Another candidate enters U.S. Senate fray

A former Democratic state senator says he plans to run as a Republican for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Pete Domenici this year.

Tom Benavides has not formally announced his candidacy, but his campaign manager, Michael G. Horanburg, confirmed that Benavides is running.

Benavides was a state senator representing Albuquerque’s south valley from 1967 to 1970 and 1985 to 1995. Since then the Catholic has been lobbying the state Legislature for approval of various pro-life bills.

The other Republicans in the race are U.S. Reps. Steve Pearce and Heather Wilson. On the Democratic side, the candidates are Rep. Tom Udall and Leland Lehrman, an alternative media publisher and editor and activist in Santa Fe. Independent Zach Boatman, a Santa Fe high-school teacher, is also trying to gather the signatures to run.

“We believe (Benavides) can win because Rep. Wilson and Rep. Pearce will use all of their political power to go at each other,” Horanburg said. “We also believe he can win because he is the conservative running and he is well known around the state for many years of public service.”

“He has proven to be a conservative, ethical and hard-working public servant through his many years in the state Senate and his years lobbying, along with his strong work ethic with his business here in New Mexico and around the world,” Horanburg said. “Tom Benavides is New Mexico, with his family being one of the first to settle it and his rich history all over New Mexico.”

In the release, Benavides talked about the importance of increasing state imports and exports to broaden the economic base, better using the state’s natural resources and increasing tourism.

Benavides attempted to run as a Reform Party candidate for U.S. Senate in 2000, but failed to gather the signatures required to appear on the ballot.