1996 New Mexico Senate election

1996 New Mexico Senate election
November 5, 1996
All 42 seats in the New Mexico Senate
22 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader Manny Aragon
Party Democratic Republican
Leader since 1988
Leader's seat District 14
Last election 27 15
Seats after 25 17
Seat change 2 2
Popular vote 267,200 228,391
Percentage 53.59% 45.81%
President pro tempore before election

Manny Aragon
Democratic

Elected President pro tempore

Manny Aragon
Democratic

The 1996 New Mexico Senate election was held on November 5, 1996, to determine which party would control the New Mexico Senate for the following four years in the 43rd New Mexico Legislature. All 42 seats in the New Mexico Senate were up for election. Prior to the election, 27 seats were held by Democrats and 15 seats were held by Republicans. The general election saw Republicans flip a two seats, thereby meaning that Democrats retained their majority in the State Senate.[1][2]

Retirements

Democrats

  1. District 13: Tito D. Chavez retired.
  2. District 16: Thomas T. Rutherford retired.
  3. District 24: Edward J. Lopez retired.
  4. District 41: Cary Don Reagan retired.

Republicans

  1. District 2: Christine Donisthorpe retired.
  2. District 19: Duncan Scott retired.
  3. District 20: Michael C. Wiener retired.
  4. District 33: Emmit M. Jennings retired.

Incumbents defeated

In primary

Democrats

  1. District 5: Emilio Naranjo lost renomination to Arthur Rodarte.
  2. District 11: Tom R. Benavides lost renomination to Linda M. Lopez.
  3. District 39: Liz Stefanics lost renomination to Phil Griego.

Republicans

  1. District 21: Tom C. Wray lost renomination to William Davis.

In general

Democrats

  1. District 10: Janice D. Paster lost re-election to Ramsay Gorham.
  2. District 18: Ann J. Riley lost re-election to Mark Boitano.

Republicans

  1. District 9: Virgil O. Rhodes lost re-election to Pauline Eisenstadt.

Closest races

Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%:

  1. District 38, 0.10%
  2. District 41, 2.82% (gain)
  3. District 36, 3.00%
  4. District 9, 3.02% (gain)
  5. District 10, 5.08% (gain)
  6. District 29, 6.60%
  7. District 15, 6.82%

Results

District 1

District 1 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Raymond Kysar (incumbent) 11,126 100.0%
Total votes 11,126 100.0%
Republican hold

District 2

District 2 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican R. L. Stockard 7,157 55.91%
Democratic Darla Whitney-Welles 5,644 44.09%
Total votes 12,801 100.0%
Republican hold

District 3

District 3 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John Pinto (incumbent) 7,981 79.31%
Republican Gregory R. Begay 2,082 20.69%
Total votes 10,063 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 4

District 4 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Gloria Howes (incumbent) 6,355 100.0%
Total votes 6,355 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 5

District 5 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Arthur Rodarte 8,581 67.17%
Republican Howard L. Bancroft III 3,548 27.78%
Scattering 645 5.05%
Total votes 12,774 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 6

District 6 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Carlos Cisneros (incumbent) 10,677 81.99%
Independent Daniel J. Pearlman 2,345 18.01%
Total votes 13,022 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 7

District 7 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Patrick H. Lyons (incumbent) 8,984 59.81%
Democratic Warren F. Frost 6,036 40.19%
Total votes 15,020 100.0%
Republican hold

District 8

District 8 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Pete Campos (incumbent) 11,455 100.0%
Total votes 11,455 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 9

District 9 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Pauline Eisenstadt 9,152 51.51%
Republican Virgil O. Rhodes (incumbent) 8,616 48.49%
Total votes 17,768 100.0%
Democratic gain from Republican

District 10

District 10 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ramsay Gorham 7,692 52.54%
Democratic Janice D. Paster (incumbent) 6,948 47.46%
Total votes 14,640 100.0%
Republican gain from Democratic

District 11

District 11 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Linda M. Lopez 6,467 100.0%
Total votes 6,467 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 12

District 12 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Richard M. Romero (incumbent) 7,845 100.0%
Total votes 7,845 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 13

District 13 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Dede Feldman 7,897 69.25%
Republican Bill Turner 3,507 30.75%
Total votes 11,404 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 14

District 14 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Manny Aragon (incumbent) 5,341 100.0%
Total votes 5,341 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 15

District 15 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Skip Vernon (incumbent) 8,151 53.41%
Democratic Karen A. Durkovich 7,111 46.59%
Total votes 15,262 100.0%
Republican hold

