Pete Domenici Jr.
Republican gubernatorial candidate also says opponent Allen Weh can’t win in November
Republican gubernatorial candidate Pete Domenici Jr. says it was “intellectually dishonest” of opponent Allen Weh to distort a comment he made on the radio by leaving out its context.
“For him to have ripped out of context an innocent sentence was a half truth and reflects the same type of dishonesty we are trying to rid Santa Fe of,” Domenici said in an interview. “This was, in my opinion, clearly a deliberate distortion of the context.”
Earlier in the week, Domenici gave an interview to 770 KKOB-AM talk show host Jim Villanucci. Weh followed up with a news release highlighting a statement Domenici made during the interview – and providing an audio clip of it.
Here’s the transcript of what Weh provided:
Villanucci: Are you the best person to win the general?
Domenici: The general is going to be an extremely difficult election. The perception out there that somehow any of the five candidates can and should win the general, I disagree with strongly.
Villanucci: Who can’t win?
Domenici: I don’t know if I want to say particular names of who can’t win.
Villanucci: You obviously have a feeling on that. You said that not all of you can win, so somebody can’t, and you think you can. So, who can’t?
Domenici: Actually, I would even include myself in the group that can’t.
The problem is that Weh left out a significant part of the last statement from Domenici. The full statement was, “Actually, I would even include myself in the group that can’t. I don’t think this is a sure thing by any stretch of the imagination. It is going to be extremely tough. So I, that’s why I don’t want to go in the negative. I’m saying I can win and I’m concerned with the perception I’m hearing that says any of these five can win. I don’t agree with that.”
Domenici said in today’s interview that what he was trying to say on the radio was that “it’s possible that all of us could lose” in November to Diane Denish, the Democratic candidate for governor.
“However, I don’t think it’s possible everyone can win,” Domenici said.
In a news release that went out shortly after the interview, Domenici made clear who he doesn’t think can win.
“Mr. Weh cannot win. He has alienated too many Republicans and voters across the board,” Domenici said.
Update, 10 p.m.
Weh spokesman Christopher Sanchez released this statement:
“Mr. Domenici should take responsibility for the words he says. It’s unfortunate that he has decided to campaign with negative, personal attacks on the other governor candidates that make absolutely no sense, and only serve to divide the Republican Party. ”