New Mexico, the energy state that (mostly) elects those who hate energy

With an election looming and ALL three members of New Mexico’s House delegation up for reelection (not to mention Gov. and the Legislature), it is worth reminding voters just how reliant the State is on energy production.

New Mexico is #2 in the nation in oil production;

New Mexico is among the top 10 natural gas producing states;

About 40% of the State budget is derived from oil and natural gas.

One might think that New Mexico would elect political leaders that are broadly supportive of the Industry, but you would be wrong. As RGF’s president has argued in the past, voters in this “relatively poor, but oil-rich Western state elect(s) politicians that are so directly at odds with its economic best interest.”

A recently-published report from the pro-energy American Energy Alliance only reiterates with the following results on its report card. And Gabe Vasquez, running against pro-energy Rep. Yvette Herrell in a hotly-contested race would only shift the balance even further away from rational energy policy having  “argued in favor of opposing fracking, the Green New Deal and the “extremely toxic fossil fuel industry” according to CNN.