District 16

District 16 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Cisco McSorley 8,602 63.70%
Republican Daniel R. Armstrong 4,901 36.30%
Total votes 13,503 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 17

District 17 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Shannon Robinson (incumbent) 4,633 55.66%
Republican Daniel Lopez 3,690 44.34%
Total votes 8,323 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 18

District 18 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mark Boitano 8,174 56.05%
Democratic Ann J. Riley (incumbent) 6,408 43.95%
Total votes 14,582 100.0%
Republican gain from Democratic

District 19

District 19 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Sue Wilson Beffort 10,010 67.15%
Democratic Joshua R. Simms 4,896 32.85%
Total votes 14,906 100.0%
Republican hold

District 20

District 20 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican William Payne 10,060 65.28%
Democratic Todd M. Aakhus 5,350 34.72%
Total votes 15,410 100.0%
Republican hold

District 21

District 21 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican William Davis 10,781 56.40%
Democratic Anita Miller 8,335 43.60%
Total votes 19,116 100.0%
Republican hold

District 22

District 22 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Leonard Tsosie (incumbent) 8,219 100.0%
Total votes 8,219 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 23

District 23 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Joseph Carraro (incumbent) 9,295 61.70%
Democratic A. Mickey Soto 5,769 38.30%
Total votes 15,064 100.0%
Republican hold

District 24

District 24 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Nancy Rodriguez 10,015 100.0%
Total votes 10,015 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 25

District 25 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Roman Maes (incumbent) 13,332 69.05%
Republican Jack M. Stamm 5,977 30.95%
Total votes 19,309 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 26

District 26 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Phillip Maloof (incumbent) 7,669 63.99%
Republican Jerry T. Daniele 4,316 36.01%
Total votes 11,985 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 27

District 27 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Stuart Ingle (incumbent) 5,579 60.54%
Democratic Travis D. Foster 3,637 39.46%
Total votes 9,216 100.0%
Republican hold

District 28

District 28 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ben D. Altamirano (incumbent) 10,994 100.0%
Total votes 10,994 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 29

District 29 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Michael S. Sanchez (incumbent) 7,702 53.30%
Republican Irene J. Lee 6,747 46.70%
Total votes 14,449 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 30

District 30 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Joseph Fidel (incumbent) 7,929 62.70%
Republican Michael W. Zmuda 4,716 37.30%
Total votes 12,645 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 31

District 31 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Cynthia Nava (incumbent) 4,965 58.79%
Republican Samuel Reyes 3,480 41.21%
Total votes 8,445 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 32

District 32 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Timothy Jennings (incumbent) 5,380 62.48%
Republican James P. Bignell 3,231 37.52%
Total votes 8,611 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 33

District 33 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Rod Adair 10,623 100.0%
Total votes 10,623 100.0%
Republican hold

District 34

District 34 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Don Kidd (incumbent) 10,565 100.0%
Total votes 10,565 100.0%
Republican hold

District 35

District 35 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John Arthur Smith (incumbent) 7,370 55.37%
Republican Nancy C. Stovall 5,940 44.63%
Total votes 13,310 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 36

District 36 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mary Jane Garcia (incumbent) 6,026 51.50%
Republican Thomas F. Bulger 5,674 48.50%
Total votes 11,700 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 37

District 37 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Leonard Lee Rawson (incumbent) 7,888 63.01%
Democratic Roger Flemming 4,631 36.99%
Total votes 12,519 100.0%
Republican hold

District 38

District 38 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Fernando Macias (incumbent) 5,297 50.05%
Republican Marendra N. Gunaji 5,286 49.95%
Total votes 10,583 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 39

District 39 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Phil Griego 8,393 57.47%
Republican Simon Bickley 6,210 42.53%
Total votes 14,603 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 40

District 40 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Dianna Duran (incumbent) 10,661 100.0%
Total votes 10,661 100.0%
Republican hold

District 41

District 41 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Carroll Leavell 4,399 51.41%
Democratic Pat Darcy 4,158 48.59%
Total votes 8,557 100.0%
Republican gain from Democratic

District 42

District 42 election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Billy McKibben (incumbent) 9,325 100.0%
Total votes 9,325 100.0%
Republican hold

References

  1. ^ "921fd2fa-c28a-495e-b09a-63e93177ef99". amazonaws.com. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
  2. ^ "CanvassPrimary1996.pdf" (PDF). amazonaws.com. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
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