Differences are obvious in District 37 House race

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Like the District 53 House race, the contest to replace District 37 Rep. Ed Boykin, R-Las Cruces, is a hot one. A poll by the Democrats has their candidate, Jeff Steinborn, ahead by several points, party sources told me, but I have been unable to get the actual numbers. Republican Scott Witt isn’t doing polling, and is instead spending his money getting out his message. In 2004, Steinborn received 48.7 percent of the vote against Boykin, despite jumping into the race late when another Democrat dropped out. Democrats are optimistic that they can take this seat from the Republicans. Continue Reading

King responds to negative Bibb ad

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Republican attorney general candidate Jim Bibb, facing huge deficits in the polls, has unleashed the first negative ad of the campaign. The television spot criticizes Democratic candidate Gary King’s voting record, saying he missed important votes on child pornography and child sex predators. The ad accuses King of missing almost 1,300 votes as a legislator. Bibb’s campaign claims the tally doesn’t include votes from the 1990 and 1994 legislative sessions. In all, King spent 12 years in the legislature. Continue Reading

Jones, Greer raising lots of campaign cash

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Campaign finance reports in the races for the two Public Regulation Commission Districts whose boundaries include parts of Doña Ana County reveal a lot of activity in one race and less in the other. In the District 5 race, Democrat Sandy Jones and Republican Earl Greer are raising a lot of money. Jones, who knocked off incumbent E. Shirley Baca in the primary, started the last reporting period with $10,527, according to his report filed Monday. He raised $25,691 and spent $30,866, leaving him with $5,352 in the bank. Jones also had $5,900 in loans and in-kind contributions totaling $1,857. Continue Reading

Democrats set sights on Marquardt’s House seat

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Democrats believe they have a chance oust one of the Republican House leaders on Nov. 7. Some Republicans I spoke with also believe it’s possible. That’s why the House District 53 race between Republican incumbent Terry Marquardt and Democratic challenger Nate Cote has become one of the hottest in the state. Sources tell me a recent poll done by the Democrats has Marquardt, the House minority whip, ahead 46-42 percent, with 12 percent undecided. Continue Reading

Land commissioner debate Friday in Las Cruces

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The state commissioner of public lands and his opponent will debate Friday evening in Las Cruces. The debate between Republican incumbent Pat Lyons and Democratic challenger Jim Baca is hosted by Southwest Consolidated Sportsmen and is part of the group’s 19th annual banquet. The banquet begins with a social at 6 p.m., and continues with dinner at 7 p.m. The debate is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. and last a little less than an hour. The event is being held at the Best Western Mesilla Valley Inn, 901 Avenida de Mesilla. Tickets are $20 per person. Continue Reading

Richardson, Lujan help Cote raise cash, but Marquardt has hefty bank account, spends more

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Campaign finance reports submitted Monday in most of the local races are not yet on the secretary of state’s Web site, but I can get started by reporting on those that are already posted. In the House District 53 race: Republican incumbent Terry Marquardt began the reporting period with $28,542 in the bank. He raised $12,890 and spent $25,248, leaving him with $16,184 in the bank. The majority of contributions to Marquardt came from various political action committees and corporations, including $750 each from a PNM PAC and a smokeless tobacco company. His campaign donated more than $8,000 to other Republican candidates, including several state representative candidates. Continue Reading

Check out the League of Women Voters guide

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The League of Women Voters has come out with its statewide guide to the Nov. 7 general election. You can view it online by clicking here. The guide includes a list of important election dates and a guide to frequently asked questions. It also includes responses to questions from candidates for statewide offices and federal congressional offices, and information on proposed constitutional amendments and bond issues. Continue Reading

Four proposed constitutional amendments appearing on general election ballot

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Four proposed amendments to the New Mexico Constitution are on this year’s general election ballot. They are: • Constitutional Amendment 1: Repeal constitutional provision prohibiting ownership of land by persons not eligible for citizenship. • Constitutional Amendment 2: Exempt financial obligations incurred under certain lease-purchase agreements from the cap on indebtedness for the state and for school districts. • Constitutional Amendment 3: Create the water trust fund to support projects that will preserve and protect the state’s water supply. • Constitutional Amendment 4: Permit state funds to be used for paying for the cost of land acquisition and the cost of construction or renovation of affordable housing. Continue Reading

Who needs to debate when you have money?

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Gov. Bill Richardson’s campaign has spent $4.9 million since July, but what’s even more shocking is that he has at least $3 million to spend in the final four weeks of this election season. The next round of campaign reports were due Monday. You can find them on the secretary of state’s Web site by clicking here. Richardson reported raising just over $3 million since July and has now raised $11.6 million for this campaign. He spent about $8 million on his 2002 campaign. Continue Reading

Dendahl on multiculturalism and immigration

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Gov. Bill Richardson has still not agreed to debate Republican challenger John Dendahl, so here’s a column Dendahl wrote about multiculturalism and immigration, taken directly from his Web site. It was published in the Albuquerque Journal on April 7 of this year. Put All Citizens on Same FootingBy John Dendahl “‘Multiculturalism’ has a nice ring, no? I argue here to the contrary, that this term has been hijacked to cover an un-American trend boding nothing but ill. “Immigration talk is all the rage these days in the U.S. Senate. Continue Reading

BREAKING NEWS: High court rejects GOP lawsuit

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Justices of the New Mexico Supreme Court have unanimously denied the Republican Party’s challenge to several recent election decisions made by the secretary of state’s office. The high court announced its decision shortly after 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. “The ballot remains as it is,” said Sam Thompson, spokeswoman for Attorney General Patricia Madrid. The Republican Party filed the lawsuit Sept. 27 against Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron and Madrid, whose office advises Vigil-Giron. Continue Reading

Though early voting has begun, handicapped voters can’t vote

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Doña Ana County is currently unable to supply visually and other disabled voters casting early votes with a special ballot marking machine because a key component for the machine – the programming disc – has not been received from the vendor hired by the state to produce it. The problem is affecting all 33 counties in New Mexico, according to a news release from Doña Ana County. Under the state’s newly implemented voter system, all counties are required to use these machines, known as “Automarks,” to assist the disabled voter in marking his or her ballot. Visually disabled voters, among others, can use the Automark, which reads the ballot aloud and marks the appropriate spot on the paper ballot inside the machine. The ballot is then inserted into another machine which reads the ballot and tallies the vote. Continue Reading