President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that New Mexico should change its name to "New America," sparking reactions from political candidates.

"New Mexico should immediately change its name to New America. We are not Mexico, we are the United States of America," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

He added, "The name would add great value and prestige to the state. Home values and incomes would rise."

New Mexico is the site of several contested races in November's midterm elections. Republican candidates across the state were asked for their thoughts on Trump's proposal.

Gregg Hull, a gubernatorial candidate running against Deb Haaland, said, "I've been in New Mexican and part of this culture and history for the last 40 years. My children are New Mexican and my grandchildren in New Mexican. New Mexico does not need a new name."

Didi Okpareke, running against incumbent U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury in the First Congressional District, was asked if President Trump's comments could hurt Republicans in contested races.

"I really think that we are we're going to win depending on what we're truly doing this for. So I can speak for myself. I'm doing this because I think that it's time that we have amazing representation," Okpareke said.

Larry Marker, a candidate running against Democratic incumbent Ben Ray Luján in the U.S. Senate race, also weighed in on the proposal.

"Legislatively just isn't going to happen and really isn't even an issue to the voters of New Mexico. Instead of a new name, we need new representation in New Mexico," Marker said.

President Trump has previously signed executive orders to rename geographic features, including changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America in August and renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America last year.

When asked whether a president has the authority to rename a state, KOAT political expert Brian Sanderoff said, "Renaming federal territories or geographic features like lakes, that is in the president's prerogative, but renaming states is not."