New Mexico's at-large congressional district

From statehood in 1912 to 1969, New Mexico did not use congressional districts for its representatives to the United States House of Representatives. Instead, it elected its representatives statewide at-large.

New Mexico's at-large congressional district
Obsolete district
Created	1912
Eliminated	1969
Years active	1912–1969

List of members representing the district

Years	Cong ress		Seat A				Seat B
			Member	Party	Electoral history		Member	Party	Electoral history
January 8, 1912 – March 3, 1913	62nd		Harvey Fergusson (Albuquerque)	Democratic	Elected in 1911 for the term starting upon 1912 statehood. Re-elected in 1912. Lost re-election.		George Curry (Tularosa)	Republican	Elected in 1911 for the term starting upon 1912 statehood. Retired.
March 3, 1913 – March 3, 1915	63rd						No second seat until 1943
March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1917	64th		Benigno C. Hernández (Tierra Amarilla)	Republican	Elected in 1914. Lost re-election.
March 4, 1917 – March 3, 1919	65th		William B. Walton (Silver City)	Democratic	Elected in 1916. Retired to run for U.S. senator.
March 4, 1919 – March 3, 1921	66th		Benigno C. Hernández (Tierra Amarilla)	Republican	Elected in 1918. Retired.
March 4, 1921 – January 13, 1923	67th		Néstor Montoya (Albuquerque)	Republican	Elected in 1920. Retired but died before term expired.
January 13, 1923 – March 3, 1923			Vacant
March 4, 1923 – March 3, 1929	68th 69th 70th		John Morrow (Raton)	Democratic	Elected in 1922. Re-elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1926. Lost re-election.
March 4, 1929 – March 3, 1931	71st		Albert G. Simms (Albuquerque)	Republican	Elected in 1928. Lost re-election.
March 4, 1931 – January 3, 1935	72nd 73rd		Dennis Chavez (Albuquerque)	Democratic	Elected in 1930. Re-elected in 1932. Retired to run for U.S. senator.
January 3, 1935 – January 3, 1941	74th 75th 76th		John J. Dempsey (Santa Fe)	Democratic	Elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Re-elected in 1938. Retired to run for U.S. senator.
January 3, 1941 – January 3, 1943	77th		Clinton P. Anderson (Albuquerque)	Democratic	Elected in 1940. Re-elected in 1942. Re-elected in 1944. Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.
January 3, 1943 – June 30, 1945	78th 79th						Antonio M. Fernández (Santa Fe)	Democratic	Re-elected in 1942. Re-elected in 1944. Re-elected in 1946. Re-elected in 1948. Re-elected in 1950. Re-elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Died.
June 30, 1945 – January 3, 1947	79th		Vacant
January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1949	80th		Georgia Lee Lusk (Santa Fe)	Democratic	Elected in 1946. Lost renomination.
January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1951	81st		John E. Miles (Santa Fe)	Democratic	Elected in 1948. Retired.
January 3, 1951 – November 7, 1956	82nd 83rd 84th		John J. Dempsey (Santa Fe)	Democratic	Re-elected in 1950. Re-elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Died.
November 7, 1956 – April 9, 1957	84th 85th						Vacant
April 9, 1957 – March 11, 1958	85th						Joseph Montoya (Santa Fe)	Democratic	Elected to finish Fernández's term. Re-elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1960. Re-elected in 1962. Retired to run for U.S. senator. Resigned when elected U.S. Senator.
March 12, 1958 – January 3, 1959			Vacant
January 3, 1959 – November 3, 1964	86th 87th 88th		Thomas G. Morris (Tucumcari)	Democratic	Elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1960. Re-elected in 1962. Re-elected in 1964. Re-elected in 1966. Redistricted to the 1st district and lost re-election.
November 3, 1964 – January 3, 1965	88th						Vacant
January 3, 1965 – January 3, 1969	89th 90th						E. S. Johnny Walker (Santa Fe)	Democratic	Elected in 1964. Re-elected in 1966. Redistricted to the 2nd district and lost re-election.

