Lawrence Rael (Photo by Heath Haussamen)
A number of Gov. Bill Richardson’s top cabinet secretaries are joining Lt. Gov. candidate Lawrence Rael for a campaign fundraiser on May 11, the Albuquerque Journal is reporting.
Katherine Miller, Joe Williams, John Garcia, Jon Goldstein, Rick Homans, Ron Curry and Ken Ortiz are those attending. That shouldn’t be interpreted as Richardson supporting Rael, a spokesman told the Journal, but he said the governor “has a high regard for Lawrence Rael.”
The secretaries’ involvement in the fundraiser is interesting because one of Rael’s opponents, Brian Colón, is the candidate in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor who is most commonly associated with Richardson. Colón chaired the state Democratic Party during much of Richardson’s tenure and was involved in a nonprofit foundation Richardson started.
As Republicans aim to tie the Democrats’ candidate for governor, Diane Denish, to Richardson and his scandal-plagued tenure, some have said making Colón her running mate might hurt Denish’s chances. Does the fact that so many Richardson cabinet secretaries are helping Rael raise money mean Republicans can now tie Rael to Richardson?