Realtors running TV ads pushing Newman in CD2

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The National Association of Realtors Political Action Committee began running television ads in the Albuquerque and El Paso markets on Tuesday promoting the candidacy of 2nd Congressional District hopeful Monty Newman. The group is spending just under $200,000 to air the 30-second spot on all four networks in the Albuquerque market. I don’t have information on the size of the buy in the El Paso market. The committee hasn’t yet filed notice with the Federal Election Commission of the TV-ad expenditure. The ad calls Newman an experienced and conservative leader who supports lower taxes and limited government. Continue Reading

Housing scandal awaits resolution as probe drags on

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Days after he took office in January 2007, Attorney General Gary King told me, through a spokesman, that an investigation of the scandal that toppled most of the state’s affordable housing system in 2006 would be a top priority. Sixteen months later, some are beginning to wonder. It’s not that nothing has happened. The AG has successfully obtained court orders to boot three tenants from homes owned by the Albuquerque-based Region III Housing Authority because they didn’t qualify for affordable housing. Two were employees of the authority and one was a board member. Continue Reading

Guv trots off to Mexico

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New Mexico’s globetrotting Gov. Bill Richardson is heading to Mexico on Wednesday to discuss a number of issues with leaders there. We can only hope he remembered to tell the lieutenant governor this time around. Richardson went to the Kentucky Derby on Saturday and accepted an award in Philadelphia without telling Lt. Gov. Diane Denish he would be out of state and she would be acting governor. Meanwhile, a fire was destroying dozens of homes near Albuquerque – a situation that required a close watch from those in charge. The governor’s office told the Albuquerque Journal that failing to notify Denish was an “oversight.” But it’s no secret that the relationship between Richardson and Denish hasn’t been rosy in recent months. Continue Reading

ABQ Journal profiles CD2 primary races

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The Albuquerque Journal profiled the Democratic and Republican primaries in the 2nd Congressional District this weekend. You can read the GOP profile by clicking here and the Democratic profile here. You can read the questionnaire the Republican candidates filled out by clicking here. Read the Democratic candidates’ responses to the questionnaire here. The Journal has also profiled the Republican candidates in U.S. Senate race and the Democratic and Republican primaries in the First Congressional District race. Continue Reading

Give to the Red Cross instead of political campaigns

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By Dr. James “Jim” Kadlecek ‘Mothers all want their sons to grow up to be president, but they don’t want them to become politicians in the process.” – John F. Kennedy “I wish you wouldn’t run for office. Politics is such a dirty business.” – My late mother, 1974 In the line at the supermarket checkout counter the other day, I noticed the headlines on several tabloids, the gossip rags that scandalize and distort American free-speech rights. “Hillary Gay Love Scandal,” “Obama Marriage Explodes.” I didn’t see one for McCain, but I suspect it will be forthcoming. Our political candidates, like movie and TV stars, are targets for the scandalizers, the paparazzi, the invaders of privacy who seek to profit from the fame of public persons. One wonders why anyone would seek public office these days and subject themselves not only to intense scrutiny, but also to becoming targets for the low-lifes that engage in these sensationalist tactics. Continue Reading

Tinsley unveils two new TV ads today

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Republican 2nd Congressional District candidate Ed Tinsley is on the air today with two new television ads, and his campaign plans to stay on the air until the June 3 primary. The ads are running in the Albuquerque media market and on cable television in Doña Ana County, the only part of the district not in the Albuquerque market. Tinsley has also been running a commercial on television in Roswell, which you can see by clicking here. The first of Tinsley’s new ads is similar to the Roswell ad, so I’m not going to describe it in detail. The only real difference is the removal of the reference to the oil and gas industry. Continue Reading

Dunn unveils new TV, radio ads on border security

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Republican 2nd Congressional District candidate Aubrey Dunn Jr. is out today with new television and radio ads touting his border-security plan, which includes building a fence along the U.S.-Mexico border. Here’s the 30-second TV ad: The radio ad, which you can hear by clicking here, is similar but more detailed because it’s 60 seconds long. In the TV and radio ads, Dunn talks primarily about his strong belief in the need to build a border fence. He says he will make that his top priority. He also advocates for increased funding for the Border Patrol and continuing to station National Guard troops along the border. Continue Reading

Watch CD1 candidates participate in forums

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The Democratic and Republican candidates for the First Congressional District seat being vacated by Heather Wilson recently participated in forums put on by the TV show New Mexico in Focus. You can read about the Democratic forum from the New Mexico Independent by clicking here. You can watch it here: You can read about the Republican forum by clicking here. You can watch it here: Continue Reading

