Senate leaders want to change ballot-access law

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The leaders of both parties in the New Mexico Senate announced today that they will attempt to overturn during this year’s legislative session a law approved last year that makes it more difficult for some major-party candidates to get on the ballot. Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez of Belen and Minority Leader Stuart Ingle of Portales have pre-filed Senate Bill 1, which would repeal the changes made last year. “It’s important that candidates continue to be allowed other avenues for getting on the ballot,” Sanchez said. “The system we have had for many years was working well. Restoring the original language is the right thing to do because giving voters choices is what it’s all about.” The bill won’t go anywhere in the 30-day session unless Gov. Bill Richardson allows it. Continue Reading

Council hopefuls discuss growth, other issues at forum

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By Vicki Nisbett Not surprisingly, growth was the main topic discussed at the Las Cruces City Council District 6 candidate forum held Thursday at the Doña Ana East Mesa Community College. Candidate Lawrence Joy, 45, missed the opening introductions, saying he was detained because of business. The other candidates vying for the city council seat Ken Miyagishima vacated when he was elected mayor are Patrick J. Curran, 76; Berchard Ray Shipley, 64; Sharon K. Thomas, 67; and Karen Rachel Trujillo, 32. The election is Jan. 15. Continue Reading

For Richardson, it’s no longer about winning the race

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When he finished with the support of 0.02 percent of caucus goers in Iowa on Thursday, Chris Dodd had the sense to withdraw from the presidential race. After his 0.93 percent finish, Joe Biden did the same. So what’s the difference between those two and Bill Richardson, who finished the night with an embarrassing 2.11-percent finish? If his focus remains on winning the race, there’s not much difference. Richardson will not win the presidency. Continue Reading

Richardson thanks Iowa caucus goers, turns to N.H.

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Bill Richardson’s campaign has just put out a news release focusing on the fact that he finished fourth in Iowa and stating that he is “moving his campaign forward to the New Hampshire primary.” “We made it to the final four,” Richardson said. “My staff and volunteers worked their hearts out to get us here. Now we are going to take the fight to New Hampshire.” The top four finishers in the Iowa Caucus get to participate in a nationally televised debate this weekend, so Richardson has one more chance to face off with the frontrunners before New Hampshire Democrats vote. Richardson, the release stated, watched the results at a rally in Des Moines and has since boarded a plane for New Hampshire. He finished at about 2 percent in Iowa. Continue Reading

Richardson prepares for New Hampshire

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There’s been no comment from the campaign of Gov. Bill Richardson on tonight’s dismal fourth-place, 2-percent finish in Iowa, but he’s apparently moving on to Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary. Richardson’s campaign Web site has already shifted from a focus on today’s Iowa Caucus to the New Hampshire primary. The main section on the site, which scrolls between four news items, now includes two about New Hampshire. One is a news release from earlier this week declaring Richardson’s “growing support in New Hampshire.” The other asks people to “join Governor Richardson in New Hampshire” and links to his schedule there, which begins at 9 a.m. Friday and goes all the way until the primary on Tuesday. It appears Richardson is staying in the race, at least for now. Continue Reading

CNN declares Obama the winner in Iowa

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CNN is projecting that Barack Obama will win the Iowa Caucus. That doesn’t have a huge impact on the campaign of Hillary Clinton, who had downplayed the importance of victory in Iowa, has strong organizations in other states and has been the frontrunner in New Hampshire, but it has huge consequences for John Edwards. Edwards had bet everything on winning Iowa. If he finishes second – and he’s currently barely holding on to that spot – he might be able to stay in the race through New Hampshire on Tuesday and see how he does there, but if he finishes third tonight in Iowa, he’s going to have to think seriously about ending his campaign. Bill Richardson might also be seriously thinking about ending his campaign. Continue Reading

Obama pulling ahead of Edwards, Clinton

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Barack Obama is pulling ahead of Hillary Clinton and John Edwards with more than half of precincts in Iowa reporting. Obama now has the support of 34.52 percent of caucus goers to Edwards’ 31.61 percent and Clinton’s 31.13 percent. That’s with 1,000 of 1,781 precincts, or 56 percent, reporting. Bill Richardson remains insignificant at 1.69 percent, and the other candidates are doing even worse. Reports indicate that turnout among Iowa Democrats is at record levels. Continue Reading

CNN projects Huckabee victory in Iowa

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CNN is projecting that Mike Huckabee will win the Iowa Republican Caucus. Officially, with 25 percent of precincts reporting, Huckabee has the support of 35 percent of GOP caucus goers to Mitt Romney’s 24 percent, Fred Thompson’s 14 percent, John McCain’s 12 percent, Ron Paul’s 11 percent and Rudy Giuliani’s 4 percent. But CNN has declared Huckabee the winner. You can read the CNN article by clicking here. Continue Reading

