CQ Risk Rating: Safe Republican 
| GENERAL ELECTION: NOVEMBER 7, 2000 |
|
| Joe Skeen (R) | 100,742 | 58% |
| Michael A. Montoya (D) | 72,614 | 42% |
| PRIMARY ELECTION: JUNE 6, 2000 |
|
| | Votes | Percentage | | Democratic |
| Michael A. Montoya | 19,388 | 52% |
| Mike Runnels | 18,185 | 48% |
| | Green |
| Carlos R. Provencio | 132 | 100% |
| | Republican |
| Joe Skeen | 23,112 | 100% |
Source: Congressional Quarterly. To suggest updates and corrections: politics.feedback@cq.com
Major Industry | Military Bases | Population | Cities | People | Race | Median Household Income | Unusual Features
NEW MEXICO 2
:
South - Little Texas; Las Cruces; Roswell
Covering the southern half of New Mexico, the 2nd earned the dubious
distinction of having witnessed the first atomic bomb explosion in 1945.
More than 50 years later, in 1999, the district opened the first permanent
storage facility for radioactive waste from nuclear weapons production and
defense-related research. Installed in deep salt beds near Carlsbad, it will
house waste from 10 temporary sites throughout the nation.
Towns in the 2nd have built a stable economy on traditional Western
industries. The Mexican highlands, along the Arizona border, are blanketed
with copper and lead mines. In the southeastern corner of the state, "Little
Texas," settled by Texans in the early 20th century, produces oil and gas,
as well as cattle and sheep. This region also is home to one of the most
productive salt mines in the nation. While these industries are the backbone
of the 2nd's economy, high-tech firms and dairy farming are on the rise.
Although the 2nd's economy has remained stable, its voting habits have
not. Beginning in the 1970s, ranchers and conservative Democrats steered
away from a long Democratic tradition. Locally, the district has remained
true to its roots, but is now more competitive at the national level.
Major Industry
Agriculture, mining, oil and gas production
Military Bases
Hollman Air Force Base, 4,013 military, 865 civilian (1998); White Sands
Missile Range, 534 military, 3,180 civilian (1997)
Population
504,767 (1990)
Cities
Las Cruces, 74,779; Roswell, 44,260; Carlsbad, 24,952 (1996)
People
49% suburban; 12% age 65+ (ranks first of three in state; middle third
nationally); 61% married couples, 31% married couples with children; 15%
college educated (ranks third of three in state; bottom third nationally);
51% white collar (ranks third of three in state; bottom third nationally),
28% blue collar (ranks first of three in state; middle third nationally)
(1990)
Race
84% white, 2% black, 1% Asian; 42% Hispanic origin (1990)
Median Household Income
$21,456 (ranks third of three in state; bottom third nationally) (1990)
Unusual Features
White Sands National Monument, world's largest gypsum dune field; Alleged
UFO crash outside Roswell in 1947; Billy the Kid stood trial in Mesilla but
escaped before being convicted; Very Large Array, grouping of huge telescope
dishes that peer deep into space, near Socorro.
Source: Congressional Quarterly (Updated April 1999)
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District 2
