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 County results Cargo: 50–60% Chavez Jr.: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in New Mexico |
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The1968 New Mexico gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 1968, in order to elect theGovernor of New Mexico. Incumbent RepublicanDavid Cargo ran for reelection to a second term. This election was the last in which the governor was elected to a two-year term, instead of to a four-year term. As of 2022[update], this is the last time thatMora County andSan Miguel County have voted for the Republican candidate.
The Democratic primary was won by former state senatorFabian Chavez Jr.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Fabian Chavez Jr. | 41,348 | 30.88% | |
| Democratic | Bruce King | 24,658 | 18.42% | |
| Democratic | Calvin Horn | 24,376 | 18.21% | |
| Democratic | Mack Easley | 21,436 | 16.01% | |
| Democratic | Bobby M. Mayfield | 19,528 | 14.59% | |
| Democratic | Harry Stowers | 2,543 | 1.90% | |
| Total votes | 133,889 | 100.00% | ||
The Republican primary was won by GovernorDavid Cargo. He narrowly defeated Clifford Hawley, a securities broker and former state representative who had previously challenged Cargo for the nominationin the 1966 election.[2][3]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | David Cargo (incumbent) | 28,014 | 54.86% | |
| Republican | Clifford J. Hawley | 23,052 | 45.14% | |
| Total votes | 51,066 | 100.00% | ||
Jose Maestes was the nominee of thePeople's Constitutional Party. He replacedReies Tijerina, who was denied ballot access due to his status as a convicted felon.[4]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | David Cargo (incumbent) | 160,140 | 50.20% | −1.53% | |
| Democratic | Fabian Chavez Jr. | 157,230 | 49.29% | +1.03% | |
| People's Constitutional | Jose Maestes | 1,540 | 0.48% | ||
| Scattering | 65 | 0.02% | |||
| Majority | 2,910 | 0.91% | |||
| Total votes | 318,975 | 100.00% | |||
| Republicanhold | Swing | -2.56% | |||
| County | David Cargo Republican | Fabian Chavez Jr. Democratic | Jose Maestes PCP | Scattering Write-in | Margin | Total votes cast | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Bernalillo | 50,801 | 50.41% | 49,570 | 49.19% | 410 | 0.41% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,231 | 1.22% | 100,781 |
| Catron | 607 | 57.92% | 437 | 41.70% | 2 | 0.19% | 2 | 0.19% | 170 | 16.22% | 1,048 |
| Chaves | 8,089 | 59.93% | 5,385 | 39.90% | 23 | 0.17% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,704 | 20.03% | 13,497 |
| Colfax | 2,238 | 46.05% | 2,611 | 53.72% | 10 | 0.21% | 1 | 0.02% | -373 | -7.67% | 4,860 |
| Curry | 5,291 | 54.41% | 4,388 | 45.12% | 45 | 0.46% | 1 | 0.01% | 903 | 9.29% | 9,725 |
| De Baca | 506 | 47.47% | 552 | 51.78% | 6 | 0.56% | 2 | 0.19% | -46 | -4.32% | 1,066 |
| Doña Ana | 9,182 | 47.23% | 10,214 | 52.54% | 45 | 0.23% | 0 | 0.00% | -1,032 | -5.31% | 19,441 |
| Eddy | 7,589 | 52.08% | 6,921 | 47.50% | 59 | 0.40% | 2 | 0.01% | 668 | 4.58% | 14,571 |
| Grant | 3,440 | 47.24% | 3,822 | 52.49% | 20 | 0.27% | 0 | 0.00% | -382 | -5.25% | 7,282 |
| Guadalupe | 1,052 | 46.53% | 1,193 | 52.76% | 16 | 0.71% | 0 | 0.00% | -141 | -6.24% | 2,261 |
| Harding | 432 | 56.62% | 330 | 43.25% | 1 | 0.13% | 0 | 0.00% | 102 | 13.37% | 763 |
| Hidalgo | 673 | 45.91% | 789 | 53.82% | 3 | 0.20% | 1 | 0.07% | -116 | -7.91% | 1,466 |
| Lea | 7,383 | 50.66% | 7,114 | 48.81% | 69 | 0.47% | 8 | 0.05% | 269 | 1.85% | 14,574 |
| Lincoln | 1,641 | 54.18% | 1,379 | 45.53% | 8 | 0.26% | 1 | 0.03% | 262 | 8.65% | 3,029 |
| Los Alamos | 3,386 | 54.20% | 2,856 | 45.72% | 5 | 0.08% | 0 | 0.00% | 530 | 8.48% | 6,247 |
| Luna | 2,063 | 56.14% | 1,599 | 43.51% | 8 | 0.22% | 5 | 0.14% | 464 | 12.63% | 3,675 |
| McKinley | 4,342 | 47.59% | 4,630 | 50.75% | 150 | 1.64% | 2 | 0.02% | -288 | -3.16% | 9,124 |
| Mora | 1,189 | 52.94% | 1,053 | 46.88% | 4 | 0.18% | 0 | 0.00% | 136 | 6.06% | 2,246 |
| Otero | 4,740 | 48.21% | 5,053 | 51.39% | 33 | 0.34% | 6 | 0.06% | -313 | -3.18% | 9,832 |
| Quay | 2,158 | 54.72% | 1,766 | 44.78% | 19 | 0.48% | 1 | 0.03% | 392 | 9.94% | 3,944 |
| Rio Arriba | 3,816 | 42.78% | 4,948 | 55.46% | 157 | 1.76% | 0 | 0.00% | -1,132 | -12.69% | 8,921 |
| Roosevelt | 2,823 | 52.71% | 2,520 | 47.05% | 13 | 0.24% | 0 | 0.00% | 303 | 5.66% | 5,356 |
| San Juan | 8,086 | 59.25% | 5,413 | 39.66% | 140 | 1.03% | 9 | 0.07% | 2,673 | 19.59% | 13,648 |
| San Miguel | 4,140 | 50.08% | 4,066 | 49.19% | 60 | 0.73% | 0 | 0.00% | 74 | 0.90% | 8,266 |
| Sandoval | 1,630 | 34.61% | 3,030 | 64.34% | 49 | 1.04% | 0 | 0.00% | -1,400 | -29.73% | 4,709 |
| Santa Fe | 8,788 | 45.52% | 10,427 | 54.01% | 75 | 0.39% | 15 | 0.08% | -1,639 | -8.49% | 19,305 |
| Sierra | 1,456 | 55.36% | 1,158 | 44.03% | 16 | 0.61% | 0 | 0.00% | 298 | 11.33% | 2,630 |
| Socorro | 1,882 | 44.76% | 2,315 | 55.05% | 8 | 0.19% | 0 | 0.00% | -433 | -10.30% | 4,205 |
| Taos | 2,908 | 47.02% | 3,260 | 52.72% | 16 | 0.26% | 0 | 0.00% | -352 | -5.69% | 6,184 |
| Torrance | 1,276 | 52.23% | 1,156 | 47.32% | 3 | 0.12% | 8 | 0.33% | 120 | 4.91% | 2,443 |
| Union | 1,152 | 54.91% | 939 | 44.76% | 6 | 0.29% | 1 | 0.05% | 213 | 10.15% | 2,098 |
| Valencia | 5,381 | 45.69% | 6,336 | 53.80% | 61 | 0.52% | 0 | 0.00% | -955 | -8.11% | 11,778 |
| Total | 160,140 | 50.20% | 157,230 | 49.29% | 1,540 | 0.48% | 65 | 0.02% | 2,910 | 0.91% | 318,975 |
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