A new poll out of New Mexico is doing more than measuring the governor’s race, as we have previously reported. It is exposing a growing sense of unease among voters that could shape the 2026 election in ways campaigns may not be fully accounting for.
According to the latest survey from Emerson College Polling and KRQE News 13, one statistic stands out above the rest. Half of likely primary voters say they feel less safe today than they did just one year ago. Only 13% say they feel more safe, while 37% say things have not changed.
That shift in perception is not happening in a vacuum. It is showing up in how voters rank their priorities.
Healthcare and the economy tied as the top issues at 23% each. Right behind them is crime at 17%, placing it firmly in the top tier of concerns. That ranking, combined with the sharp drop in perceived safety, signals that public safety could become a central issue in the months ahead.
Another major flashpoint in the poll is the state’s handling of child welfare.
Nearly half of voters, 49%, say they disapprove of how Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is running the Children, Youth and Families Department. Just 18% approve. That gap highlights one of the weakest areas for the current administration in the survey.
Voters are not just dissatisfied. Many appear ready for structural change. When asked about a potential constitutional amendment to remove the governor’s authority to appoint the head of CYFD, 46% said they would support it. Only 22% opposed the idea, while nearly a third remain undecided.
That level of support for a major change suggests frustration that goes beyond policy disagreements and into questions about accountability.
The poll also paints a picture of a politically unsettled electorate.
President Donald Trump holds a 37% approval rating among likely primary voters, while 56% disapprove. Gov. Lujan Grisham’s numbers are similarly divided, with 40% approving and 42% disapproving.
Neither side appears to have a firm grip on public sentiment, despite New Mexico’s recent history leaning Democratic in statewide races.
Looking deeper, the poll shows clear differences in how voters prioritize issues based on party.
Democrats list healthcare as their top concern at 29%. Republicans also put healthcare first at 21%. Independents take a different view, ranking the economy as their top issue at 23%, followed by education and healthcare at 15% each.
That divide could prove critical in a state where independent voters often play a deciding role.
Taken together, the findings suggest that while campaigns focus heavily on candidate matchups, many voters are focused on something more immediate.
Safety. Stability. And whether state leadership is effectively handling core responsibilities.
Those concerns may ultimately shape the direction of the race more than any single candidate advantage.
why would the democrats care what the voters think ? the voters will vote for them no matter what they do. NM just refused to allow no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on social security benefits on state taxes. Democrat legislature said, NO, YOU PAY US THAT MONEY ITS OURS. the voters dont care. just vote democrat. just stay poor. just stay stupid. its not the land of enlightenment, thats for sure. dem party screaming at the top of their lungs about affordability as they do NOTHING but make it worse. Dems wont even pay government employees ! how does that help affordability you idiots ? Dems laugh at their voters. they are useful idiots and nothing more.
No one is really safe here in NM (especially in Albuquerque) since the police officers hands are tied and really cannot do their job properly and effectively. They arrest a guy for drugs and the courts turn them back on the streets and tell them to report to court and of course (not a surprise) they do not appear. An arrest warrant is issued and when and if they are arrested again, the courts turns them back on the street and they again do not appear in court. The courts (far left radicals) are to blame to releasing these criminals. And also tying the hands of ICE to find and deport illegals. So stupid and puts us all in danger. We need to vote people in office that will change the laws, get rid of so called “sanctuary” cities. Arrest and jail (hold) criminals until court date and arrest and deport illegals. NM is the last of everything including education. Wake up NM
“The poll also paints a picture of a politically unsettled electorate.”
New Mexico has too many people who function within their own
little bubbles. It’s all in a closed information life style. Mean while
the Democrat party does what it wants in this state. This party is
the puppet support for DC. They all do NOTHING for the state of
New Mexico! All the working folks around the water coolers need
to be talking about local politics and less about stuff on FaceBOOK!
thank you
oh no, the polls all say that crime is down. you all must be crazy.
Although I plan to get out of NM, I am hearten by the comments I see here. After about fifty years, I think New Mexicans are starting focus on the real problems of their gov’t. For the midterms, the independent’s chants should be go ahead, be money grubbing bastards;
tax tips, tax overtime, tax social security, tax retirement savings, tax my kid’s savings! and piss it all away on idiot green projects without any cost/benefit analysis and no hope of making any significant dent in the problems;
Also for 54 years I have watched the criminal revolving doors being provided to drunk drivers. I have been recently happy to State Police road blocks and checks. When I first came upon one, I thought what is this backup for. Then when I got to the front of the line and discovered they checking for drunk drivers and cautioning against impaired driving. I was very pleased to see it.
40% of New Mexico approve of the governor? That just backs the idea that our schools need help. You have to be pretty stupid to think our governor is any thing more than a little turd my dog left behind.