WASHINGTON (AP) - Candidates seeking the Democratic and Republican nominations for New Mexico governor along with other key state and federal posts will face off in Tuesday's state primary.

The contest unfolds while the conflict in Iran keeps driving fuel costs upward, delivering an unexpected financial boost to the nation's second-largest oil-producing state. The next governor will hold significant influence over how those gains are managed. Term limits prevent outgoing Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham from seeking another term.

Former congresswoman and ex-U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman are competing for the Democratic nomination to succeed Lujan Grisham. Haaland, the first Native American cabinet secretary, would become the first Native American woman elected governor of any state if she wins.

Former Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull, medical cannabis entrepreneur and ex-state cabinet secretary Duke Rodriguez, and small business owner Doug Turner are the candidates in the Republican primary.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján is running for a second term and faces a primary challenge from business owner and community organizer Matt Dodson.

No candidates appear on the Republican primary ballot for the U.S. Senate seat, though 2024 state Senate candidate Larry Marker is pursuing the nomination as a certified write-in. He previously ran as a write-in for land commissioner in 2022.

New Mexico law requires a certified write-in candidate who is the sole entrant in a primary to meet a specific vote threshold to secure the nomination. That threshold equals the number of signatures needed to qualify as an official write-in candidate. For statewide Republican primaries the figure stands at 2,351 votes. Should Marker fall short, no Republican nominee for U.S. Senate would appear on the general election ballot.

In Republican primaries for state auditor, treasurer, and state House Districts 14 and 44, a single write-in candidate is the only person seeking each nomination. A Democratic write-in is the lone candidate for state House District 38. Each must reach the required vote threshold for their office to advance.

Bernalillo County, which includes Albuquerque, is the state's most populous and influences both primary and general election outcomes. Additional counties to monitor include Doña Ana, Santa Fe, Sandoval, San Juan, and Valencia.

The following facts and data points outline what the AP Decision Team will track as results come in.

When do polls close?

Polls close at 7 p.m. MT, or 9 p.m. ET.

What's on the ballot?

The Associated Press will report results and declare winners in contested primaries for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, land commissioner, and state House seats. The AP will also determine whether write-in candidates for U.S. Senate, auditor, treasurer, and three state House districts advance to the general election.

Who gets to vote?

Only registered party members may participate in their party's primary. Democrats cannot vote in the Republican primary and vice versa. Independent or unaffiliated voters may choose either primary.

How many voters are there?

As of April 30, New Mexico had roughly 1.4 million registered voters, including about 573,000 Democrats, 443,000 Republicans, and 378,000 unaffiliated voters.

How many people actually vote?

In the 2022 gubernatorial primaries, approximately 125,000 Democratic primary votes and 118,000 Republican primary votes were cast.

How much of the vote is cast early or by absentee ballot?

About 55 percent of Democratic primary votes and 48 percent of Republican primary votes in the 2024 cycle were cast before primary day, slightly above 2022 levels.

As of Friday, roughly 94,000 Democratic primary ballots and 46,000 Republican primary ballots had already been submitted for Tuesday's election.

When are early and absentee votes released?

New Mexico's 33 counties differ in the timing of vote-result releases. More than half typically publish all or nearly all mail and early in-person results in the first update of the evening. Some counties also include Election Day in-person votes in that initial release, while most spread those results across the night.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

During the 2022 gubernatorial primary, the AP published the first results at 9:11 p.m. ET, eleven minutes after polls closed. The final update arrived at 2:50 a.m. ET with more than 99 percent of votes counted.

When will the AP declare a winner?

The AP issues no projections and calls a race only after confirming no remaining scenario allows a trailing candidate to close the gap. If a contest remains uncalled, the AP will continue reporting newsworthy updates such as concessions or victory claims while clearly noting that no winner has been declared and explaining the reason.

How do recounts work?

Recounts occur automatically in New Mexico when the margin falls below 0.25 percent of total votes for federal or statewide offices, below 0.5 percent for public education commissioner, district attorney, and certain countywide posts, and below 1 percent for all remaining offices including state legislators. The AP may still declare a winner in a recount-eligible race if the lead is judged too large to be overturned.

Are we there yet?

As of Tuesday, 154 days remain until the 2026 midterm elections.

- Robert Yoon, Associated Press