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CD2 candidate Greg Sowards loans campaign $325K

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Republican Greg Sowards is further complicating a crowded GOP primary in the Second Congressional District race by loaning his campaign $325,000 and forcing the other candidates to take him seriously. He’s the third Republican candidate to announce a loan of several hundred thousand dollars to his campaign. Sowards originally said earlier today that he would loan his campaign $400,000, but after he learned that loans of greater than $350,000 trigger the Millionaires’ Amendment and triple contribution limits to $6,900, he instead decided to loan his campaign $325,000. Sowards said today’s was a family decision. He went to the bank this afternoon to finalize a $200,000 loan, and said he will loan his campaign another $125,000 within the next week. Continue Reading

Senate minority leader endorses Wilson

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Heather Wilson picked up a key endorsement from the top-ranking Republican in the state Senate today. Stuart Ingle, R-Portales and the Senate minority leader, called Wilson “a steady, commonsense leader who continues to fight for lower taxes, private industry, a strong national defense and our families” in an e-mail the Wilson campaign sent to supporters today. “Heather Wilson is the kind of person who leads by digging in on important issues and getting things done,” he said. Ingle referenced Wilson’s work to save Cannon Air Force base, even though it isn’t located in the First Congressional District she represents. “Whether it’s our bases or labs, our children or small businesses, Heather Wilson stands up and fights for the contribution New Mexico makes to our nation,” Ingle said. Continue Reading

U.S. House creates independent ethics office

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The U.S. House of Representatives approved on Tuesday the creation of an independent office that has the authority to initiate investigations into allegations of ethics violations by House members and is required to disclose its findings publicly. It’s a strong move that’s being characterized by the Washington Post as “one of the most significant changes to (House) ethics rules in decades.” U.S. Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M., voted to approve the creation of the independent Office of Congressional Ethics. New Mexico’s GOP representatives, Steve Pearce and Heather Wilson, voted against it. The measure was ultimately approved by a vote of 229-182, with 159 Republicans and 23 Democrats opposing it. “New Mexicans and people across the nation have called on Congress to end the culture of corruption in Washington, and the House has responded,” Udall said in a news release. Continue Reading

Nader’s presidential campaign is coming to N.M.

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Supporters of Ralph Nader’s longshot independent presidential bid are on their way to New Mexico to try to get him on the ballot. New Mexico has one of the more restrictive ballot-access laws for independents, so Nader supporters will have to gather 7,000 signatures in two weeks. The campaign sent out an e-mail Monday morning in an attempt to raise $10,000 in New Mexico to send supporters here to gather signatures. It announced Wednesday evening that 149 people had given a total of $12,607.27 – an average of $84 per donation. “That’s exactly what we needed when we needed it,” the campaign wrote in an e-mail to supporters announcing that Nader’s “road-trippers” are on their way to Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Continue Reading

Sen. Feldman announces re-election bid

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State Sen. Dede Feldman, D-Albuquerque, has announced that she is running for re-election in District 13, which includes parts of the North Valley, mid-Heights and West Side of the city. Feldman currently serves as chair of the Senate Public Affairs Committee and the legislature’s interim Health and Human Services Committee. Feldman is the sponsor of two of the only health care reforms to pass in this year’s session – reforms that will to prevent insurance companies from turning down people with pre-existing conditions and attack chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity, according to a news release announcing her candidacy. For years, she has spearheaded the effort to promote alternative energy, successfully sponsoring both the solar and the green-building tax credits. A steadfast supporter of ethics and campaign-finance reform, she has pushed for public financing of elections, campaign contribution limits and open legislative committee meetings. Continue Reading

Celebrating Spitzer

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By Carter Bundy When Homer Simpson sells his soul for a donut, he gets a lawyer to fight for him in front of a “jury of the damned.” The devil, presiding over the trial, turns out to be religious zealot Ned Flanders. Ned, seeing Homer’s shock, responds coolly: “It’s always the one you least suspect.” And it’s funny. As happens so often, the Simpsons gets human nature exactly right. A friend e-mailed me that “the most righteous guys are the ones you have to worry about.” Well, there hasn’t been a stronger crusader against prostitution and money laundering in America than Eliot Spitzer. And that’s where the fun begins. Continue Reading

Republican CD2 race gets ugly

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The interaction between the most well-funded GOP candidates in the race to replace Steve Pearce in Congress – Aubrey Dunn and Ed Tinsley – has become increasingly contentious in recent weeks, and both men are blaming the other. The harshest attacks have come from the Dunn campaign, which is accusing Tinsley of being a liberal who supports amnesty and spends much of his time living in Santa Fe. The Tinsley campaign has been quick to point out Dunn’s party registration changes and accused him of negative campaigning that is “right out of the Democrat’s campaign playbook.” The hostilities come as candidates are battling for delegates in advance of Saturday’s preprimary nominating convention. Tinsley is regarded by many as the frontrunner in the primary race, but strong organization has many expecting that Dunn will win the convention and get a momentum boost. Dunn’s campaign cites a Feb. Continue Reading

