Poll: It’s a ‘photo finish’ in GOP U.S. Senate primary

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A new poll of the Republican U.S. Senate primary finds a statistical tie between Steve Pearce and Heather Wilson as voters head to the polls today. The SurveyUSA poll, conducted Friday through Sunday, has Pearce at 48 percent and Wilson at 47 percent. It surveyed 498 likely and actual Republican voters and has a margin of error of 4.5 percent. The bottom line: The race will come down to turnout. “Regional turnout will decide the contest,” the SurveyUSA polling memo states. Continue Reading

NMSU regents need formal policy on public comments

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The members of the New Mexico State University Board of Regents have undoubtedly taken some positive steps toward increasing transparency and openness since Common Cause complained last year about the school’s archaic policies. At the time of that complaint in October 2007, the regents allowed public input only after a request was submitted, along with all documentation that would be presented, two weeks before a meeting, and then only if the regents president, after conferring with other members, OK’d it. That policy flew in the face of openness, transparency and accountability. But the fact that the regents allowed Common Cause to stand before them and say that was a huge step in the right direction, and I wrote afterward that it was reason to hope. The regents later decided to begin asking at meetings whether anyone wanted to speak. Continue Reading

Wilson gets backing of two additional newspapers

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The Farmington Daily Times and Taos News this weekend endorsed Heather Wilson in the Republican U.S. Senate primary. In announcing its support for Wilson, the Daily Times wrote that she is “extremely well educated and she (like primary opponent Steve Pearce) brings conservative values to the table.” “Wilson is sharp in finding answers to complex issues,” the newspaper’s editorial states. “And, perhaps most of all in examining the differences between she and Pearce, Wilson seems most apt at listening to others before clearly passing judgment and making her stand.” In its endorsement editorial, the Taos newspaper stated that Wilson’s education is impressive, and her experience and “measured approach to reducing the nation’s dependence on foreign oil make her the right choice on the Republican side.” Continue Reading

McCamley announces more endorsements

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Democratic 2nd Congressional District candidate Bill McCamley has announced the endorsements of another newspaper and another union. The Ruidoso News endorsed McCamley on Thursday. McCamley also picked up the backing of the Steelworkers Local 9424 union in Las Cruces. The union’s president, David Carrillo, announced that the union had endorsed McCamley in a letter published in the Las Cruces Sun-News on Sunday. The union represents 330 city blue-collar employees in Las Cruces, according to the letter that endorsed a number of local candidates. Continue Reading

Retired WSMR general endorses Tinsley

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Retired Brigadier General Jerry Laws formally announced on Sunday that he is endorsing Ed Tinsley in New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District Republican primary. “Ed Tinsley is his own man, and he carries a no-nonsense approach to the important issues facing New Mexico,” Laws said in a news release from the Tinsley campaign. “After knowing Ed for five years, I can attest to his strong understanding of the national security issues facing our district – from standing firm for our nation’s sovereignty in opposition to illegal immigration to providing our men and woman in uniform with the resources they need to keep our country safe and secure.” “Ed will be a strong advocate in Congress for the thousands of military personnel who defend our nation at Holloman Air Force Base and White Sands Missile Range and call southern New Mexico home,” he said. Tinsley said he is “truly honored” to have the endorsement of Laws, “an American patriot.” “I am proud to call Jerry a friend and look forward to his counsel during the general-election campaign,” Tinsley said. Continue Reading

‘A race that’s over:’ White has huge lead

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As expected, 1st Congressional District Republican candidate Darren White was far ahead of his only primary opponent in a poll released this weekend by the Albuquerque Journal. White had the support of 72 percent of likely Republican voters in the poll, while Joe Carraro had the support of 13 percent. The survey, conducted Tuesday through Thursday by Research and Polling Inc., has a margin of error of 6 percent. “Basically, what you have here is a race that’s over,” the polling company’s president, Brian Sanderoff, told the newspaper. Continue Reading

Poll has Pearce up six points in Senate primary

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An Albuquerque Journal poll of the Republican U.S. Senate primary race released Sunday has Steve Pearce with a six-point lead heading into Tuesday’s election. Pearce had the backing of 45 percent of likely GOP primary voters, while primary opponent Heather Wilson had the support of 39 percent, according to the poll. That left 16 percent undecided in the survey, which was conducted from Tuesday to Thursday and had a margin of error of 4 percent. The poll was conducted by Research and Polling Inc. for the Journal. “Pearce’s message of being the consistent conservative appears to have worked,” the company’s president, Brian Sanderoff, was quoted in the Journal as saying. Continue Reading

