Jump to content

1982 United States Senate election in New Mexico

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1982 United States Senate election in New Mexico

← 1976 November 2, 1982 1988 →
 
Nominee Jeff Bingaman Harrison Schmitt
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 217,682 187,128
Percentage 53.77% 46.23%

County results
Bingaman:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Schmitt:      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election

Harrison Schmitt
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Jeff Bingaman
Democratic

The 1982 United States Senate election in New Mexico took place on November 2, 1982. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Harrison Schmitt was running for re-election to a second term, but lost to Democrat Jeff Bingaman. As of 2022, this is the last time an incumbent senator lost re-election in New Mexico.

Democratic primary

[edit]

Candidates

[edit]

Results

[edit]
Democratic primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jeff Bingaman 91,780 54.36
Democratic Jerry Apodaca 66,598 39.44
Democratic Virginia Keehan 10,466 6.20
Total votes 168,844 100.00

General election

[edit]

Candidates

[edit]

Campaign

[edit]

Bingaman ran advertisements that criticized Schmitt's views on a minimum Social Security and mining on federally protected land.[2] Schmitt countered these ads by criticizing Bingaman's work as attorney general, citing the handling of the 1980 state prison riot and asking the governor to pardon an inmate that was on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted List.[2] Another ad that Bingaman ran asked, "What on Earth has he done for you lately?"[3]

The two negative ads that Schmitt ran were received poorly and later pulled.[4]

Results

[edit]

The turnout was approximately 70%.[4]

United States Senate election in New Mexico, 1982[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Jeff Bingaman 217,682 53.77% +11.07%
Republican Harrison Schmitt (incumbent) 187,128 46.23% −10.59%
Majority 30,554 7.55% −6.57%
Turnout 404,810
Democratic gain from Republican Swing

Aftermath

[edit]

Schmitt thought the media was biased against him during the campaign.[2]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "NM US Senate - D Primary". OurCampaigns.com. February 12, 2018. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "Schmitt prepares to leave office". Manitowoc Herald-Times. Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Associated Press. November 29, 1982. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "The Astronauts Who Went to the Moon - The 40th Anniversary of the Moon Landing - TIME". TIME.com. July 16, 2009. Archived from the original on July 19, 2009.
  4. ^ a b Reinhold, Robert (November 3, 1982). "Schmitt Loses New Mexico Senate Seat". New York Times. p. A23. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
  5. ^ "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 1982" (PDF). Clerk of the House of Representatives. p. 26.