Democrat David L. Mooney defeated Republican state Rep. Rebecca Dow in New Mexico House District 38, flipping the seat that spans parts of Doña Ana, Sierra and Socorro counties.
Unofficial results from the secretary of state's office showed Mooney winning 4,864 votes (52.9%) to Dow's 4,335 (47.1%), a margin of 529 votes, Organ Mountain News reported. Those figures were drawn from the secretary of state's election export downloaded at 12:56 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, with all 2,204 statewide precincts fully reporting.
The results remain unofficial until certified by the state.
Mooney's path ran through Doña Ana County, where he collected 2,161 votes to Dow's 1,660. He also carried Socorro County, 1,827 to 1,429. Dow won Sierra County by 370 votes, but the combined margins in the other two counties more than offset her strongest showing.
First-time candidate, write-in start
Mooney ran as a write-in candidate in the June primary after no other Democrat entered the race, according to Source New Mexico. The campaign marked his first run for elected office.
"I came into the race absolutely as an underdog, but I have truly believed for years that folks could win in more rural districts like House District 38 if they just actually run on a campaign standing up for working folks and against corporations and special interests in our politics," Mooney told Source New Mexico on Wednesday, Nov. 4.
Mooney is a New Mexico State University graduate who works as a recruiter for The Outreach Team, a national canvassing and field-operations company, according to Organ Mountain News. His campaign biography says he previously spent more than eight years as a political organizer and field director on campaigns across 27 states and Washington, D.C.
Data centers top Mooney's agenda
Mooney told Source New Mexico that one of his main priorities when lawmakers convene Jan. 19 will be advocating for a moratorium of at least 18 months on large data centers. He also called for a law requiring new data center developments to win approval from a majority of affected community members. Data centers are proposed or in progress in each of the district's three counties, he said.
In a candidate questionnaire published by Source New Mexico before the election, Mooney said residents across all three counties had raised concerns about the developments' effects on water supplies, electricity costs and local infrastructure, Organ Mountain News reported.
Dow took a different approach to water policy, advocating for thinning forests, controlling erosion and removing invasive plants to improve watershed health. Her legislative record included co-sponsoring House Bill 175 in 2025, which expanded eligibility for state forest restoration funding. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the bill into law in March 2025.
Dow cites national headwinds
Dow indicated on election night that she expected to concede, KRWG Public Media reported. She told KRWG the national political environment was difficult to overcome.
"I worked harder than I have ever worked this cycle for any of my house races and I talked to more voters and they were so upset with what was happening at the national level, it was difficult to engage with them in a conversation about our state," Dow said.
Dow was first elected to the Legislature in 2016 and served three consecutive terms before leaving the House to run for governor in 2022. She returned to the chamber in January 2025 after winning the 2024 election.
Her defeat was part of a broader pattern. New Mexico Democrats unseated four Republican House incumbents on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and will hold 47 of 70 House seats when the 60-day legislative session begins Jan. 19, according to Source New Mexico.
Mooney told the Las Cruces Bulletin he credited organizers and volunteers, emphasizing health care access and water protection as campaign themes. He takes office when the Legislature convenes Jan. 19 for the 60-day session.
