Primary Elections

The lackluster turnout for the primary elections in New Mexico this week should not surprise anyone, it was headlined by a still popular incumbent governor not being challenged and a laundry list of democratic gubernatorial candidates vying for the nomination.  None of which were really able to find their message, Gary King walked away with it probably just on name recognition alone.  This will set up what we have all known for quite some time Martinez vs. King in November.  But I believe King is not really running for Governor this fall, he is really running for Governor in 2018.  It is a trick out of the modern political handbook, run and get your name out as a viable candidate the election before you really want to win it.  King will spend a lot of his money this time around and in four years to many voters he will be the presumed Governor to be in 2018.  This is a dry run for King who will have the networking, cash, and name already pre set for a 2018 win.  Especially, when coming off of eight years of a Republican, in recent years this is where New Mexico typically switches to the other party.  So King will take his lumps this time around, and congratulate Martinez when she wins another term, when secretly this had been the plan all along run in 2014, win in 2018.