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U.S. Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M., is seriously considering running for the Senate seat that will be vacated by Pete Domenici next year. “Congressman Udall is seriously considering it and, as always, will make a decision based on how best he can serve New Mexico,” spokeswoman Marissa Padilla said. Read my analysis of Udall’s situation by clicking here. Continue Reading
Sensing an opportunity, Democrats unleashed a barrage of harsh criticism on Wednesday against President Bush and those, including U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., who supported his veto of a bill that would have expanded children’s health insurance. “Steve Pearce doesn’t get it. As a member of Congress, he can get the best health insurance money can buy, paid for by our tax dollars,” Bill McCamley, who is running against Pearce next year, said in a news release. “But apparently he doesn’t think 11,000 New Mexico kids deserve any. This is what’s wrong with Washington, and this is what I will fight to change when I get there.” The criticism is driven by more than politics. Continue Reading
U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson will run for the Senate seat being vacated by Pete Domenici next year, The Hill is reporting. Assuming the report is accurate, Wilson is the first candidate the public has learned will run, other than the three lesser-known Democrats who jumped into the race long before news of Domenici’s coming retirement broke on Wednesday. A number of Democrats and Republicans from around the state are considering getting into the race. The Hill cited “a source familiar with Wilson’s decision” in its report. Wilson’s spokesman told me he had no comment. Continue Reading
Jim Hannan, one of three Democrats who had already entered the 2008 U.S. Senate race before news broke Thursday of Pete Domenici’s coming retirement, may be having second thoughts about running. “I welcome the news that Senator Domenici has decided to retire,” Hannan wrote in an e-mail to me. “I truly believe that it is time for new vision, new leadership in that position. It is my fervent wish that a Democrat like Tom Udall decides to run for the United States Senate.” Hannan, of Santa Fe, provided no further comment to me on whether he would drop out of the race if Udall were to enter it, but had this to say to the Albuquerque Tribune: “Obviously, if it’s Tom Udall or somebody with great credentials coming into the race, I would immediately withdraw,” he said. “I’d love to see Tom or someone like that jump in.” Hannan once worked for the late U.S. Rep. Mo Udall, D-Ariz. Continue Reading
U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici is being forced to retire because he is suffering from a degenerative brain disease that can lead to dementia, the Associated Press is reporting. The condition, frontotemporal lobar degeneration, can cause a number of syndromes including frontotemporal dementia, the disease that forced former Doña Ana County Sheriff Juan Hernandez to resign in 2004. Domenici’s condition could eventually affect parts of the brain important for organization, decision-making and mood and behavior control. “The progress of this disease is apparently erratic and unpredictable. It may well be that, seven years from now, it will be stable,” the 75-year-old Domenici intends to say, according to a draft of remarks prepared for delivery and obtained by the Associated Press. Continue Reading
News of U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici’s retirement after 36 years sets off a domino effect that begins with the highest offices in the state and filters down to local races in a number of communities. The Bill Richardson issue aside, the immediate question is whether the other giants – U.S. Reps. Heather Wilson and Steve Pearce on the GOP side and U.S. Rep. Tom Udall, Lt. Gov. Diane Denish and Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chávez on the Democratic side – plan to seek the open Senate seat. All four will consider it. If Wilson and Pearce, who both want the Senate seat, jump into the race, two heavily contested House seats are suddenly open. Continue Reading
By Whitney Cheshire ABQ voters just said “no” to a mayoral takeover. Now, can we get some of these anti-Winter, cranky pundits a cup of coffee, please? I had to laugh today when my traditional post-election Wednesday morning sleep-in was irritatingly interrupted by my pest-control guy… at dawn. After years of working campaigns, I expect the world to stop for “The Morning After,” and I get a little cranky when somebody reminds me that it hasn’t. Anyway, when the doorbell rang this morning I threw my hair in a ponytail and let in my long-time critter-killer while reminding myself to be pleasant. Continue Reading
Patricia Madrid, a former state attorney general, said tonight she is considering whether to run for the open seat in the U.S. Senate following news that the GOP’s Pete Domenici is retiring next year. “I’m getting calls from all over the state,” the prominent Democrat said. “It’s very complex. I am, of course, talking to my husband of 35 years.” In addition, Madrid is considering the fact that she is working for a “lucrative” law firm and her job is “certainly more enjoyable than getting beaten up on television for a year.” Still, Madrid said the Democrats will need a strong candidate with statewide name recognition who can raise millions of dollars. “There are very few of us in the state, and I’ve done it,” she said. Continue Reading