Martin takes LSU job, will start in early August

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New Mexico State University President Michael Martin has decided to take a job as the next leader of LSU’s main campus in Baton Rouge and is expected to begin work there in August. Though the appointment of Martin as the campus’ chancellor still needs approval of the LSU Board of Supervisors, a Sunday news release from the university indicates that’s merely a formality: Martin, the release states, “is expected to assume his duties in early August.” LSU system President John V. Lombardi formally announced on Sunday that he will recommend the hiring of Martin, and Martin has agreed to take the job. “The decision to leave NMSU has been a very difficult one but we are very excited about the opportunity to be part of the leadership team at LSU,” Martin said in the news release. “It is a great university committed to becoming still better. I look forward to working with President Lombardi and the other fine people at LSU in shaping a bright future for the university and all it serves.” Lombardi, who personally asked Martin to consider the job, said in the release that LSU “is exceptionally fortunate to be able to attract an academic leader with the experience and accomplishments of Mike Martin.” Martin previously worked for Lombardi at a school in Florida. Continue Reading

Pearce wins this site’s non-scientific poll

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The majority of those who voted in last week’s non-scientific poll on this site picked Steve Pearce to win the Republican U.S. Senate primary. Of 335 voters, 214, or 64 percent, said Pearce will win, while 121, or 36 percent, said his primary opponent, Heather Wilson, will win. Don’t forget to vote in this week’s poll, located at the top of the right column on this page. Continue Reading

Domenici makes endorsement of Wilson official

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U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici just formalized his endorsement of Heather Wilson in the U.S. Senate race. Here’s his statement: “Heretofore I have been reserved in commenting on the Republican primary race for the U.S. Senate. However, I have become increasingly concerned that, even after I asked that the Club for Growth not be allowed to try to influence this election, they put at least $200,000 in television advertising in this race to try to do just that. I continue to believe that such outside influences should not be used to try to influence the voters of New Mexico,” Domenici said. “As I said today in Socorro when asked about tonight’s debate, Heather Wilson is the brightest member of Congress I know and I hope she wins. Continue Reading

McCamley, Teague continue sparring

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Democratic 2nd Congressional District candidates Bill McCamley and Harry Teague continued sparring today, and both released their newest television commercials on the Internet. Here’s the McCamley ad that started the sparring – the ad I’ve already written about that compares Teague to President Bush: Teague’s newest ad isn’t available in a format that can be embedded on other Web sites, but you can view it by clicking here. It’s the ad on the page titled “Solutions.” “Bill McCamley is running a dishonest, negative campaign attacking Harry Teague. That’s wrong. Only Teague has spelled out the change we want,” the ad’s narrator states. Continue Reading

Domenici apparently endorses Wilson in Senate race

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Only days before the conclusion of a bloody GOP primary battle, retiring U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici has apparently endorsed Heather Wilson in the race to replace him. The impact of the endorsement, announced at the last minute and without any fanfare, isn’t immediately clear. Domenici told KRQE-TV in Albuquerque today that he hoped Wilson would win tonight’s debate against primary opponent Steve Pearce. Domenici Chief of Staff Steve Bell later told the Associated Press the comment should be interpreted as an endorsement. “I think it was. Continue Reading

Sowards tries a different method of reaching voters

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I’ve been meaning for awhile to write about the Web site shortbaldhonest.com. It’s the Web site of 2nd Congressional District Republican candidate Greg Sowards. While other candidates have spent tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars on expensive television and radio ads to win voters, Sowards has instead spent his money to try to draw people to his unusual Web site. I write about it, when I haven’t written about other candidates’ Web sites, because of that. It’s noteworthy in the same way other candidates’ TV ads are noteworthy, and I’ve published most of their TV ads on this site. Continue Reading

Huge contributions fuel effort to oust Foley and Adair

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Roswell oilman Mark Murphy and an Albuquerque oil and gas company with ties to Murphy’s family have pitched in more than $335,000 to try to defeat Roswell legislative incumbents Dan Foley and Rod Adair in next week’s Republican primary. Murphy and his companies and political action committee have contributed tens of thousands of dollars to try to elect Foley’s challenger, Dennis Kintigh, and Adair’s challenger, Rory McMinn, on Tuesday. In addition, a company whose registered agent is Murphy’s brother-in-law has contributed a whopping $250,000 toward that effort — $125,000 to each challenger. Because of those contributions, McMinn and Kintigh have significantly outraised the incumbents. Their campaigns have flooded the airwaves with TV ads, run newspaper ads and sent out several mailers. Continue Reading