Eric Griego's Loss In New Mexico Is A Blow To Progressives

Michelle Lujan Grisham won the open-seat race in New Mexico's 1st congressional district with 40 percent of the vote shortly after midnight. Progressive favorite Eric Griego took home just 35 percent.

Griego's loss is a blow to a progressive groups that organized extensively on his behalf, making substantial political expenditures and knocking on more than 30,000 doors before primary day, according to organizers. The coalition "Working Families of New Mexico," which includes OLÉ, New Mexico New Majority, Communications Workers of America and MoveOn.org Political Action, engaged in political outreach by mail, radio and door-to-door field work.

"I'm afraid that we were clearly the reform progressive candidate in this race and I think a lot of people are worried about what does this mean for the Democratic party. I certainly am," Griego told KRQE News 13.

With the primary settled, Grisham said she's pleased to be able to focus her campaign on her goal of getting New Mexicans back to work.

"We're very clear about what the messaging is, we need to focus on jobs," she said. "I've been bringing jobs as a county commissioner and while I'm campaigning I'm going to continue to bring jobs to Albuquerque and to the country."