Ed Romero, the national finance chairman for Bill Richardson’s presidential campaign, didn’t even wait for the governor to formally announce his withdrawal from the race before he began making phone calls on Wednesday for Hillary Clinton.
The reaction was similar around the state after news broke on Wednesday evening that the governor had decided, following dismal showings in Iowa and New Hampshire, to end his campaign. A number of people helping Richardson’s campaign jumped ship earlier in the day. Many prominent New Mexico Democrats are beginning to organize or make phone calls for another candidate.
Now that Richardson is dropping out, an election year that has already been tumultuous because of the coming retirement of U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici becomes even more unpredictable with a wide-open Democratic presidential caucus on Feb. 5.
That means even more attention on New Mexico. Already, Barack Obama’s campaign is shifting resources to the Land of Enchantment. And former state Attorney General Patricia Madrid, a longtime supporter of John Edwards, is trying to figure out whether she’s still traveling to Nevada as planned this weekend or instead staying in New Mexico to play a prominent role in Edwards’ campaign here.
“The situation is just so fluid now that our favored son is no longer in the race,” she said.
The Richardson campaign hasn’t officially confirmed that he will announce later today that he’s ending his bid for the presidency. But sources close to the campaign have confirmed that for the Associated Press, CNN, MSNBC, the New York Times and other media organizations, and Romero told the Albuquerque Journal that he had “information” that Richardson will make the announcement later this morning.
His head held high
Richardson can stand before New Mexicans with his head held high when he announces his withdrawal from the race today. I’ve often been highly critical of the governor’s actions, but I will say this: He worked at least as hard as any other candidate in this race. He ran an efficient campaign, hitting friends up for beds to save money. His early strategy was excellent, and his campaign ads were, at times, brilliant.
Richardson’s biggest problem was that he’s less articulate than the other candidates. His many mistakes made him appear silly and distracted. He compounded them with self-deprecating humor that was funny for awhile and then annoying.
And, perhaps most important, he ran on his experience in a year when voters want change.
Richardson’s future
When he entered the presidential race almost a year ago, Richardson tackled what was then the biggest challenge of his political career, and he faces another big test now.
He has said all along that, were he to lose the presidential race, he would return to New Mexico and serve out his term as governor, which runs through 2010. He said he wasn’t interested in being vice president, secretary of state or U.S. senator.
But Richardson may find being governor much different now than it was before he entered the presidential race on Jan. 21 of last year. While he was distracted with his presidential run, the Senate took some control of the state from him. The Senate is well-prepared to take even more when the 30-day session begins on Tuesday.
He also burned bridges with the Clinton campaign when he allegedly made a deal that helped Obama win Iowa and then, the evening before the New Hampshire Primary, publicly criticized the Clinton campaign for blaming him and others for her Iowa loss instead of looking inward.
Richardson has a small but passionate core of grassroots supporters that will probably promote him as the running mate for whichever Democrat wins the party’s nomination. He will be pushed as a potential secretary of state by others. Few doubt he will consider both. It’s one thing to say you’re not interested when you’re trying to become president. It’s another to say it after your dream of leading the nation has ended.
But it’s no secret that Richardson isn’t the best debater, and many wonder whether the Democratic nominee will want Richardson representing him or her in the vice presidential debate later this year. And his showings in Iowa and New Hampshire don’t prove that Richardson has much of a base to contribute to the ticket.
Richardson may spend a significant amount of time this year campaigning around the West for his party’s nominee in an attempt to gain favor and keep his options open. But look for him to also try to assert himself quickly and often during the legislative session in an attempt to regain control of state government.
Though many blogs are speculating that Richardson could enter the Senate race, don’t expect it. U.S. Rep. Tom Udall is already in the race, and his daughter was Richardson’s deputy campaign manager. Rest assured there was a very personal and private pledge that Richardson wouldn’t run, no matter what the circumstances, before Udall decided to get into the race. To back off that promise now would be both a political and personal betrayal.
The New Mexico Caucus
Richardson will still appear on the ballot on Feb. 5 in New Mexico. Howard Dean won his home state of Vermont, without trying, even after withdrawing from the presidential race in 2004, but Richardson won’t likely find similar success.
The race between Clinton, Obama and Edwards is so hot that many Democrats won’t be willing to give up a say in that contest just to pat Richardson’s back or give him a few delegates to bargain with at the Denver convention in August.
At this point, there’s no way to know which Democratic presidential candidate has the best shot at winning New Mexico. A September Albuquerque Journal poll found Clinton in second place behind the governor, but so much time has passed and the dynamic has changed so significantly that the poll doesn’t mean a thing.
Look for a number of high-profile New Mexico Democrats to publicly back their favored candidates in the coming days. Madrid, perhaps the most visible New Mexico Democrat to back a candidate other than Richardson from the start, said she’s planning to begin making calls for Edwards later today.
With Feb. 5 rapidly approaching, that puts her half a day behind Romero.
A version of this article was published today on the Denver Post’s Politics West Web site.
Ed Romero, the national finance chairman for Bill Richardson’s presidential campaign, didn’t even wait for the governor to formally announce his withdrawal from the race before he began making phone calls on Wednesday for Hillary Clinton.