By Mario Sanchez
On April 2, New Mexico Republicans and conservatives suffered a significant setback when Gov. Bill Richardson signed Senate Bill 116 into law, a bill that establishes contribution limits in state-level political campaigns for the first time. The signing of SB116 will further strengthen the stronghold of ultra-liberal, progressive Democrats on our state — unless conservatives wake up for the good of our own political survival.
The 2008 election cycle marked a dramatic change in New Mexico politics, from the amount of money that was spent to the way it was raised. Democrats in swing states began taking their cue from so-called “progressive” powerhouse fundraising groups like the Democracy Alliance and ultra-wealthy donors like Quark Software founder Tim Gill, who have collectively spent over $100 million in key swing states.
In New Mexico, these progressive political consultants were able to use nonprofit groups to fund negative campaigns against incumbent Republican legislators — under the guise of merely “educating” the public. They were able to execute these campaigns via groups like the Center for Civic Policy, SouthWest Organizing Project and New Mexico Youth Organized.
These progressive groups were able to collectively raise massive amounts of money for polling, voter identification, voter registration and hard-hitting direct mail — none of which had to be reported to the secretary of state or to the Federal Election Commission. In the words of former Colorado state Rep. Rob Witwer, who witnessed similar tactics in his state, “Republicans were caught completely off guard.” Among the casualties of the 2008 election were six Republican members of the New Mexico Legislature.
Fellow Democrats were not immune to the wrath of these progressive groups, either. Former Democratic state legislators Shannon Robinson, James Taylor and Dan Silva were all defeated in primaries by progressive opponents in 2008. In the coming years, progressive nonprofit organizations will continue to systematically defeat Democrats they deem as too moderate or conservative.
2010 election is especially critical
Redistricting in 2010 has made the upcoming mid-term elections especially critical to conservatives. Not only will progressives target potentially vulnerable Republican legislators, but moderate and pro-business Democrats will be at risk, as well. If we don’t take substantive action now, conservatives and moderates will be redistricted out of existence in New Mexico.
When our state’s new campaign contribution caps go into effect in 2011, our political landscape will change almost instantly. State-level political parties will become more and more obsolete. Electioneering will be taken out of the hands of individual campaigns and parties — which will be limited in the amount of contributions they can receive — and put instead into the hands of third-party nonprofit groups that are bound by no such limits.
As progressive groups find new and innovative ways to circumvent contribution limits and enact cutting-edge campaign tactics, conservatives are still sadly behind the curve. In his forthcoming book, “The Blueprint: How Democrats Won the West (and Why Republicans Should Care),” Witwer described one contributing factor to the success of progressive organizations in Colorado. According to an excerpt published in this article, “Republicans didn’t just lack a compelling message; they lacked unity. While Democratic donors and organizations set aside their differences and gathered around a table, Republicans were busy tearing one another apart in acrimonious primaries.”
Republicans must unite, form their own nonprofits
The “circular firing squads” that Republicans in New Mexico engage in must come to a stop. There are too many issues on the table, both locally and nationally, for us to be distracted — from curbing out-of-control government spending to combating dangerous legislation like the union “card check” bill currently being shepherded through Congress by organized labor. Instead of thinking of ways in which we can win on these issues or win electoral contests, Republicans continue to bog themselves down in a game of trying to “out-conservative” one another.
In the meantime, with our backs turned, progressive liberals have declared war on critical sectors of our state’s economy — like small business and the oil and gas industry. It’s time for leaders and donors in these industry sectors, as well as everyday New Mexicans, to take a stand. Let’s form our own educational nonprofits, similar to the progressives. Let’s take our free-market messages to individual legislative districts and educate voters about the candidates and incumbents who are working to make a positive difference in our state.
One thing is certain: We simply cannot afford to do nothing. The status quo must come to an end, or conservatives in New Mexico will be forever marginalized into a permanent minority.
Sanchez is a senior partner at PoliWorks, a New Mexico-based Republican consulting firm.