PRESS RELEASE

New Defenders Action Fund poll shows Martin Heinrich tops in New Mexico Senate Democratic primary

Rep. Martin Heinrich would win the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Jeff Bingaman, according to a new statewide poll of New Mexicans released today by the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund (DAF). The pool showed that in a hypothetical four-way matchup between Heinrich, Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, former Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish, and State Auditor Hector Balderas, Heinrich would win the nomination with 32% of the vote:

Martin Heinrich 32%
Diane Denish 25%
Ben Ray Lujan 15%
Hector Balderas 5%

"Although it is early in the process, it is clear that New Mexico's Democratic voters like what they see in Martin Heinrich," said DAF President Rodger Schlickeisen. "We do too and we urge him to consider running. To be sure, we would be one of his strongest supporters if he enters the race, much as we backed then-Rep. Tom Udall, another conservation champion, when he ran for the Senate in 2008."

"Based on our recent statewide survey, Martin Heinrich is the best positioned candidate to win the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. He has a solid lead in a field where we tested several other well-known Democrats, and his support is both broad and deep as Heinrich leads with both younger and older voters as well as with both men and women," said Ben Tulchin, President of Tulchin Research, which conducted the poll for DAF.

DAF has played a significant role in New Mexico during the last two elections cycles. In 2008, it worked to elect Tom Udall to the Senate and Martin Heinrich to the House while also helping the Obama campaign win the state. In 2010, DAF was there again to help re-elect Martin Heinrich in NM-1 as well as mounting a campaign to assist Rep. Harry Teague in NM-2, with a major independent expenditure campaign.

Read the Tulchin Research polling memo.

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The Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund (www.defendersactionfund.org) provides a powerful voice in Washington to Americans who value our conservation heritage. Through grassroots lobbying, issue advocacy and political campaigns, the Action Fund champions those laws and lawmakers that protect wildlife and wild places while working against those that do them harm.