MYSTIFYING THE PUNDITS: Pearce’s huge win over Lara confounds Democratic pundits.

The conservative Hobbs Republican not only defeated Lara, a Carlsbad lawyer and former Eddy County commissioner, but he, percentage-wise, racked up the most commanding election victory in the state – and of his congressional career. Pearce won every county in the 2nd Congressional District, even outpacing Lara in heavily Democratic Doña Ana County.

When all the ballots were tallied, Pearce took nearly 65 percent of the 2nd District vote, compared with Lara’s 35 percent.

Until Tuesday’s election, Pearce was the only Republican in the nation representing a district along the Mexican border. When the new Congress convenes in January, he’ll be joined by another: Rep.-elect Will Hurd, a Texas Republican who defeated Democratic incumbent Rep. Pete Campo in a sprawling district that stretches from El Paso to San Antonio. . . .

As far as the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee was concerned, the general election in New Mexico’s 2nd District wasn’t supposed to turn out this way.

The House Democrats’ Washington-based political arm viewed Pearce as vulnerable in a district with a large Hispanic population where Democrats outnumber Republicans.

Excited to have a politically moderate Hispanic woman from conservative eastern New Mexico on the ballot, the DCCC got active early in the 2nd District general election campaign. It assigned staffers in Washington to help Lara craft her message and communicate with the media.

Perhaps more importantly, the DCCC helped Lara raise hundreds of thousands of dollars from donors across the nation. In the end, none of it worked.

They’re Republicans and not Hispanic, and yet the Hispanic voters voted for them.

Plus, something that a lot of Beltway types with a simplistic view of the electorate might take note of: “Lara’s campaign focused heavily on immigration reform legislation, such as the DREAM Act, geared at young immigrants, and sought to draw attention to Pearce’s opposition to efforts to allow an estimated 12 million residents who are in the country illegally to become legal citizens. The message may have resonated with some Hispanic voters, but not nearly enough for Lara to win the race or even make it competitive.”