SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico’s primary election is testing the political fortitude of several influential Democratic legislators who have resisted progressive initiatives ranging from recreational marijuana legalization to shoring up abortion rights and greater spending from a state education trust.
Candidates backed by a coalition of liberal advocacy groups are challenging Democrats in key Senate leaderships posts, including chamber President Mary Kay Papen of Las Cruces and Senate finance committee leader John Arthur Smith of Deming.
Liberal groups say Senate leaders are neglecting social safety-net services. One senator is shifting course about state savings and spending in response to the coronavirus.