If there was any doubt left, State Rep. Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces, has essentially confirmed that he’s running for the Second Congressional District seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M.
He made comments that essentially indicate he’s running Wednesday on The Morning Show with Alan Riehl. You can listen to the podcast of the interview by clicking here.
“We’re taking all the steps we need to do,” Cervantes said. “We are moving in the direction of putting… a team in place that can win that race.”
The fact that Cervantes is running is something that we pretty much knew, and I reported earlier this week. Though he didn’t flat-out say he’s running on the radio show, Cervantes said he is “moving in the right direction” but still had some phone calls to make and wants to be joined by friends when he makes the final decision.
But Cervantes confirmed to me earlier this week that the final decision had been made and would be announced after Tuesday’s Las Cruces Municipal Election. He said he was waiting until after the election because voters are currently focused on the municipal candidates.
So here’s the reality: Cervantes is running for Congress, but it’s not official yet. He wants to save the celebration for his formal announcement. He wants to personally talk to some people he hopes will support him before he confirms he’s running. He has not, in the most literal, attorney-minded sense, said he’s running, but his statements and actions, taken as a whole, indicate that he is running.
Here’s what Cervantes’ wife Jennifer said when Riehl asked if she supports him running next year:
“Absolutely. I do believe it is the right time for Joseph. Not only is he an exceptional candidate but I think he’d make an exceptional congressman,” she said. “… He knows the family supports him 100 percent.”
And Cervantes spoke like a candidate on the radio show. Asked how he would stay in touch with the district if elected, he said this:
“I hope to be very accessible. I hope to be home every week, here in
Asked about a platform, he spoke about fixing the “health-care crisis” and trying to “restore the place of our nation in the world stage.”
And he spoke about being a bridge-builder.
“I’ve had a number of Republican legislators telling me they’re going to support me,” he said, though he didn’t name names. “We need to elect people that are not going to be divisive.”
There you have it. Expect a formal announcement from Cervantes sometime after Tuesday’s municipal election. Though he won’t speak as an official candidate at Saturday’s meeting of the state Democratic Party’s Central Committee, expect him to tell people at that meeting that he’s running.
The other Democrats who are running are Al Kissling, Doña Ana County Commissioner Bill McCamley and former Lea County Commissioner Harry Teague. A number of Republicans are considering the race, but none have entered it.