Wilson confirms run, hasn’t sought Domenici backing

U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., formally announced today that she will give up her House seat to run for the Senate seat coming open next year because of the retirement of U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici.

“We’ve been so fortunate to have Sen. Pete Domenici working for us for the last 35 years,” Wilson said. “… I will treasure the next 15 months working with Sen. Pete Domenici in the United States Congress.”

She talked about what she believes are the nation’s most pressing needs – better schools and health care and increased security – and said New Mexicans “deserve leaders who will fight for these things.”

“For these reasons I want the people of New Mexico to know that I will run for the United States Senate,” Wilson said.

The news was first leaked on Thursday that Wilson would seek the seat, so today’s announcement was a formality. Wilson, 46, also indicated that today’s event, at which she was joined by her husband and children, wasn’t her formal announcement or campaign kickoff. She said there will be time for that later and “this just didn’t seem the day for it.”

The announcement came 24 hours after Domenici formally announced he was retiring at the end of 2008. Wilson, who has been in the House for nine years and is Domenici’s protégé, said she spoke with the senator before he made the announcement on Thursday but didn’t ask for his endorsement.

“This is a hard week. I think it’s a hard week for him and his family and everyone who cares about him,” she said. “There will be time for that.”

The moderate Republican is a veteran campaigner who has survived tough challenges to win election several times in a Democratic district. She beat former Attorney General Patricia Madrid last year by 861 votes out of more than 211,000.

Since that victory, Wilson has come under attack for her role in the U.S. attorney scandal, and it’s unclear how that might affect her strength. Like Domenici, she’s accused by former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias of pressuring him in October 2006 to speed indictments in a public corruption probe involving high-ranking Democrats to influence voters in the November 2006 election.

Today’s news conference was an indication that the scandal hasn’t passed. The final question for Wilson was about the call to Iglesias.

“My call to David Iglesias was entirely appropriate,” Wilson said.

She was also asked if she had spoken with U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., who is considering running against her in the GOP primary.

“I tried to call Steve this morning,” she said. “He’s traveling today and I hope to talk to him over the weekend.”

Three lesser-known Democrats entered the race before news of Domenici’s retirement – Santa Fe developer Don Wiviott and Jim Hannan of Santa Fe and Leland Lehrman of Lamy. Wiviott remains committed to the race, but Hannan has said he may reconsider depending on which well-known Democrat enters the race and Lehrman hasn’t commented.

Several well-known Democrats, including Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chávez, Lt. Gov. Diane Denish and Madrid, are considering the race.

Wilson’s announcement creates an open seat in the U.S. House. Democrats Martin Heinrich and Jon Adams have been in the race for months. Several other Democrats and Republicans are considering the race now that it’s an open seat.

Update, 4:50 p.m.

Heinrich sought to deter other Democrats from entering the House race by releasing this statement:

“Since I entered the race for Congress over five months ago, I’ve spoken with countless voters who share my vision and are just as eager to bring change to Washington as I am,” he said. “I am running for Congress to bring a change in leadership for New Mexico’s First District – to find a new direction in Iraq, to make New Mexico a leader in the drive toward energy independence and to bring integrity to Congress.”

“In Congress, I will focus on getting results – just as I have in my four years on the Albuquerque City Council, where I have led the effort to increase the minimum wage, worked to bring new jobs to our city, cracked down on crime and the methamphetamine epidemic and always stood up for our environment and the wilderness areas that make New Mexico such a special place to call home,” he said.

“I have been honored by the many endorsements I have received from community leaders and elected officials, but nothing has honored me more than the many voters across this district who have told me they believe that I am the Democrat who can win this seat and bring about the change we all want to see in Washington,” he concluded. “Together, we will continue to build on that momentum and unite New Mexicans around our campaign for change.”