Spending personal wealth doesn’t equal victory

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Wealthy, self-funded candidates for federal offices rarely win, a recent analysis shows, but the two candidates from New Mexico who have contributed the most to their campaigns this year say they’ll buck that trend. The analysis from the Washington, D.C. publication Congressional Quarterly, which you can read by clicking here, found that, during the 2004 and 2006 election cycles, 54 of 62 candidates for federal office who triggered the so-called Millionaire’s Amendment lost. That amendment is activated in House races when a candidate contributes more than $350,000 to his own campaign, and it triples contribution limits for opponents from $2,300 to $6,900. In New Mexico, two Democratic U.S. House candidates – Harry Teague in the 2nd Congressional District and Don Wiviott in the 3rd Congressional District – have contributed enough to trigger the Millionaire’s Amendment in those House primaries. Wiviott has loaned his campaign $990,000. Continue Reading

President to attend fundraiser for White, state GOP

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President Bush will visit Albuquerque on May 27 to attend a fundraiser for First Congressional District Republican candidate Darren White and the Republican Party of New Mexico’s victory 2008 operation. The visit was confirmed by a source with knowledge of it. The source said invitations will begin arriving in mailboxes on Tuesday. I don’t have a copy of the invitation or details about the time and location. Though there is a First Congressional District Republican primary, the state and national GOP have already endorsed White. Continue Reading

Early voting for June 3 primary begins Tuesday

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Early voting for the June 3 primary begins on Tuesday in Doña Ana County and around the state. That means today is the last day to register to vote in the primary. Early voting in Doña Ana County will take place at the Doña Ana County Government Center, 845 N. Motel Boulevard in Las Cruces, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Early voting at other locations around the county will begin on May 17, and the locations will be announced before that date. Early voting will also be held on Saturday, May 31, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Click here for more information from the Doña Ana County Elections Bureau. For a list of candidates on the ballot in Doña Ana County, click here. Continue Reading

Kissling backs McCamley in CD2 race

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Al Kissling, the 2006 Democratic nominee for the 2nd Congressional District seat in the U.S. House, has endorsed Bill McCamley in this year’s race. Kissling ran again this year, but dropped out of the race after he failed to secure the support of 20 percent of delegates and qualify for the ballot at the party’s March 15 preprimary nominating convention. He endorsed McCamley on Sunday. “Bill and I may not agree on everything, but I have been very impressed with his energy and efforts crisscrossing this extensive district and making contact with the people,” Kissling said in a release from the McCamley campaign. “For me, issues are critical in this campaign because we need someone in Congress who can work to solve problems and not just fill the seat. Continue Reading

Superdelegate Colón backs Obama

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Brian Colón, chairman of the Democratic Party of New Mexico and a superdelegate, endorsed Barack Obama in the presidential primary on Saturday. “Barack Obama has proven to inspire a movement that has brought a record number of people into the process,” Colón said in a news release. “He’s proven to be a candidate who can compete and will fight hard to expand the Democratic Party’s reach and put Western states in play in the general election. His message of change is resonating across all ages, races and economic backgrounds in New Mexico.” He also said Obama has run a positive campaign. “As I talk to Democrats all over New Mexico, they are increasingly concerned with the negative tone that the campaign has taken,” the chairman said. Continue Reading

Sowards wins this site’s non-scientific poll

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Greg Sowards emerged at the front of the pack in this site’s non-scientific poll last week about who would win the Second Congressional District Republican primary. Of 593 voters, 211, or 36 percent, said Sowards would win. Meanwhile, 139, or 23 percent, picked Aubrey Dunn Jr.; 136, or 23 percent, picked C. Earl Greer; 85, or 14 percent, picked Ed Tinsley; and 22, or 4 percent, picked Monty Newman. Don’t forget to vote in this week’s poll, located at the top of the right column on this page. Continue Reading

Domenici and Bingaman are at center of oil debate

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U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici is leading a Republican charge to try to increase domestic oil production and reduce gas prices, but his fellow senator from New Mexico, Democrat Jeff Bingaman, has other ideas about how to deal with rising gas prices. Domenici, the ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, announced on Thursday that he was introducing legislation to dramatically increase domestic oil production with more offshore drilling and by opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling. The proposal to drill in Alaska may be enough to kill this proposal in an election year and with a Senate and House controlled by Democrats. Domenici’s proposal isn’t a bipartisan effort: It’s cosponsored by 19 other Republican senators. “For years now, I have been trying to develop more domestic production of oil and gas, and for years, with one exception in the Gulf of Mexico, I have been blocked for political reasons,” Domenici said in a news release. Continue Reading