ALBUQUERQUE, NM (KRQE) – More than half of New Mexico residents feel fewer safer than they were five years ago, according to a survey by Emerson College/The Hill published on Friday.

Nearly 1,000 New Mexicans from across the state were surveyed about what issues are important to them in this election and what they think of the current candidates.

KRQE political analyst Gabe Sanchez commented on the findings.

The survey shows that New Mexicans are most concerned about the economy and crime, which Sanchez said is consistent with the national trend.

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“New numbers. Emerson College poll, nationwide, of voters in New Mexico. The main thing everyone wants to know is the presidential race,” Sanchez said.

Emerson College Polling and The Hill asked nearly a thousand New Mexican residents some key questions about the current political climate in the state and the upcoming election between Tuesday and Thursday. The results showed Vice President Kamala Harris with a 10% lead over former President Donald Trump.

“Before this change at the top of the list, I was getting calls that New Mexico might be in the running for former President Trump. I think that shows how much the shift from President Biden to Kamala Harris has improved Democrats’ chances, not just here in New Mexico, but nationally,” Sanchez said.

More than 53% of New Mexicans told pollsters that they feel less safe in their state than they did five years ago. The two main issues they identified as New Mexico’s biggest problem are, by a wide margin, the economy and then crime.

“When you ask voters how they feel and how much they care about things, they’re ultimately thinking about it at the micro family level: Do I feel safer? Has my car been broken into recently? Has anyone I know been burglarized? And I think that’s how voters in New Mexico will feel about these issues, not necessarily based on what the FBI statistics suggest for the state,” Sanchez said.

When asked what they think of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s job, 49 percent said they disapproved of her job as governor, 41 percent approved of her job, and the rest had no opinion.

“Our governor’s approval ratings are down quite a bit. In general, we’re usually concerned when our elected officials have approval ratings below 50%,” Sanchez explained. “I was a little surprised to see the approval ratings so low, but that’s consistent with what we’ve seen over time.”

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The poll shows Democratic candidates leading by 10 to 15 percentage points in the U.S. House and Senate races. “The 2nd Congressional District here in New Mexico is not important to us, but this is one of the most closely watched contests nationally and it is expected to be razor-thin, as it has been for the last three or four election cycles,” Sanchez said. In that race between U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez and challenger Yvette Herrell, Vasquez is ahead by 10 percent, while 9 percent are still undecided, although Sanchez said it will likely be much closer.

According to the poll, US Senator Martin Heinrich is ahead of his challenger Nella Domenici by 12%: “That’s exactly where I would have expected this race to end up. Senator Heinrich is well-known and credible. His legislative record is almost flawless, so he is in no way vulnerable,” Sanchez said.

Poll results were collected via cellphones, landlines, and online responses. Data sets were based on 2024 voter models. The breakdown followed the percentages of the party split into Democrats, Republicans, and Independents.

The Hill is owned by KRQE’s parent company Nexstar.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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