New Mexico gubernatorial election, 2006

New Mexico gubernatorial election, 2006

2002 ← November 7, 2006 → 2010

Nominee Bill Richardson John Dendahl Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 384,260 174,214 Percentage 68.8% 31.2%

County Results

Governor before election Bill Richardson Democratic Elected Governor Bill Richardson Democratic

The New Mexico gubernatorial election of 2006 was a race for the Governor of New Mexico. The winner of the election held on November 7, 2006, will serve between 2007 and 2011. Current incumbent, Democrat Bill Richardson was running for re-election. He faced Republican John Dendahl in the general election.

Candidates

Democratic

• Bill Richardson - incumbent Governor; former Congressman, United States Secretary of Energy and United States Ambassador to the United Nations

Republican

• John Dendahl - a former state Republican party chair and cross-country skier in the 1968 Olympic Games, Dendahl was appointed by the Republican State Central Committee to replace the withdrawn candidate, their original nominee, J.D. Damron — a first-time candidate who won the June 6 Republican primary, but withdrew from the race after he failed to gain traction in fundraising and in the polls. Dendahl headed the New Mexico Republicans from 1994 to 2003, after finishing third in a four-way primary for governor in 1994.

Former candidates

• James Damron - a physician with no prior political experience, Damron was unopposed in the primary, but withdrew from the race on June 17, 2006, due to a lack of fundraising.

Polling

Governor Richardson's approval rating as of December 2006 was 74%. [1]

Source	Date	Richardson (D)	Dendahl (R)
Rasmussen	June 26, 2006	56%	32%
Research & Polling Inc. of Albuquerque	August 25-31, 2006	57%	28%
Rasmussen	September 7, 2006	61%	26%
Research & Polling Inc. of Albuquerque	September 25-28, 2006	60%	28%

Election results

New Mexico gubernatorial election, 2006
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Bill Richardson (inc.)	384,806	68.82%	+13.33%
	Republican	John Dendahl	174,364	31.18%	-7.86%
Majority			210,442	37.63%	+21.19%
Turnout			559,170
	Democratic hold		Swing

See also

• U.S. gubernatorial elections, 2006