Gov. Bill Richardson took issue today with me saying he started the negative campaigning in the gubernatorial race.
Along with Doña Ana County Commissioner Bill McCamley, I was a guest host on the Michael Swickard radio show this morning, and interviewed the governor. I asked the Democrat about his campaign’s decision to air a negative ad days after Republican John Dendahl jumped into the gubernatorial race last month.
Richardson pointed out that Dendahl, for several years before becoming a candidate, repeatedly attacked him in a column he wrote for three state newspapers.
“His whole life is attacking me,” Richardson said. “This stuff about me being the first to go negative, that’s hardly the case.”
Richardson also defended the radio ad, which essentially called Dendahl a liar and deceiver and suggested that Dendahl orchestrated the closed-door switcheroo that resulted in him being on the ballot after J.R. Damron dropped out of the gubernatorial race.
“It’s a factual ad,” Richardson said. “You have to point out the questionable way that he put himself on the ballot.”
Richardson said he’s not yet declaring victory, though several national publications have called his re-election a fact. When asked about rumors that his campaign wants 60 percent of the vote in November, Richardson pointed out that he received 56 percent in 2002, and said he’ll be happy to get that again.
But, he said, he expects the national Republican Party to pump a lot of money into Dendahl’s campaign late in the game. He pointed out that the Damron/Dendahl switcheroo took place on a weekend that President Bush and Karl Rove visited Albuquerque. I asked if he believes they were involved in it, and Richardson said he does not know.
Gov. Bill Richardson took issue today with me saying he started the negative campaigning in the gubernatorial race.