New alcohol-fatality rankings may reveal cultural shift

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New Mexico, led by Gov. Bill Richardson, has made a concerted, multifaceted effort in recent years to combat drunken driving, a scourge that has always afflicted the state. Last week, the state received its first real confirmation that its efforts are paying off. In 2006, for the first time, New Mexico wasn’t among the 10 worst states in drunken-driving and other alcohol-related deaths on its roads, according to rankings released last week by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. New Mexico had the 17th-highest rate of drunken-driving deaths in 2006 – deaths involving people with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or higher – and ranked 14th in overall alcohol-related fatalities on its roads. New Mexico had the highest rate of alcohol-related fatalities in the nation in 1982 and has competed for that distinction every year since. Continue Reading

Preprimary nominating conventions are this weekend

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Democrats and Republicans from around the state will gather on Saturday at separate locations in the Albuquerque area for preprimary nominating conventions that are the first real test for candidates for federal offices and statewide judicial races. Democrats will gather at the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho. Republicans will gather at the Marriott Uptown Hotel in Albuquerque. Both events are open to the public, but only elected delegates from county conventions and their alternates may participate. The delegates will vote on the order that candidates will appear on the ballot in June and, in some instances, may even reduce the number of candidates running. Continue Reading

Torres running again, says health isn’t a concern

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Despite lingering concerns about her health, Doña Ana County Clerk Rita Torres plans to run for re-election this year. “I am going to run,” the democrat confirmed in a recent interview. A number of politicos and other sources have expressed concerns about that to me, but none have been willing to speak for the record. Concerns include whether Torres is fit to serve another four-year term and whether her health will become the focus of a brutal campaign this year. Torres said, when asked about health problems, that “there are none.” She also said no one has shared concerns about her health with her. Continue Reading

DA drops charges against former auditor candidate

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The Bernalillo County district attorney dropped in December criminal charges against Jeff Armijo, who was the Democratic Party’s nominee for state auditor in 2006 until he was pressured to quit the race because of allegations that eventually led to the charges. In dismissing a felony charge of false imprisonment and three misdemeanor battery charges, the district attorney’s office said there was insufficient evidence to proceed, according to the New Mexico courts Web site. I’m reporting on this now because I just discovered it. To my knowledge, it has not been reported elsewhere. Armijo was indicted almost a year ago and faced a maximum of three years in prison if convicted. Continue Reading

Sowards has a grand vision for changing America

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This is the tenth and final article in a series based on conversations with the Second Congressional District candidates. Links to the other profiles can be found at the end of this article. Greg Sowards has an ambitious plan for reforming government in America. It begins with limiting the role of the federal government. Instead of doing business with the federal government, citizens should interact with their local communities and their state government, the Republican Second Congressional District candidate said in an interview. Continue Reading

Hope is a good thing

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By Dr. James “Jim” Kadlecek “Hope is a good thing… maybe the best of things… and no good thing ever dies.” – “Andy” from The Shawshank Redemption At a local restaurant the other day, I asked the young college student waiter if he was following the presidential race. He responded, “You bet. I’m for Obama!” I asked why. He said, “He gives me something to hope for.” My son JJ (age 49, and living in Colorado) recently wrote me, explaining his perspective on the presidential election. I’ve asked him if I could share his views with you, the readers of this blog. Continue Reading

Supreme Court has yet to act in case of Sunland judge

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The New Mexico Supreme Court hasn’t yet acted on the Judicial Standards Commission’s request for action in the case of Sunland Park’s new municipal judge, who is facing a felony charge of voter fraud. Horacio Favela was sworn in Friday evening despite the outstanding felony charge and other questions about his Tuesday election. The commission sent two petitions to the high court late Friday. The first seeks the invalidation of Favela’s election. The second was sealed by the court, so its contents aren’t known publicly, but the court regularly seals petitions for temporary suspension pending the outcome of commission investigations, so this could have been such a petition. Continue Reading

DA Martinez announces re-election bid

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Doña Ana County District Attorney Susana Martinez has announced that she’s seeking re-election this year. Martinez was first elected district attorney in 1996. During her tenure, according to a news release announcing her re-election bid, she has implemented a successful victim assistance program in the state. She has also been recognized as a strong advocate for the elderly in implementing the Communities Against Senior Exploitation program, which attempts to protect the elderly from predators and scam artists. She’s also been recognized as a strong advocate in animal-abuse cases. Continue Reading