NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Despite Vice President Kamala Harris getting all of New Mexico's electoral college votes, locally, Republicans made strides in key races. New Mexico Election 2024: Updates and results "We had a huge night across races here in New Mexico. I would say big picture, it was a big night for Republicans across the board," said Gabe Sanchez, KRQE Political Analysist and a professor of political science at UNM. In the race for the Oval Office, Vice President Kamala Harris secured New Mexico but only beat Donald Trump by six points, compared to Biden beating Trump by 11 points in 2020. "Trump did not win New Mexico's electoral college votes, but he came a lot closer than most of us thought that he would," said Sanchez. But that momentum did not carry over to the U.S. Senate race where Democratic incumbent Martin Heinrich beat Republican challenger Nella Domenici by ten points. "How do we look at the fact that she lost by a more significant margin than Trump won in the state? That's always something those of us look at when you lose by essentially as twice as much as the person on the presidential ticket, that doesn't bode well for her," said Sanchez. "I think at the end of the day, where she made a misstep is allowing Heinrich to frame her very early on in this campaign as an outsider, she's not from New Mexico, I think that was very difficult for her to overcome." With her name recognition, deep pockets, and one run under her belt, Sanchez predicted New Mexico politics hasn't seen the last of Nella Domenici. In Congressional District Two, incumbent Democrat Gabe Vasquez defeated Republican Yvette Herrell by four points in the second election since its redistricting. KRQE political analyst Sanchez said Vasquez's Latino heritage could've helped since CD2 has the heaviest concentration of Latino voters. "For Republicans next time around, obviously, they may be thinking about running a Hispanic candidate next time around and that may equalize things next time around with the Hispanic vote," said Sanchez. In the state legislature, Democrats kept their strong advantage but three seats did flip to Republicans. Republicans also came close to flipping three others, including two in the Democratic stronghold of Las Cruces. "These small pickups for Republicans aren't going to change the nature of how policy is made in the state but I think it was a big night for Republicans," said Sanchez. He said Tuesday night's results could breathe new life into the New Mexico GOP. "Let's see if they can emerge from this election, build on some of this momentum, and find some candidates in the future. They need a face for the republican party, maybe one of these candidates will become that face," said Sanchez. New Mexcio's congressional delegation remained Democratic. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham released a statement about the results on Wednesday: While I am disappointed in the result of Tuesday’s presidential election and deeply concerned about another Donald Trump presidency, I respect the will of American voters and accept the outcome of Tuesday’s election. While many Americans are discouraged, we must not allow the election result to diminish our commitment to the protection of democratic institutions and human rights.  I am proud that so many New Mexicans turned out to vote and delivered our state for Kamala Harris. I’m grateful that Democrats held majorities in the New Mexico Legislature and reelected Democrats to our U.S. House and Senate seats. Over the next two years, I promise to keep fighting to improve the lives of families and children, create more opportunities for all New Mexicans and protect our democracy and reproductive and human rights.   Over the past six years, we’ve made tremendous progress in New Mexico on challenges ranging from childcare to healthcare to economic growth to clean energy. I always put New Mexicans first and fight every day to advance our state and protect our people. With the election in the rear-view mirror, I encourage all New Mexicans––regardless of political affiliation––to come together and work in a bipartisan way to build on our successes and continue solving our shared challenges. New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham On behalf of the Republican Party of New Mexico, I want to express my sincere gratitude to all of the Republican candidates who made the bold and selfless decision to run to serve our great state. We honor their efforts and hard work in running incredibly competitive races. We thank all of our volunteers—the true backbone of RPNM—who spent countless hours knocking on thousands of doors and making thousands of phone calls for our candidates. "I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to our exceptional RPNM staff, who gave 100% of their effort every day to help organize our counties, provide training, and establish our statewide Election Integrity and Get Out The Vote Teams. On Election Day, RPNM's Election Integrity Team was able to address many voter concerns and act to resolve any issues that arose. "We congratulate the New Mexico House and Senate Republicans for not only defending their seats but also for expanding their caucuses and closing the gap in multiple races, signaling a promising trend as we look to the future. "What we witnessed was extraordinary: record turnout from Hispanics, women, young voters, minority groups, and former Democrats for Republicans, both in New Mexico and across our nation. In traditionally blue states like New Mexico, we saw a shift toward our shared values, with nearly half of New Mexicans voting for President Trump. We congratulate President Donald J. Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance on their historic victory—carrying not just the electoral vote but the popular vote, thanks in part to the voter engagement of New Mexicans. Moreover, Republicans have also regained control of the U.S. Senate. "Finally, we are immensely thankful to every voter who turned out to make their voices heard. While we still have much to accomplish in New Mexico, a fire has been reignited in the hearts of New Mexicans to demand more for their families and their future and we will not let that momentum fade. We are optimistic that our great nation is returning to a path of prosperity, security, and safety for all hardworking families and the Republican Party of New Mexico will remain steadfast in advocating for common-sense policies that benefit our communities. Republcian Party of New Mexico