2nd District Dems to attend forum in Las Cruces

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The Democratic candidates running for the Second Congressional District seat currently held by Steve Pearce will take part in a candidate forum in Las Cruces on Dec. 15. State Rep. Joseph Cervantes, retired Presbyterian minister Al Kissling, Doña Ana County Commissioner Bill McCamley, Roswell businessman and retired teacher Frank McKinnon and former Lea County Commissioner Harry Teague have all confirmed their participation in the forum, which will be held from 3-5 p.m. in the Creative Media Institute’s Digital Media Theatre in Milton Hall on the New Mexico State University campus. The forum is sponsored by the Democratic Party of Doña Ana County. Each candidate will be allowed to give a brief speech, and then the group will take questions. Continue Reading

Attorney to run for Carraro’s Senate seat

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David Pyne, a Republican activist, attorney and former Army officer, has announced his candidacy for the state Senate seat being vacated by Joe Carraro, who is running for Congress. Pyne, 38, lives in the Paradise Hills community in Senate District 23. “I believe I am the strongest candidate in the race to replace Senator Joe Carraro,” Pyne said. “Once elected to the state Senate, I will fight to improve education, promote job-growth, secure our southern border and bring honesty and integrity to Santa Fe.” Pyne works on legal and contract issues for Honeywell Aerospace. He spent more than six years working in a number of capacities in the defense industry in the Washington, D.C. area prior to relocating to Albuquerque several years ago. Continue Reading

Edwards begins organizing for New Mexico Caucus

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With less than two months until New Mexico Democrats will pick their nominee for president on Feb. 5, John Edwards is beginning to mobilize his supporters in the Land of Enchantment. Edwards’ national political director David Medina sent an e-mail to supporters in New Mexico on Wednesday evening inviting them to a conference call on Dec. 12 to begin organizing. Those who are interested in participating can RSVP by clicking here. Continue Reading

GOP congressional hopefuls to gather in Alamogordo

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The Otero County Republican Party will host a forum on Tuesday for announced GOP candidates and potential candidates for the Second Congressional District seat being vacated by Steve Pearce. The forum will begin at 7 p.m. at the Willie Estrada Memorial Civic Center, 800 E. 1st Street, according to county party Chair Sassy Tinling. The forum will last at least an hour, and she said the party plans to ask five questions on issues that are important in the district. The event is open to the public, and Tinling encouraged anyone, regardless of party affiliation, to attend. The two candidates who have officially entered the race will attend the forum. Continue Reading

Marquardt may run for Pearce’s House seat

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Former state Rep. Terry Marquardt, R-Alamogordo, is considering running for the Second Congressional District seat being vacated by Steve Pearce. Though I’ve been unable to reach Marquardt for confirmation or other comment, he has confirmed his attendance at a forum next week in Alamogordo for GOP candidates and potential candidates for the seat. He’s also been telling area Republicans that he’s considering running. Marquardt, an optometrist, served 12 years in the state House of Representatives and was the minority whip until he was defeated last year by challenger Nate Cote, D-Las Cruces. After his defeat, Marquardt hinted at a future political comeback. Continue Reading

Ali MacGraw to attend fundraiser for Sen. Garcia

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State Sen. Mary Jane Garcia, facing a credible challenge in the June primary, is getting a little help from a well-known actress – Ali MacGraw, star of the 1970-film Love Story. MacGraw, who lives in Santa Fe, will be in Las Cruces on Sunday for a fundraiser for the re-election campaign of the Democratic senator from Doña Ana. The two worked together for years to try to secure passage of legislation making cockfighting illegal in New Mexico, and successfully accomplished that goal earlier this year. Both were present in March when Gov. Bill Richardson signed the Garcia-sponsored bill outlawing cockfighting. The fundraiser, according to the invitation, will be held at the home of Democratic National Committee member Mary Gail Gwaltney. Continue Reading

Garcia formally announces bid for state House seat

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Though he already confirmed in an interview with me last month that he would run, New Mexico State University associate professor Jose Z. Garcia formally announced Tuesday that he is running for the District 52 seat in the state House of Representatives being vacated by Joseph Cervantes, who is running for Congress. “Joseph Cervantes and his predecessor, Dolores Wright, served this district with distinction. Voters need to select someone to continue the hard work and fighting spirit that enabled them to accomplish so much in the relatively short time each of them served,” Garcia said in a news release. “I hope to persuade the voters of this district that I am that person.” Garcia, 62, is the first to announce his candidacy for the open House seat. Garcia, who teaches government at NMSU, was appointed by the governor to the New Mexico Border Authority in 2002 and served for four years. Continue Reading

