I’ve been writing a lot lately about the effect U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici’s retirement will have on the top-of-the-ticket races in 2008, but there will also be quite an effect on down-ticket races.
We’ve already seen the effects in one Santa Fe situation. State Rep. Peter Wirth, realizing U.S. Rep. Tom Udall’s seat isn’t coming open, has opted to run for the state Senate seat being vacated by John Grubesic. He had been eyeing the congressional seat for years, but a number of other potential candidates are also waiting for the day Udall leaves it.
The effects are starting to show in Las Cruces and Albuquerque as well.
Down south, Republicans are waiting to see who runs for the congressional seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce. Republicans are watching with interest to see whether state Sen. Leonard Lee Rawson or Reps. Joseph Cervantes or Jeff Steinborn run for that seat. They’re floating the name of former Doña Ana County Commissioner Paul Curry as a possible candidate for the Rawson Senate and Cervantes House seats, and the name of current Commissioner Kent Evans as a possible candidate for Steinborn’s House seat.
Evans is leaving the commission at the end of next year, so he might run regardless of whether he would have to face the incumbent.
In Albuquerque, former GOP House candidate Storm Field is taking a serious look at Sen. Joe Carraro’s seat. He might run even if Carraro opts against running for the U.S. House seat being vacated by Heather Wilson. And I’m told at least one GOP candidate is taking a close look at the House seat held by Janice Arnold-Jones, who is also considering running for Wilson’s seat.
From a Las Cruces perspective, 2008 was shaping up to be an interesting election year even before news of Domenici’s coming retirement. On the Democratic side, Sen. Mary Jane Garcia is being challenged by Doña Ana County Commissioner Oscar Vásquez Butler and Rep. Joni Gutierrez is being challenged by Mesilla Mayor Pro Tem Jesus Caro. And on the Republican side two candidates – Doyle Pruitt and Anna Mae Evans, Kent Evans’ wife, have already announced their runs for the commission seat Kent Evans is vacating next year.
It’s taking some time for the U.S. Senate and House races to be sorted out. Once that happens, expect more movement on the down-ticket races. When the dust settles, I suspect we’ll find that Domenici’s retirement ends up reshaping the entire state’s political makeup.
I’ve been writing a lot lately about the effect U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici’s retirement will have on the top-of-the-ticket races in 2008, but there will also be quite an effect on down-ticket races.