Doug Turner (Photo by Heath Haussamen)
Republican Doug Turner, who confirmed awhile back that he is running for governor, will formally announce his candidacy today with a six-city tour that begins in Las Cruces.
Turner will be at the Doña Ana County Republican Party Headquarters, 121 Wyatt Drive, Suites 15 and 16, at 7:30 a.m. to “discuss his plans for the campaign,” according to a news release.
The release said Turner began contacting people last week to ask them to join him at today’s event in Las Cruces. Turner also plans stops today in Roswell, Clovis, Farmington, Taos and Albuquerque.
Turner, owner of the public relations firm DW Turner, first confirmed in June that he was considering running for governor. He calls himself a moderate Republican, and has a history of political involvement. He was state director for former Gov. Gary Johnson’s first campaign in 1994 and manager of his re-election campaign in 1998. Turner was also deputy political director for Steve Forbes’ unsuccessful 2000 presidential campaign.
Turner jumpstarted his campaign by loaning it $243,500, according to the finance report he filed earlier this month.
The other declared Republican gubernatorial candidates are state Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones of Albuquerque, Doña Ana County District Attorney Susana Martinez and former state GOP Chairman Allen Weh.