Less than two weeks after GOP candidate John Dendahl entered the New Mexico Governor’s race, a new poll shows him trailing incumbent Bill Richardson (D) by more than twenty points. The poll estimates that Richardson will take 56% of the vote, just short of the 60% that some pundits suggest he will need to win in order to launch a strong campaign for President in 2008.

Though Dendahl has already begun to run a more energetic campaign than former Republican nominee J.R. Damron, the new poll shows that Richardson has greater name recognition and that voters view him more favorably. Furthermore, Richardson has a significant fundraising advantage, with around $5.7 million in the bank, compared to Dendahl’s $75,000. But Dendahl may not have to win to do his job: if, as some commentators predict, he can chip away at the Governor’s advantage in the coming months, he may be able to derail Richardson’s presidential ambitions, reportedly all the New Mexico GOP wants from a race it can’t win.