Lt. Governor Denish Leads All Potential Candidates in 2010.

New Mexico Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish leads two potential Republican opponents by a commanding margin, according to statewide poll was conducted by Harstad Strategic Research, a national polling firm based in Boulder, and released today by the Democratic Governors Association.

In head-to-head matchups, Denish is leading both Steve Pearce and Heather Wilson by 22 points, with 57 percent of voters supporting Denish and 35 percent the Republican.

Denish does best with Hispanic voters, with 70% of their support. Former Representative Wilson, who is leaning against running only has the support of 25% of registered Hispanic women. Pearce gets 24% of their support.

The poll did not measure how Denish stacks up against other potential Democrat candidates including Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, and actor Val Kilmer. Nor also did not measure Denish' lead over NM National Guard Brigadier General Greg Zanetti or State Representative Janice Arnold-Jones.

"As a native New Mexican, Diane Denish really connects with the people of the state,” said Nathan Daschle, executive director of the Democratic Governors Association. “Voters in New Mexico recognize her positive vision for the future, which will build on her robust record of standing up for children, helping small businesses and strengthening schools.

Denish, who was the first woman to be elected lieutenant governor of New Mexico, has a particularly daunting lead among women and Hispanic voters. She also led both Pearce and Wilson in every region of the state.

The statewide poll was conducted by telephone, between May 31 and June 4, 2009 and surveyed 613 likely 2010 voters from every region of the state. The poll results are subject to a statistical margin of error of plus-or-minus 4%.