ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Albuquerque businessman and former state GOP Chairman Allen Weh has won the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate.
The 71-year-old retired Marine colonel defeated political newcomer David Clements of Las Cruces.
Weh now faces the popular Democratic U.S. Sen. Tom Udall in his first bid at re-election in November.
But Weh faces a tough uphill battle. A recent computer model of races conducted for The New York Times says Udall is one of 14 Senate incumbents with a 99 percent chance of retaining their seats.
And University of New Mexico political science professor Gabriel Sanchez agrees the GOP has little chance of unseating Udall, a former congressman and state attorney general with $3 million cash on hand.