Web sites pressure Udall to run for Senate

Two Web sites have been created in an effort to convince U.S. Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M., to reconsider his decision to not seek the Senate seat being vacated by Pete Domenici.

The development is further evidence that many Democrats in New Mexico and Washington aren’t happy with their candidates. Thus far, the only top-tier Democrat who has entered the race is Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chávez, who is not well-liked by the progressive wing of his party and had less support than Republicans in a recent poll of the Senate race.

The other Democrats who have entered the race are political newcomers Don Wiviott, Jim Hannan and Leland Lehrman, but with U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., already in the race, and fellow GOP Rep. Steve Pearce considering it, many Democrats don’t want to leave the contest to a rookie any more than they want to leave it to Chávez.

One other candidate has entered the Senate race – GOP oilman Spiro G. Vassilopoulos.

While the recent SurveyUSA poll showed Chávez with less support than Wilson or Pearce in potential Senate match-ups, the same poll had Udall 18 points ahead of both. With Lt. Gov. Diane Denish still considering and, some believe, leaning against running for Senate, many have turned their focus back to Udall, who said earlier this month he wouldn’t run in part because he has just earned a seat on the powerful appropriations committee in the House.

That’s hasn’t deterred some Udall fans. Two new Web sites – tomudallforsenate.com and draftudall.com – have been created in the last few days. The first states that “it’s time the congressman step up, because New Mexico and America need him,” and references the SurveyUSA poll. It provides opportunities for people to send letters to Udall asking him to run and pledge financial support if he runs.

The second site states that Udall is “a battle-hardened campaigner with a solid war chest. There’s no question that Tom Udall would make an excellent senator, and he has the skills to make it happen.” Visitors to that site can sign a petition encouraging Udall to run, make a donation and e-mail Udall’s campaign.

Udall’s spokeswoman could not be reached for comment.

Though I couldn’t track down who is behind tomudallforsenate.com, the person behind draftudall.com is Alex Flores, who lives in Corrales and is a former intern in Udall’s office. He’s a senior at George Washington University studying public policy and also works for People for the American Way.

“I’m not alone – first and foremost,” Flores said. “There is a growing group of interested people – congressional staffers, UNM students, New Mexicans abroad from California to Washington, D.C., and mothers and fathers who just want Udall to run.”

He noted that, on the Democratic fundraising site ActBlue, Chávez had raised $255 from two donors since entering the race, while the movement to draft Udall has already raised $515 from 52 donors – “all small, all dreaming and pushing Udall to run.”

Flores said he believes the attempt will make a difference.

“You can see from our ActBlue page that a grassroots movement is building,” he said. “… Jim Webb, Sherrod Brown, Barack Obama and even Fred Thompson were all politicians who turned down the race only to be ushered in by strong, grassroots movements. Someone has to start them… so why not my friends and me?”