayor Pro-Tempore Jesus Caro. “I’m proud to endorse Hillary Clinton because I know she will work her heart out to bring about the real change New Mexicans are calling for,” Caro said. “Hillary has dedicated her life to championing issues that matter to our families and our communities. Continue Reading

Tuesday’s X factor: young and independent voters

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Many believe that New Mexico politics have historically been about who you know. Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign understands that. Clinton’s introduction at Highland High School in Albuquerque on Saturday was a prolonged event. It began with a New Mexico youth activist who explained why she supports Clinton and then introduced state Auditor Hector Balderas, who expressed his support of Clinton and then introduced Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chávez, who endorsed Clinton and then introduced former Housing and Urban Development secretary and San Antonio Mayor Henry Cisneros. Cisneros praised Clinton, then introduced the founder of the United Farm Workers of America, Dolores Huerta. Continue Reading

Voters in poll want deliberation on open committees

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The vast majority of those who voted in last week’s non-scientific poll on this site said the governor should allow consideration during the current session of a proposal to open legislative conference committees to the public. Of 144 voters, 125, or 87 percent, said he should allow consideration of the proposal, while 19, or 13 percent, said he should not. Don’t forget to vote in this week’s poll, located at the top of the right column on this page. Continue Reading

Michelle Obama to be at NMSU at 7:30 p.m. Monday

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Michelle Obama’s rally for her husband Barack’s presidential campaign will start at 7:30 p.m. on Monday and will be held in the Corbett Center Ballroom on the New Mexico State University campus. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Admission is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Tickets are not required, but you can RSVP, which the campaign encourages, by clicking here. Bags, signs and banners will not be allowed into the event. For more information, call (505) 205-6689. Continue Reading

Photos from Clinton’s ABQ event

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Here are some photos of people who attended Hillary Clinton’s Saturday-evening event in Albuquerque. I’ll have photos of Clinton up in a separate posting soon. Here’s her daughter Chelsea: State Auditor Hector Balderas: Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chàvez: Some Ron Paul supporters outside the Clinton event: And a couple of shots of the crowd: Continue Reading

Obama leads Clinton in new N.M. poll

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A new poll of New Mexico Democrats – the first conducted since Bill Richardson left the presidential race – has Barack Obama leading Hillary Clinton by six points. However, that’s within the margin of error of 7 percent. The statewide survey of 207 New Mexico Democrats who are likely to vote, conducted Jan. 22-31, had Obama up 48 percent to 42 percent, with 10 percent undecided. “It seems like a great poll, but we know that we are underdogs in this state and we’re going to scrap and fight for change,” said Obama spokesman Trevor Fitzgibbon. Continue Reading