Ali MacGraw to attend fundraiser for Sen. Garcia

State Sen. Mary Jane Garcia, facing a credible challenge in the June primary, is getting a little help from a well-known actress – Ali MacGraw, star of the 1970-film Love Story.

MacGraw, who lives in Santa Fe, will be in Las Cruces on Sunday for a fundraiser for the re-election campaign of the Democratic senator from Doña Ana. The two worked together for years to try to secure passage of legislation making cockfighting illegal in New Mexico, and successfully accomplished that goal earlier this year.

Both were present in March when Gov. Bill Richardson signed the Garcia-sponsored bill outlawing cockfighting.

The fundraiser, according to the invitation, will be held at the home of Democratic National Committee member Mary Gail Gwaltney. A contribution of $50 is required to attend.

MacGraw’s appearance is an indication of how loyal the animal-rights community is to Garcia, and is a sign that cockfighting may become a central issue in the campaign. An e-mail promoting the fundraiser is circulating among animal-rights activists and others in the county.

Garcia’s challenger, Doña Ana County Commissioner Oscar Vásquez Butler, opposes a statewide cockfighting ban, saying the decision should be left to local governments. And though both candidates say they plan to keep the race civil, cockfighting supporters could come to Butler’s aid in the same way animal-rights activists are rallying behind Garcia. If that happens, the groups backing both candidates aren’t likely to keep the race clean.

This should be one of the most interesting legislative races in the state next year. Sue Patterson, a member of the local Animal Advocacy Coalition, wrote in an e-mail urging others to attend Garcia’s fundraiser that the senator is facing “a very popular opponent,” and she’s right: Butler’s support is widespread in the county’s rural areas.

Senate District 36 includes some neighborhoods on Las Cruces’ north end, but also includes all rural communities from Las Cruces to the Sierra County border along Interstate 25.