Hobbs mayor joins crowded CD2 GOP race

Hobbs Mayor Monty Newman has confirmed that he’s running for the Second Congressional District seat being vacated by Steve Pearce.

“I think it is important that we engage in our democracy,” the Associated Press quoted Newman as saying. “I don’t want to look back on life and say I didn’t do the best I could in participating in this society in which I live.”

The Republican joins five others as announced GOP candidates. There are four announced Democratic candidates.

Newman, a Hobbs realtor, is a past vice president of the National Association of Realtors, which will help him raise money. He is also a past Hobbs city commissioner and a current and past member of a number of community boards.

Newman has lived in Hobbs since 1978 and, before that, lived in Clovis, the news service reported. He and his wife have two grown sons.

He told the news service he would leave troops in Iraq if elected.

“We cannot leave Iraq until we are reasonably certain that it is stable and reasonably secure,” he said. “I have a viewpoint that may be different because my son served there.”

Newman also told the Associated Press that he wants more tax dollars spent on infrastructure.

Newman’s entrance into the race means at least three Republicans – Newman, rancher and retired banker Aubrey L. Dunn Jr. and restaurant-chain owner and rancher Ed Tinsley – will have a lot of money and be credible candidates. Sierra County GOP chair C. Earl Greer is also well-known and could run a credible campaign. Former Bernalillo County GOP executive director Bob Cornelius and Las Cruces daycare center owner Greg Sowards have also been working hard and could earn some support.

And there are still a couple of potential GOP candidates considering the race.

There’s no obvious frontrunner, and it’s possible that no GOP candidate will receive the votes of 20 percent of delegates at the March preprimary nominating convention – the only way to appear on the ballot after a change the Legislature and governor approved last year.

Lawmakers will be asked to provide an alternative path to the ballot during the session that starts Tuesday. If they don’t approve a change, in a preprimary race where no candidate receives 20 percent, the party won’t be able to place a candidate on the ballot.

The Democrats in the race are retired Presbyterian pastor Al Kissling, Doña Ana County Commissioner Bill McCamley, Roswell businessman and retired teacher Frank McKinnon and former Lea County Commissioner Harry Teague.