A sign marks the limit to prevent campaign signs at a polling location during the June 4, 2024 primary. (Danielle Prokop / Source NM)

For the first time in 27 years, District 18 has a new representative – for next year. 

Rep. Gail Chasey, who held the seat for nearly three decades, will still represent the district at the upcoming special session scheduled for July 18. 

But at 11:44 p.m. on Tuesday, the four-way race for the deeply blue University Heights and Nob Hill area was called for Marianna Anaya, a lobbyist and community organizer, who Chasey endorsed. 

With 48.9% of the vote Anaya beat out Gloria Doherty, a nurse practitioner, Dr. Anjali Taneja, a family doctor and Juan Larrañaga, who works in higher education. The race was one of the more active primaries in New Mexico, with four candidates. Taneja showed the most support of the challengers, finishing with 41% of the total vote.

Anaya said that voter engagement was a benefit to running in one of the most crowded primaries in the entire state. 

“On every single door I knocked on, everybody was really excited to vote, that speaks a lot to the candidates in this race, and the hope for going forward,” she said.

There is no Republican challenger for House District 18, meaning that Anaya is a shoo-in during the November election. 

See a map of the district below, with the latest totals:

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