Here Are The Results of SurveyUSA Election Poll #12878

Geography Surveyed: New Mexico
Data Collected: 10/27/2007 - 10/30/2007
Release Date: 11/05/2007
Sponsor: Roll Call Newspaper, Capitol Hill

2008 U.S. Senate Election in New Mexico

Richardson is Strongest Democrat By Far; Pearce & Wilson Vie for 'GOP Favorite' Status: In an election for United States Senate in New Mexico today, 11/5/07, one year to the vote, Bill Richardson wins no matter which Republican he opposes; Diane Denish is formidable, but it is unclear which of two Republicans has a better chance of holding Pete Domenici's seat for the GOP. If Steve Pearce is the Republican: Pearce loses to Martin Chavez 48% to 43% (within the poll's margin of sampling error); loses to Diane Denish by 4 points, 47% to 43% (within the margin of error); loses to Richardson by 21 points, 58% to 37%; defeats Don Wiviott by 17 points, 49% to 32%. If Heather Wilson is the Republican: Wilson loses to Chavez by 4 points, 48% to 44% (1 point better than Pearce), within MOE; loses to Denish by 6 points, 49% to 43% (2 points worse than Pearce); loses to Richardson by 22 points, 59% to 37% (1 point worse than Pearce); and defeats Wiviott by 9, 47% to 38% (9 points worse than Pearce). Wilson, a woman, does not run stronger with women than does Pearce. Pearce, a man, does run a couple points stronger among men than does Wilson. Pearce also runs a couple points stronger among Independents than Wilson. Wilson runs a couple points stronger among seniors than does Pearce. Each of these effects is tiny, and none would be worthy of comment had they not recurred consistently across 8 different head-to-head match-ups.

Wilson is Better Known Than Pearce, But Also Has Higher Unfavorable Numbers: Pearce is viewed favorably by 21% of New Mexicans, unfavorably by 22%. His Net Favorability is Minus 1. Wilson is viewed favorably by 33% of New Mexicans, unfavorably by 48%. Her Net Favorability is Minus 15. Chavez is viewed favorably by 28%, unfavorably by 37%, for a Net Minus 9. Denish is viewed favorably by 33%, unfavorably by 28%, for a Net Plus 5. Richardson is viewed favorably by 52%, unfavorably by 33%, for a Net Plus 19. Wiviott is unknown, viewed favorably by 2%, unfavorably by 7%, unknown by 59%. By comparison: Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid are at Minus 16; Mitch McConnell is at Minus 7; John Boehner is at Minus 10. President Bush's Job Approval is 31% in New Mexico. 18% in New Mexico approve of the job Congress is doing.

Congress Should Focus on Iraq Ahead of All Other Issues: Asked which one of eight issues Congress should focus on ahead of all others, 25% pick Iraq. Among voters who pick Iraq, the Democrat leads in every head-to-head pairing, sometimes by as much as 52 points.

Filtering: 750 New Mexico adults were interviewed by SurveyUSA 10/27/07 through 10/30/07. Of them, 625 were registered to vote and included in this survey.