Unofficial Primary Results: Carter Leads Incumbent Frazee in Torrance County
One vote separates a county commission race as Republican primaries decide several local offices
Estancia Police Chief Thomas D. Carter has opened a clear lead over incumbent Torrance County Sheriff David E. Frazee in the Republican primary for sheriff, according to unofficial results posted Tuesday night by the Office of the New Mexico Secretary of State.
As of 11:58 PM MDT on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, unofficial returns showed Carter with 1,082 votes, or 58.6 percent, to Frazee's 763 votes, or 41.4 percent. All 22 of the county's precincts were fully reporting, though the figures are not final and have not been certified by the county canvassing board.
No Democrat filed for sheriff, which means the winner of the Republican primary is positioned to take the office.
Carter, who has led the Estancia Police Department for approximately two years, set out his case against the incumbent in an interview published by the Mountainair Dispatch on April 25, 2026. Frazee, a 27-year veteran of the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office who has held the office since 2022, has pointed to criticisms of Carter, his criminology background, and a five-year plan emphasizing community policing and school programs.
Why this matters for Torrance County
Torrance County leans Republican, and for several local offices, the June primary is the contest that effectively determines the seat. The results also offer an early read on turnout heading into a midterm cycle that will decide the county's next sheriff, two commission seats, the assessor's office, and a slate of judgeships.
County races
The following are unofficial Torrance County totals as of midnight on June 3, 2026. New Mexico primaries are decided by plurality, with each party nominating separately. Where a candidate ran unopposed within a party, that candidate advances to the November general election.
County Sheriff (Republican primary)
- Thomas D. Carter: 1,082 (58.6 percent)
- David E. Frazee: 763 (41.4 percent)
County Commissioner, District 2 (Republican primary)
- Thomas J. Holt: 262 (50.1 percent)
- LeAnne M. Tapia: 261 (49.9 percent)
Under NMSA 1-14-22 (2025), when the margin between candidates in a race in a county with fewer than 150,000 voters is 1% or less, the recount requirement is triggered. Holt leads Tapia by a single vote in the unofficial count, a margin narrow enough that the county canvass, or a recount, could reverse it. William F. Peifer, the unopposed Democrat in District 2, advances to the general election and will face the eventual Republican nominee.
County Assessor (Republican primary)
- Crystal M. Garcia: 892 (51.9 percent)
- Martin A. Lucero: 827 (48.1 percent)
Hugh G. Jones, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary for assessor with 959 votes, advances to November.
Probate Judge (Republican primary)
- Mary Ann Anaya-Hernandez: 626 (33.5 percent)
- Tracey J. Master: 496 (26.5 percent)
- Nathan M. Dial: 459 (24.6 percent)
- Melvin Roy McNeil: 288 (15.4 percent)
Magistrate Judge, Torrance (Republican primary)
- Craig M. Davis: 958 (55.6 percent)
- Bobby L. Garcia: 765 (44.4 percent)
County Commissioner, District 1
District 1 drew no contested primary. Nathan Allen Schafer, the unopposed Republican, received 422 votes, and Albert Chavez, the unopposed Democrat, received 318 votes. Both advance to the November general election.
State legislative races
The figures below reflect only the Torrance County portion of each district, not the full district vote, so they do not determine the district-wide outcome.
State Representative, District 22
Incumbent state Representative Stefani Lord, the unopposed Republican, led the Torrance County portion with 1,051 votes. William (Bill) Scott, the unopposed Democrat, received 640 votes. The two advance to a November bout.
State Representative, District 70 (Democratic primary)
- Anita Amalia Gonzales: 261 (69.4 percent)
- Ambrose M. Castellano: 115 (30.6 percent)
How Torrance County voted in the marquee statewide and federal races
Statewide winners are determined by the full statewide count, not by Torrance County's tally. Source New Mexico reported Tuesday night that former US Interior Secretary Deb Haaland had won the Democratic nomination for governor and that former Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull had won the Republican nomination, setting up a November contest. Haaland, a member of the Pueblo of Laguna, would become the first Native American woman elected governor of a US state if she prevails in the fall.
In Torrance County, both front-runners carried their respective primaries:
Governor (Republican primary)
- Greggory D. Hull: 869 (47.2 percent)
- Doug W. Turner: 628 (34.1 percent)
- Duke Rodriguez: 343 (18.6 percent)
Governor (Democratic primary)
- Deb Haaland: 784 (67.5 percent)
- Sam Bregman: 378 (32.5 percent)
United States Senator (Democratic primary)
- Ben Ray Luján: 901 (78.1 percent)
- Matt Dodson: 253 (21.9 percent)
Incumbent US Senator Ben Ray Luján led the Democratic primary in Torrance County. No Republican appeared on the county's Senate ballot, except for a write-in line that recorded no votes.
United States Representative, District 1
Incumbent US Representative Melanie Stansbury, the unopposed Democrat, received 1,028 votes in Torrance County, while Ndidiamaka (AKA Didi) Ekwua Charlene Okpareke, the unopposed Republican, received 1,222 votes. The two advance to the general election. Notably, more Torrance County voters cast ballots in the Republican House primary than in the Democratic one, reflecting the county's Republican lean.
What comes next
These results are unofficial and remain subject to change. All 22 Torrance County precincts were reporting fully, but the totals are subject to certification by the county canvassing board, and any qualifying provisional and late-arriving absentee ballots will be added during that process.
Complete official results are published by the New Mexico Secretary of State. The Mountainair Dispatch will update this report as additional returns are posted and as results are certified.