Udall to announce Thursday in ABQ, Friday in Cruces

U.S. Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M., will kick off his campaign for the Senate seat being vacated by Pete Domenici with a formal announcement Thursday in Albuquerque, and he’ll make a stop in Las Cruces Friday morning.

Udall will make the announcement at 11:45 a.m. Thursday at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, according to a news release from his campaign. He will be at Roberto’s Mexican Food in Las Cruces at 8 a.m. Friday to formally announce his candidacy to voters here.

Udall plans other stops in Los Lunas on Thursday, in Silver City and Clovis on Friday, and in Las Vegas, Mora, Taos and Santa Fe on Saturday.

“As a prosecutor, state attorney general and congressman, I have stood strong for New Mexico values,” Udall said in the release. “I am proud to bring my proven record of leadership to the United States Senate.”

“New Mexicans know my record on issues like reducing domestic violence and DUI, improving access to health care and education, protecting our Constitutional freedoms, conserving our natural treasures and ending the misguided war in Iraq,” he said. “New Mexico deserves a senator who has the courage to do what’s right, and I have the integrity and experience they can trust.”

Udall is in his fifth term at the state’s representative of the Third Congressional District in Washington. Before that, he was the state attorney general for eight years.

Udall will face off with Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chávez and Lamy alternative media publisher and editor Leland Lehrman in the primary. On the Republican side, U.S. Reps. Steve Pearce and Heather Wilson are running for the Senate seat.