New Mexico Democrats are releasing primarily cordial statements in response to the news that U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici is retiring, and Gov. Bill Richardson and Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chávez are no exception. “For more than three decades, Senator Domenici has been a respected and powerful champion for New Mexico’s interests in the U.S. Senate,” Richardson said in a news release. “As Senator Domenici nears the end of a remarkable career, his departure will close a important chapter in our state’s history and leave a legacy of dedicated public service.“ In a news release, Chávez agreed. “Senator Pete V. Domenici will leave office with a tremendous legacy of public service to our state,” he said. “We join with other New Mexicans in thanking the senator for his leadership and vision for New Mexico. Continue Reading
U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., who will likely consider running for the Senate seat being vacated by Pete Domenici, released a statement this evening calling the senator “a mentor and an inspiration.” Wilson gave no indication of whether she’ll run for the seat being vacated by Domenici, but it’s no secret that she has been the senator’s protégé for years. “I understand Senator Pete Domenici will make an important announcement tomorrow,” Wilson said in a statement released by her office. “Whatever his announcement, New Mexicans can be grateful for all our senator has done for our state and nation. He drove the Balanced Budget Act that led the country to balance the budget for the first time in thirty years in 1998, 1999 and 2000 – paying off $450 billion in publicly held debt. He was the engine behind the 2005 Energy Bill that is already helping America to be more energy independent. Continue Reading
U.S. Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M., who will likely consider running for the Senate seat being vacated by GOP giant Pete Domenici next year, called the outgoing senator a “statesman and skilled negotiator.” “Throughout his distinguished career in public service, Senator Pete V. Domenici has worked hard for all New Mexicans. He will leave the United States Senate as New Mexico’s longest serving member, earning a reputation as a statesman and skilled negotiator,” Udall said in a statement released through a spokeswoman. “Although we have not always seen eye-to-eye on every issue, we have worked together in the best interest of the state, and I look forward to working with him for the remainder of this Congress.” “I think I speak for all New Mexicans in thanking him for his leadership and service,” Udall said. “Jill and I join all of New Mexico in wishing him, his wife Nancy and their entire family all the best in the future. We’re all grateful for his half-century of public service to New Mexico.” A spokeswoman for U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman said a statement is in the works. Continue Reading
Don Wiviott, one of three Democrats who had jumped into the race against U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici before news of his retirement broke today, said he remains committed to the race. Though he wouldn’t release his third-quarter fundraising numbers, Wiviott said his campaign has a budget of $2.1 million for a primary race – and he’ll make up the difference if he doesn’t raise the entire amount. His third-quarter report must be filed publicly by Oct. 15. Wiviott, a Santa Fe developer, already committed $400,000 of his own money to the race and, during the last three months, raised about $60,000 through the Democratic fundraising Web site ActBlue, which discloses such totals publicly. Continue Reading
U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., will announce his retirement on Thursday at the grammar school he attended decades ago in Albuquerque. A reliable source confirmed for me moments ago that the senator will make the announcement at St. Mary’s Catholic School in Albuquerque at 4 p.m. The source said Domenici’s decision has nothing to do with the ethics investigation related to the U.S. attorney scandal or his falling poll numbers, and said the senator will specifically address the reason for his decision at Thursday’s news conference. Continue Reading
U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici, New Mexico’s senior senator, is expected to announce on Thursday that he is retiring next year, the Washington Post is reporting. Domenici’s office would not confirm the report. “At this point, we have no comment,” spokeswoman Courtney Sanders said. More later, but this obviously would set off a huge domino effect in New Mexico politics if it’s true. Now you have the immediate news. Continue Reading
I could have written something critiquing the performances of both candidates for Las Cruces mayor at Tuesday night’s candidate forum, but I figured it might be better if you did it. The following videos, each less than seven minutes long, include most of what both said. Give your feedback by submitting comments at the end of this article, but remember to adhere to this site’s comments policy. The forum was sponsored by the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce. Bill Mattiace, incumbentKen Miyagishima, challenger Continue Reading