Wilson to stop in Las Cruces on Tuesday

U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson is kicking off her Senate campaign with a tour of the state that will bring her to Las Cruces on Tuesday.

She will be holding a public forum from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road in Las Cruces, on Tuesday.

The GOP representative’s “statewide listening tour” follows a similar tour by GOP U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, who is also running for Senate. New Mexico’s third representative, Democrat Tom Udall, is also running for the Senate seat and plans a similar tour in the near future.

Wilson’s tour began Sunday in Santa Rosa. When it ends Saturday in Grants, she will have covered 19 of the state’s 33 counties and traveled 1,500 miles, according to a news release from her campaign. She’ll be talking with voters about national security, the war on terror, taxes, health care and the economy.

“I’m really excited to visit with New Mexicans in all corners of the state,” Wilson said in the release. “My first responsibility as a candidate for the U.S. Senate is to listen to you, to find out your concerns, your priorities, and what is important to you. I look forward to meeting new people though out the state and hearing what’s on their mind.”

Wilson is in Tucumcari, Portales and Roswell today. She’ll be in Ruidoso and Alamogordo on Tuesday before stopping in Las Cruces. On Wednesday, she’ll stop in Truth or Consequences and Socorro. On Thursday she’ll be in Española. On Friday she’ll be in Rio Rancho and Edgewood, and on Saturday she’ll be in Quemado and Grants.

Wilson’s campaign recently received a boost when the New Mexico Professional Firefighter’s Association’s members voted unanimously to endorse her over Pearce in the primary.

“We have a long-standing relationship with Congresswoman Heather Wilson,” Emily Kane, the association’s president, said in a release sent by Wilson’s campaign. “Heather has always supported firefighters and public safety issues. The NMPFFA encourages our members and their families to vote for Rep. Wilson in the primary and to volunteer and support her campaign.”

“I’m honored by this endorsement from New Mexico firefighters and I look forward to working with you during this campaign and in the United States Senate,” Wilson said in the news release.