The day after a new poll showed U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici’s approval rating falling to 41 percent, Bill Richardson’s presidential campaign made its strongest statement yet that the governor isn’t interested in running against the state’s senior senator next year.
“The governor is running to be the next president of the
Shipley’s comments come the day after the new SurveyUSA poll had the GOP senator’s support dropping 11 points since August and below 50 percent for the first time in the history of the poll that began in May 2005.
The news excited Washington Democratic insiders, as many in the nation’s capitol already had Domenici on the list of those most likely to lose their seats next year. But Domenici has yet to draw a well-known Democratic challenger.
The ongoing U.S. attorney scandal and attacks from the left for failing to support an immediate withdrawal from Iraq and new renewable energy standards have caused Domenici’s support in the poll to drop 27 points in the last 10 months, and the news could get worse: The newest poll was conducted just before Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington listed Domenici as one of the 22 most corrupt members of Congress for his role in the U.S. attorney scandal.
The governor recently told the Associated Press that the idea he might get out of the presidential race and in to the Senate race was “wishful thinking.”
But the rumors persist, and many Democrats in
Domenici’s opponents aren’t surprised by drop
The three Democrats who are vying for the right to take on Domenici next year said they aren’t surprised by the newest drop in his approval rating.
“Folks are upset because Pete Domenici has been saying one thing in
Jim Hannan, another Democrat who wants Domenici’s seat, has been running newspaper advertisements in
“For the first time in many years, the Pete Domenici voting record has been presented to the citizens of
Leland Lehrman, the third Democrat in the race, said he “can’t celebrate the collapse of a senator’s reputation,” but said Domenici’s falling approval rating reflects “a hopeful trend” in the
“The senator’s serial advocacy of war, nuclear weapons, nuclear energy and corrupt partisan politics have earned him these dismal approval ratings as well as the inclusion on the 22 most corrupt senators list,” he said. “At last, the light at the end of the tunnel is beginning to grow stronger.”