Commissioners ask guv to seek election-law changes

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Doña Ana County commissioners are asking Gov. Bill Richardson to push for a change in the state’s voter identification law during the 2008 legislative session because they say the current law will create new problems and disenfranchise voters. In the last general election, voters could provide an identification card such as a driver’s license to vote, or they could verbally provide information that included a “unique identifier” – the last four digits of their Social Security numbers. However, during this year’s legislative session, that changed. Under the new law, approved by lawmakers and the governor this year, instead of using the last four digits of a Social Security number as a unique identifier, voters will instead be assigned a randomly generated, eight-digit combination of numbers, letters and other characters. The new law also outlaws the use of dates of birth and Social Security numbers for voting, though they can still be used for voter registration. Continue Reading

Valdes-Rodriguez decides against congressional run

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A nationally known fiction writer who was testing the waters for a run at the First Congressional District seat being vacated by Heather Wilson has decided against running and is instead endorsing the candidacy of Martin Heinrich. Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez, author of the New York Times bestseller Dirty Girls Social Club and other books, wrote on her blog on Saturday that she has decided against running. “There are a few reasons, but the main one is that I have decided to homeschool my six-year-old son,” she wrote. “That said, I want to publicly put my support behind Martin Heinrich in the race. He would do an outstanding job, and he’d look good doing it.” “I have not ruled out someday running for public office,” Valdes-Rodriguez wrote. Continue Reading

Educator wants to represent Rio Rancho in House

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Educator Paula Papponi, a Republican, announced yesterday her candidacy for the District 60 seat in the state House of Representatives currently held by Tom Swisstack. Swisstack, a Democrat, is running in the March 4 special election to become Rio Rancho’s next mayor. According to The SCORE, if he’s successful – he’s currently considered the frontrunner in a three-person race – he’ll have to resign from his legislative seat. Papponi is associate director of a program that oversees three organizations responsible for accrediting high schools and colleges. She has served as superintendent for the Jemez Valley and Carrizozo public schools and is a former principal of Ruidoso Middle School and assistant principal of Los Alamitos Middle School in Grants. Continue Reading

A litany of wrongheaded public decisions

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By Dr. James “Jim” Kadlecek “You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.” – old-fashioned proverb This saying means you cannot make a good, quality product using poor materials. To make chairs that’ll last, you need good, strong pieces of wood. You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. The same logic applies to public policies. If a concept is, at its core, wrongheaded, it doesn’t much matter what politicians try to do to amend it, disguise it, rationalize it or explain it. Continue Reading

Richardson again falls in polls; Biden climbs

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After a brief surge in Iowa, New Hampshire and national polls in recent weeks, Gov. Bill Richardson’s support is again headed in the opposite direction; meanwhile, support for Joe Biden is increasing. Since Tuesday, Richardson’s Real Clear Politics average of recent national polls has fallen from 4.1 percent to 3.6 percent. Meanwhile, Biden’s average has risen from 2.8 percent to 3.4 percent. The governor’s average of recent polls in Iowa has fallen from 9.8 percent to 7.4 percent since Tuesday, and his average of recent polls in New Hampshire has fallen from 10.3 percent to 8 percent. Meanwhile, Biden has climbed in Iowa to 5.3 percent and in New Hampshire to 3 percent. Continue Reading

Solano to run for lieutenant governor, not Congress

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Santa Fe County Sheriff Greg Solano announced today that he won’t run for the Third Congressional District seat being vacated by Tom Udall, opting instead to continue his 2010 campaign for lieutenant governor. “My family, supporters and I have weighed the issues and the races of lieutenant governor and the House seat, and have decided the place where I can best serve the citizens of New Mexico is in the lieutenant governor’s race,” Solano said in a news release. “It was very humbling to be asked by citizens and my peers to consider the (House) run and I am very thankful for the support.” Solano said he is confident a Democrat will win the House seat, and he urged New Mexicans to “make real changes in Washington by electing Democrats for president and into all of the congressional races. We must turn away from those who have supported President Bush’s failed policies and wars.” Democrats who have entered the House race are Santa Fe County Commissioner Harry B. Montoya, state Indian Affairs Secretary Benny Shendo Jr. and Santa Fe green builder Don Wiviott. Attorney Marco E. Gonzales is the only Republican who has entered the race. Continue Reading

Steinborn to seek re-election, not Pearce’s seat

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State Rep. Jeff Steinborn, D-Las Cruces, announced today that he won’t run for the Second Congressional District seat being vacated by Steve Pearce, but will seek re-election next year. Doña Ana County Commissioner Kent Evans, a Republican, is the only other candidate who has entered the race for the New Mexico House District 37 seat. “There are many challenges before us in state government and our local community that need addressing,” Steinborn said in a news release. “Since being elected to the state House, I have played a leadership role in working to meet our state’s health-care needs, instituting important ethics and lobbying reform and bringing a critically needed focus to our border region. I would like to continue this work.” Steinborn’s news release included a quote from Gov. Bill Richardson praising the representative. Continue Reading