Richardson getting little support early on

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With about 25 percent of the results in, Gov. Bill Richardson isn’t coming close to meeting his Real Clear Politics average of recent Iowa polls in tonight’s caucus. Richardson’s average in the polls is 5.2 percent, but with 461 of 1,781 precincts reporting, he has the support of 1.89 percent of Iowa Caucus goers, according to the Iowa Democratic Party’s Web site. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Barack Obama are essentially tied at 32 percent apiece. The good news for Richardson: He’s currently in fourth place. Joe Biden currently has the support of 0.75 percent of caucus goers, and Chris Dodd’s support is 0.11 percent. Continue Reading

Wiviott challenges new ballot-access law in court

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Third Congressional District candidate Don Wiviott, a Democrat, is suing the state in an attempt to overturn a law approved by the Legislator and governor last year that makes is more difficult for some major-party candidates to get on the ballot. Under the previous law, Democrats and Republicans could get on the ballot by receiving the votes of 20 percent of delegates at their party’s preprimary nominating convention or, if they failed to do that, by submitting petitions containing enough signatures to qualify. The change got rid of the second provision, and was designed to increase the power of those who control the major parties. The change makes is harder for candidates like Wiviott, who aren’t part of the established political system, to get on the ballot, and also creates the possibility that, if no candidate receives 20 percent at the preprimary, the party won’t place a candidate on the ballot. “This law runs contrary to the values of New Mexico and the Democratic party,” Wiviott said in a news release announcing the lawsuit. Continue Reading

Richardson and Obama may be targeting Edwards

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Though Bill Richardson’s campaign denies an earlier report from the Iowa Independent that he will direct his supporters to caucus in the second round for Barack Obama in precincts where he’s not viable, the New York Times is now reporting the same thing. Quoting a senior Obama adviser, the Times reports that Richardson will urge his supporters to pick Obama as their second choice – which Obama’s campaign estimates will give him a seven- or eight-point boost. In exchange, Obama will urge supporters in places where he has more backers than he needs to win additional delegates to back Richardson, helping the governor reach the 15-percent threshold of viability in some precincts. If it’s true – and there is mounting evidence that it is – the strategy for both campaigns appears to be taking down John Edwards. For the record, both campaigns officially deny that it’s true. Continue Reading

N.M. AFSCME worker pushes Clinton in Iowa

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Carter Bundy has left behind his home in Albuquerque for the past several weeks to spend time in Iowa persuading members of his union to caucus tonight for Hillary Clinton. On the day of the Iowa Caucus, Bundy, the political and legislative director for AFSCME in New Mexico, still believes what he wrote in a column published on this site yesterday: that the race is wide open. He’s only legally allowed to try to persuade AFSCME members to support Clinton, and he said the union has found that she is “the pretty clear favorite of our members.” “But we’ve also found members who are supporting other candidates, including. Gov. Richardson, and we’re not here to badmouth any of the other candidates,” he said. “When I talk to any one of our members who’s a Richardson fan, I tell them he’s done a lot for our union and he’s an excellent choice.” Bundy is spending today in Iowa City contacting union members who are identified supporters of Clinton to let them know where they can caucus tonight and to offer rides. Continue Reading

Madrid campaigns for Edwards in Des Moines

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Former New Mexico Attorney General Patricia Madrid has been in Iowa campaigning for John Edwards since Dec. 30, and what she’s seen has made her optimistic that the former senator will win the state’s caucus tonight. “We are doing really well in the rural areas because we’ve worked them hard,” she said. “Rural areas take a lot of personal time.” Gov. Bill Richardson and Sen. Joe Biden are also expected to also make strong pushes in rural areas of the state, but Madrid mentioned only Biden as a candidate the Edwards campaign is closely watching. In recent weeks, Richardson’s support in Iowa polls has fallen and Biden’s has climbed, and the two are now statistically tied. Continue Reading

Guv’s campaign rejects report that it will back Obama

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Bill Richardson’s presidential campaign is rejecting a report that says it plans to ask supporters to caucus for Barack Obama in the second round of the Iowa Caucus tonight if the governor isn’t viable. The Iowa Independent is reporting that Richardson plans, for strategic reasons, to send support to Obama in the second round in places where he falls short of the 15-percent support threshold that makes his campaign viable under Iowa Caucus rules. The thinking of the Richardson campaign, according to the report, is that an Obama victory is better for the governor than victories by John Edwards or Hillary Clinton. The report is “completely false,” said Richardson campaign spokeswoman Katie Roberts. “We are viable throughout Iowa. Continue Reading