Fresh off securing approval of the spaceport tax in Doña Ana County, New Mexico Economic Development Secretary Rick Homans is seriously considering running against U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson next year.
A source who has been directly involved in the conversations confirmed that Homans, 50 and a Democrat, is “very seriously considering getting into the race.” The source also said Gov. Bill Richardson has pledged to support Homans in a Democratic primary.
New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District race was one of the hottest in the nation in 2006, with the Republican Wilson defeating Democratic challenger Patricia Madrid by 861 votes out of more than 211,000. Since then, Wilson has been dogged by her role in the burgeoning U.S. attorney scandal, and many analysts believe she is more vulnerable than ever.
Though the district has a Democratic majority, Wilson has fought off strong challengers to keep the seat since she was first elected in 1998.
But the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has already been on the attack. Last month it aired a radio advertisement in the Albuquerque area attacking Wilson for her role in the U.S. attorney scandal. Last week, it unveiled a Web site attacking her.
An official from the DCCC is expected to be in New Mexico later this week to search for a candidate. Homans isn’t the only Democrat considering a run, but the backing of Richardson gives his potential candidacy a lot of weight.
Homans doesn’t currently live in the district. He would have to move back to Albuquerque and, because of federal campaign laws, take a leave of absence or resign from his state job in order to run against Wilson. The source said Homans plans to make a decision by January.
Experience and familiarity
Homans has a résumé that could make him a serious challenger in the Albuquerque-area district. Before moving to Santa Fe to become a cabinet secretary, he had lived in Albuquerque since the mid-1980s and was chairman and CEO of Starlight Media Group. He is a former chairman of the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau and vice chair of the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce.
He also co-founded the Albuquerque Children’s Museum along with the daughter of U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., who is Wilson’s mentor.
Homans, who is married and has two teenage boys, ran unsuccessfully for Albuquerque mayor in 2001, but received national attention when he and a councilor candidate challenged the city’s campaign spending limits. The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver upheld a lower court ruling that the caps were an unconstitutional violation of free speech.
Homans has also been involved in the past in the effort to keep Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque. That would be important in a campaign because Wilson’s popularity comes in part from being a veteran of the Air Force. She’s the first woman veteran to serve in Congress.
In Santa Fe, Homans has worked with Richardson on restructuring the tax system to make New Mexico friendlier to business. He has also worked hard to make Spaceport America a reality, and last week’s successful tax vote in Doña Ana County was a big step in that direction.
The source said several Democrats have asked Homans to consider running against Domenici, but others have urged him to run against Wilson, and the congressional race is one the source said Homans believes “can be won and has to be won.”
Scandal has made Wilson vulnerable
That determination and optimism is driven by Wilson’s role in the U.S. attorney scandal. Wilson called former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias in October 2006, about a month before the election. Iglesias says she asked whether there were any “sealed indictments” in the Bernalillo County Metro Courthouse scandal and accuses her and Domenici of pressuring him to speed indictments in the probe. Incidentally, indictments were handed down last month.
Iglesias claims he refused their pressure and, two months later, was fired without being given a reason.
Wilson admits making the call and inquiring about the investigation, saying she was responding to the concerns of a constituent, but says she never asked about indictments or did anything inappropriate.
Regardless, the incident has tied Wilson to the scandal involving the firing of eight U.S. attorneys on Dec. 7 of last year and the Bush Administration’s frequently evolving explanation for why the attorneys were fired. Senate rules trigger an automatic investigation into Domenici’s call to Iglesias – also made in October 2006 – but in the House, another member must file a complaint against Wilson, and none have stepped forward to do that.
Fresh off securing approval of the spaceport tax in Doña Ana County, New Mexico Economic Development Secretary Rick Homans is seriously considering running against U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson next year. 
That determination and optimism is driven by