Two women join race to replace Heather Wilson

Two women – former Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron and Jessica Wolfe, a former cabinet aide to Gov. Bill Richardson – are jumping into the race to replace Heather Wilson in Congress.

Both Democrats, the two join former Albuquerque City Councilor Martin Heinrich and former state Health Secretary Michelle Lujan-Grisham in the Democratic Primary.

“This is my home,” Wolfe, an Albuquerque native, said in a news release announcing her candidacy. “And the time has come for someone to step up and fight for the people of this district.”

Wolfe served as special assistant to cabinet affairs for Richardson and worked on issues including water cooperatives, capital and infrastructure projects in rural New Mexico and domestic violence. She recently returned from Iowa, where she volunteered for the governor’s presidential campaign.

Wolfe said she has also worked to increase access to and improve the quality of the nation’s health-care system. She is in the process of setting up a campaign team and gathering signatures to get on the ballot, according to the news release.

Vigil-Giron, meanwhile, confirmed in an e-mail that she will run for the First Congressional District seat. She is set to make a formal announcement at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Hilton Hotel, 1901 University Boulevard in Albuquerque.

Vigil-Giron, according to talking points she released to me, is set to argue that she is the best candidate because she’s a Hispanic woman – the district is 53 percent female and 43 percent Hispanic – and “is an experienced, nationally recognized leader and a proven vote-getter.”

“Getting out the vote may very well be the key to winning in a district that hasn’t elected a Democrat to Congress in decades,” her talking points state. “As a former chief state election official who increased voter participation by 26 percent in 2004, Rebecca knows how to get people to the polls. She is also a skilled communicator who can motivate potential voters with her message.”

Vigil-Giron served three terms as secretary of state. She’ll use that experience to argue she is qualified, and is also prepared to defend herself against any criticism of her tenure. The Secretary of State’s Office had a $3 million shortfall during her last year as its leader in 2006. Federal and state officials have probed the situation, and the state’s Department of Finance and Administration identified some problems that it blamed on Vigil-Giron.

Vigil-Giron blamed the situation on the Legislature, saying she had to implement new federal regulations and the state’s shift to paper ballots, which was an unfunded mandate, and was told by lawmakers to run the election and come back later to seek supplemental funding to cover expenses.

It remains to be seen whether either candidate can build the momentum to be a serious contender for the Democratic Party’s nomination. Heinrich is the frontrunner, but there are some who haven’t been happy with the Democratic candidates in the race – especially in light of the fact that the popular Bernalillo County sheriff, Darren White, is the frontrunner for the GOP nomination – and there might be an opportunity for an inspiring, grassroots campaign to build some momentum.

The other Republican in the race is state Sen. Joe Carraro of Albuquerque.