Dunn, Tinsley, won’t attend GOP candidate forum

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Prior commitments will keep rancher Aubrey Dunn and restaurant-chain owner and rancher Ed Tinsley from attending the forum being held Tuesday in Alamogordo for announced GOP candidates and potential candidates for the Second Congressional District seat being vacated by Steve Pearce. Otero County Republican Party Chair Sassy Tinling confirmed today that the two won’t participate. She said last week that Tinsley would attend but Dunn had not yet responded to an invitation. That leaves Bob Cornelius, former Bernalillo County GOP executive director, as the only announced candidate who will participate in the forum. Also participating will be Sierra County GOP chair C. Earl Greer and former state Rep. Terry Marquardt, who are both considering running but have not announced decisions. Continue Reading

Robert O. Anderson’s influence lives on

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By Joel M. Carson On Dec. 2, New Mexico and the nation lost a legend, Robert O. Anderson. Although many knew Mr. Anderson as a captain of industry and a legend in the oil and gas business, his role as an active and effective participant in American politics is less known. Mr. Anderson established roots in Southern New Mexico in 1941, when he acquired a minority interest in a small refinery in Artesia. From that date until his death, Mr. Anderson made New Mexico his home. Continue Reading

Montoya to kick off campaign for Udall’s House seat

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Santa Fe County Commissioner Harry B. Montoya will officially announce on Wednesday his candidacy for the Third Congressional District seat being vacated by Tom Udall. “As a nation we face great challenges here at home and globally on the world stage. I know that we can overcome these challenges by working together,” Montoya said in a news release. “As Americans we have proven that when we stand together there is nothing we cannot accomplish. I ask you to stand with me as I announce that I am running for Congress.” The announcement will be made at the Pueblo of Pojoaque Boys and Girls Club, 101 Lighting Loop Road in Santa Fe, at 4 p.m. Montoya was first elected county commissioner in 2002. Continue Reading

Udall ‘honored’ by Chávez’s support for Senate bid

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U.S. Rep. Tom Udall released a short statement this weekend saying he is honored to have the support of Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chávez and looks forward to working with him. Chávez dropped out of the U.S. Senate race on Friday, leaving Udall and alternative media publisher and editor Leland Lehrman as the only Democrats vying for the right to take on Steve Pearce or Heather Wilson in November. Chávez endorsed Udall and called on others to support his bid. “I am honored by Mayor Martin Chávez’s support and very much appreciate his decision to unite and move forward together to ensure New Mexico sends a Democrat to the United States Senate next November,” Udall said. “I know I speak for all Democrats in thanking him for his commitment to ending the ill-conceived war in Iraq, expanding access to health care, improving our schools and turning around our struggling economy. Continue Reading

Non-scientific poll finds mixed opinion on new leaders

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Opinion of the new Las Cruces mayor and city councilors is mixed, if last week’s non-scientific poll on this site is any indication. Of 150 voters, 62, or 41 percent, said the new officials will make things better in Las Cruces, while 51, or 34 percent, said they’ll make things worse, and 37, or 25 percent, said their recent election will have no effect. Don’t forget to vote in this week’s poll, located at the top of the right column on this page. Continue Reading

Chávez’s future uncertain as he lines up behind Udall

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Excitement and a sense of inevitability characterized the crowd that showed up to hear Tom Udall announce his U.S. Senate run in Las Cruces last week. The excitement came from Udall supporters and other Democrats who sensed a real opportunity to pick up a Senate seat held by a Republican for more than three decades. The sense of inevitability came from the few supporters of Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chávez who attended the event to gauge reaction. Doña Ana County was, after all, a place where Chávez expected to do quite well. But Udall’s announcement tour boldly hit Hispanic Democratic strongholds throughout the state, and many Democrats in Las Cruces began to see the writing on the wall when at least 50 people showed up to hear Udall. Continue Reading

Chávez announces withdrawal from Senate race

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Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chávez is confirming on his Web site that he’s dropping out of the U.S. Senate race. Here’s his entire message: Thank you for your support Today I am announcing that I will not seek the seat for U.S. Senate.Traveling my home state over the past several weeks, I have been honored to spend time with my fellow New Mexicans to talk about the issues and challenges facing our state.While I deeply appreciate all the support I have received, it has become very clear to me that Democrats should not be divided in the upcoming election. It is crucial to the future of New Mexico and this country that a Democrat become the next U.S. Senator. A hotly contested primary, as this one certainly could be, would likely dramatically weaken the Democratic nominee and place the general election in jeopardy.It is far more critical to end the war in Iraq, reform our broken healthcare system, and provide educational opportunities to our youth to empower them to participate in a worldwide economy.The war in Iraq was a mistake from the very beginning — one of the greatest foreign policy blunders our country has ever seen. Our brave men and women in uniform have served honorably. Continue Reading

Report: Chávez plans to drop out of Senate race

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The influential liberal Web site Daily Kos is reporting that Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chávez called U.S. Rep. Tom Udall today to say he’s dropping out of the Senate race. I’ve been unable to immediately confirm the report, though I spoke with several high-ranking Democratic sources who believe it to be true. Spokespersons for Chávez and Udall could not immediately be reached for comment. Daily Kos reported that Chávez will drop out tonight, and an announcement is expected at 6 p.m. New Mexico time. Independent and internal polls have repeatedly shown Udall as much stronger than Chávez against both Republicans seeking their party’s nomination for Senate, U.S. Reps. Continue Reading