“There was a little mix-up there, but the answer is I’m going to raise money for Marty, and if he wants me on his committee, I’m fine doing it,” Cope said today.
Cope’s statement reveals further uncertainty about Chávez’s Thursday announcement of the members of his committee. The confusion comes at a time when many Democrats, unsatisfied with their candidates who are vying for the right to take on either US. Rep. Steve Pearce or Heather Wilson in the Senate race next year, are pushing for Gov. Bill Richardson, Lt. Gov. Diane Denish or U.S. Rep. Tom Udall to enter the race.
A Thursday news release from Chávez’s campaign listed Paul Blanchard, who serves on Richardson’s national finance committee, and Javier Gonzales, a former Santa Fe County commissioner, as members of Chávez’s finance committee.
Though his name wasn’t included in the news release, Chávez told me during a Thursday interview that Cope, a big supporter of
But Gonzales told me Friday that he did not agree to serve on the committee. He said he would raise money for Chávez just like he would for other Democrats. And Blanchard refused to comment on whether he is a member of the committee. You can read more about the situation by clicking here.
Cope’s statement means there was confusion surrounding the inclusion of at least three of the 12 people Chávez said on Thursday had agreed to be members of his campaign. Apparently, the situation is being clarified.
“Marty and I talked about it after the news release came out, and I agreed to do it,” Cope said.
Chávez could not immediately be reached for comment. When I spoke with him Friday, just before Gonzales told me he was not on the committee, Chávez insisted that Blanchard, Cope and Gonzales had all agreed on Thursday to serve on the committee.
The situation was created in part because some of the governor’s closest supporters have quietly told a handful of his biggest financial backers considering who they should support in the U.S. Senate race to “keep your powder dry for awhile.”