Elections

Republicans held onto the seat in 1920 by nominating Néstor Montoya, the county clerk of Bernalillo County and former Speaker of the New Mexico Territorial Legislature. Montoya won with a combination of Hispanic voters and coat-tails from the election of President Warren Harding. Republicans did not renominate him in 1922, choosing instead suffragist Adelina Otero-Warren, the niece of former territorial Governor, Miguel Otero, and the first woman to run for statewide office in New Mexico. Otero-Warren was defeated by Democrat John Morrow, an educator and lawyer from northeast New Mexico. Morrow would win consecutive re-elections in 1924 and 1926, but lost re-election in 1928 to Albert G. Simms, an Albuquerque businessman, on the coat-tails of the election of President Herbert Hoover.

1920 United States House of Representatives election in New Mexico

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Néstor Montoya	54,672	51.88
	Democratic	Antonio Lucero	49,426	46.9
	Farmer–Labor	A.J. McDonald	1,290	1.22
Majority			5,246	4.98
Turnout			105,388
	Republican gain from Democratic

1922 United States House of Representatives election in New Mexico

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	John Morrow	59,254	54.42	+7.25%
	Republican	Adelina Otero-Warren	49,635	45.58	−6.3%
Majority			9,619	8.83	+3.85%
Turnout			108,889
	Democratic gain from Republican		Swing

1924 United States House of Representatives election in New Mexico

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	John Morrow	57,802	51.76	−2.66%
	Republican	J. Felipe Hubbell	53,860	48.24	+2.66%
Majority			3,942	3.53	−5.30%
Turnout			111,662
	Democratic hold		Swing

1926 United States House of Representatives election in New Mexico

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	John Morrow	55,433	51.42	−0.34%
	Republican	Juan A. A. Sedillo	52,075	48.31	+0.07%
	Socialist	E. E. Denniston	287	0.27	+0.27%
Majority			3,358	3.12	−0.41%
Turnout			107,795
	Democratic hold		Swing

1928 United States House of Representatives election in New Mexico

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Albert G. Simms	61,208	52.2	+3.89%
	Democratic	John Morrow	56,048	47.8	−3.62%
Majority			5,160	4.4	+1.28%
Turnout			117,256
	Republican gain from Democratic		Swing

1930 United States House of Representatives election in New Mexico

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Dennis Chavez	65,194	57.1	+9.3%
	Republican	Albert G. Simms	48,699	42.65	−9.55%
	Socialist	John Whitley	299	0.26	+0.26%
Majority			16,495	14.45	+10.05%
Turnout			114,192
	Democratic gain from Republican		Swing

1932 United States House of Representatives election in New Mexico

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Dennis Chavez	94,764	63.36	+6.26%
	Republican	Jose E. Armijo	52,905	35.37	−7.28%
	Socialist	N. S. Sweeney	1,349	0.9	+0.64%
	Liberty	L. E. Lake	418	0.28	+0.28%
	Communist	E. T. Howell	132	0.09	+0.09%
Majority			41,859	27.99	+13.54%
Turnout			149,568
	Democratic hold		Swing

1934 United States House of Representatives election in New Mexico

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	John J. Dempsey	76,833	51.82	−11.54%
	Republican	Maurecio F. Miera	70,659	47.66	+12.29%
	Socialist	Frank Edwards	643	0.43	−0.47%
	Communist	H. Turnbaugh	133	0.09	+0.00%
Majority			6,174	4.16	−23.83%
Turnout			148,268
	Democratic hold		Swing

1936 United States House of Representatives election in New Mexico

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	John J. Dempsey	105,937	62.92	+11.10%
	Republican	M. Ralph Brown	62,375	37.05	−10.61%
	Farmer–Labor	Albert Ortiz	61	0.03	+0.03%
Majority			43,562	25.87	+21.71%
Turnout			168,373
	Democratic hold		Swing

1938 United States House of Representatives election in New Mexico

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	John J. Dempsey	90,608	58.4	−4.52%
	Republican	Peace C. Rodney	64,281	41.43	+4.38%
	Independent	E. W. Fawkes	268	0.17	+0.17%
Majority			26,327	16.97	−8.9%
Turnout			155,157
	Democratic hold		Swing

References

• Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
• Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
• Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present