Five file to run in District 6 special election

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Five District 6 residents filed on Tuesday to run in the Jan. 15 special election to replace Ken Miyagishima, who was elected mayor of Las Cruces earlier this month. Those candidates are former Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Patrick J. Curran; Lawrence Joy, the owner of a direct mail advertising firm and the voice of NMSU’s marching band; Berchard Ray Shipley; Sharon Thomas, former head of the Quality Growth Alliance; and Karen Trujillo, a real-estate broker and president of the Hispano Chamber of Commerce de Las Cruces. The city clerk plans to certify their candidacies on Tuesday by checking to ensure they met the requirement of gathering 25 signatures of voters living in the district. The candidates will draw for ballot position at 5:01 p.m. on Tuesday. Continue Reading

Politically active law student may run for Congress

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A politically active University of New Mexico School of Law student is adding his name to the list of people considering running for the Third Congressional District seat being vacated by Tom Udall. William Consuegra is a member of the Pacific Council on International Policy, whose membership includes political figures from around the world, and was nominated by Gov. Bill Richardson and former UNM President Louis Caldera to the prestigious Council on Foreign Relations in New York. He’s also a member of the New Mexico Commission on Public Broadcasting, having been nominated to that position by Richardson. “I have been in conversations with my wife regarding a possible run, and I will make a decision over the holidays after discussing it further with my extended family (my parents and my in-laws) as well as with some friends who know a bit more about New Mexico politics than I do,” Consuegra said today. Consuegra’s wife, Mikelynn Romero, is from Velarde and is a niece of the president of Qwest-New Mexico, Loretta Armenta. Continue Reading

Indian affairs secretary to run for Udall’s House seat

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Benny Shendo, Jr., cabinet secretary for the state’s Indian Affairs Department, confirmed today that he will run for the Third Congressional District seat being vacated by Tom Udall. He has been considering the race for some time. “We’re beyond the thinking stage,” he said today. “We are going to move forward.” Shendo, a Democrat, said he hasn’t set a date to formally announce his candidacy, but hopes to make the announcement “within the next couple of weeks.” He said his campaign budget will be “$500,000, minimum.” Raising that amount of money will help him keep pace with the bar that has been set by Santa Fe green builder Don Wiviott, who has pledged at least $325,000 of his own money to the race. The only other announced candidate is Santa Fe County Commissioner Harry Montoya. Continue Reading

Gonzales, Maestas won’t seek Udall’s House seat

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Former Santa Fe County Commissioner Javier Gonzales and Española Mayor Joe Maestas have decided against running for the Third Congressional District seat being vacated by Tom Udall, but it appears that Public Regulation Commission Chairman Ben Ray Lujan has decided to run. In announcing today that he won’t run, Gonzales, a member of the Board of Regents at New Mexico Highlands University, cited in a news release the need to balance public service with family. “I am blessed with a fantastic wife and two phenomenal daughters. My daughters are at a critical age where they need a full-time dad,” Gonzales said in a news release. “Being a member of Congress would require a significant time away from home and even less time being an important part of their lives. Continue Reading

NMSU gets away, for now, with stonewalling public

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It is perfectly reasonable for New Mexico State University’s Board of Regents and President Michael Martin to take the position that information about donors shouldn’t be public. I hold the opposite opinion, but have said since the regents began using money from secret donors to compensate Martin in May that there are good arguments on both sides and the issue is, at least in some states, a legal gray area. Apparently, there’s a New Mexico statute that, at least in the opinion of the Attorney General’s Office, backs up NMSU’s assertion. What has been entirely unreasonable and disgraceful is the fact that the university responded to the public debate over whether its position was correct by attempting to keep other, undoubtedly public records secret in an apparent attempt to make it difficult for reporters to inform the public about the situation. For that, the regents and administration should be ashamed. Continue Reading

Guv climbs in N.H. and national polls, falls in Iowa

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After surging in polls in Iowa and New Hampshire for a couple of weeks, Gov. Bill Richardson’s support in national polls is climbing, and he continues to climb in polls in the Granite State. However, his support in recent, independent polls in the all-important state of Iowa has taken a dip in the last week, threatening any gains he’s making anywhere else. Last Wednesday, Richardson’s Real Clear Politics Average of recent polls in Iowa was 9.8 percent. It was 8.5 percent in recent polls in New Hampshire. Today, his average is 8.3 percent in Iowa – down 1.5 percent – and 10.3 percent in New Hampshire – up 1.8 percent from a week ago. Continue Reading

Activist to run for District 6 council seat

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Sharon Thomas, former head of the Quality Growth Alliance, has announced her candidacy for the open District 6 seat on the Las Cruces City Council. One of her main goals is to “fully involve the city and its citizens in planning our future,” according to a news release from her campaign. “Las Cruces is rapidly transforming itself from a big town to a city,” Thomas said. “We can continue to be reactive, waiting until subdivisions appear and then trying to find a way to cobble them together to make a city, or we can work together to study growth patterns, predict future land use and become good stewards of a vibrant and successful city.” Thomas joins former Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Patrick J. Curran; Lawrence Joy, the owner of a direct mail advertising firm and the voice of NMSU’s marching band; and Karen Trujillo, a real-estate broker and president of the Hispano Chamber of Commerce de Las Cruces, in the race. The special election is being held Jan. Continue Reading