State Rep. Antonio "Moe" Maestas, D-Albuquerque (Photo by Heath Haussamen)
State Rep. Antonio “Moe” Maestas, D-Albuquerque, has decided he will seek re-election rather than running for the U.S. House seat being vacated by Martin Heinrich.
“The fact that there is an outstanding candidate in the race, Sen. Eric Griego, and other great Democrats preparing to announce their candidacies made this decision easier for me,” Maestas said in a news release.
“I commit to work hard for the Democratic nominee, whoever it is, and I am confident that this congressional seat will be won by a Democrat,” he said.
He didn’t name the “other great Democrats” who are preparing to announce their candidacies. Former Lt. Gov. Diane Denish and former Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chávez are considering entering the race. So is Terry Brunner, U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman’s former state director who now heads USDA Rural Development in New Mexico.
Griego is, thus far, the only declared Democratic candidate.
On the Republican side, Albuquerque City Councilor Dan Lewis has entered the race, and former gubernatorial candidate and state Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones of Albuquerque has formed an exploratory committee.