U.S. Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M., will announce Friday morning whether he will run for Senate next year, his spokesman confirmed.
If he enters the race, Udall would be the first top-tier Democrat to do so, and the move would likely be aimed at deterring others from getting in. At the end of June, Udall already had more than $700,000 on hand for a 2008 House run, money that can easily be transferred to a Senate race.
On the other hand, Udall recently secured a coveted seat on the House Appropriations Committee, and he might be hesitant to give that up for what could be a hotly contested primary that might end his political career.
High-ranking Democrats, including Sen. Charles Schumer of New York, have been encouraging Udall for months to consider the Senate race, but they’ve been pushing harder to get Gov. Bill Richardson to abandon his presidential campaign and enter the Senate race.
The floodgates will open if Udall enters the Senate race and leaves an open House seat up for grabs. Democrats who would strongly consider the race include state Rep. Peter Wirth, Public Regulation Commissioner Ben R. Lujan, New Mexico Highlands Regent Javier Gonzales, former Richardson Administration lawyer Geno Zamora and Judicial Standards Commission Director Jim Noel.
A Noel candidacy would be interesting because he’s married to Amada Cooper, Udall’s daughter and