Martin Zamora again rep for District 63

With no need for a recount this time, Martin Zamora is again the District 63 representative in the New Mexico House of Representatives.

The Clovis farmer and rancher won his second two-year term to the spot, taking the race over Santa Rosa doctor Randal Brown by a 59% margin — 4,682 votes to 3,286.

“I want to thank the people of the district for supporting us,” Zamora said, “and I look forward to working for the state of New Mexico to try to make things better in the state and to do the work that is upcoming in the next session.”

Zamora, a Republican, first won the seat in 2018, beating incumbent George Dodge by 27 votes. This year’s race saw 7,968 votes — an increase of 2,031 votes — and left no doubt about the outcome.

A total of 3,394 ballots were cast in Curry County, with Zamora taking 64% of the vote. His margins were larger in Roosevelt (1,015 of 1,480 ballots cast, 69%) and De Baca (652 of 888, 71%) counties.

Brown, who did not respond to a message from The News seeking comment, received a majority of votes in his native Guadalupe County and in San Miguel County.

Guadalupe County had 2,168 votes cast with Brown receiving 61%, and San Miguel had just 38 ballots cast with Brown winning 74% to Zamora's 26%.

Brown told The News in an October candidate Q&A he plans to bring legislation in 2021 that would change how the U.S. Drought Monitor is used to help the state secure more federal agriculture funding.