FOX NEWS DECISION DESK RACE CALL: Democratic Gov. Grisham defeats GOP candidate

( Fox )

The Fox News Decision Desk can now project that Democratic Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham will defeat the GOP candidate and local news weatherman Mark Ronchetti. President Biden visited New Mexico for a rally with Lujan Grisham just days ago.

Polls had suggested a tightened race in the weeks leading up to Election Day as Ronchetti hammered Grisham over the Democrats' open-border policies, her soft on crime approach to criminal justice, and the handling of children's education amid a drop in performance due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Ronchetti, a former meteorologist, had emphasized the importance of securing the Southern border and cracking down on the drug trade contributing to the high number of Fentanyl related deaths in the state.

Grisham, who was first elected in 2018 after serving multiple terms in Congress, focused heavily on the issue of abortion and spent a portion of the campaign defending herself over allegations of sexual harassment against a former staffer.