Latest Stories

Udall will announce 2008 plans on Friday

By |

U.S. Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M., will announce Friday morning whether he will run for Senate next year, his spokesman confirmed. If he enters the race, Udall would be the first top-tier Democrat to do so, and the move would likely be aimed at deterring others from getting in. At the end of June, Udall already had more than $700,000 on hand for a 2008 House run, money that can easily be transferred to a Senate race. On the other hand, Udall recently secured a coveted seat on the House Appropriations Committee, and he might be hesitant to give that up for what could be a hotly contested primary that might end his political career. High-ranking Democrats, including Sen. Charles Schumer of New York, have been encouraging Udall for months to consider the Senate race, but they’ve been pushing harder to get Gov. Bill Richardson to abandon his presidential campaign and enter the Senate race. Continue Reading

Domenici reveals disease, announces retirement

By |

U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici’s announcement this afternoon that he would not seek a seventh term was a formality, but it was also a time of celebration of a man who has devoted 35 years of his life to working for New Mexicans in the nation’s capital. The room at St. Mary’s Catholic School in Albuquerque was full and the applause was loud. Domenici was soft-spoken – a common trait in recent years – as he announced his plans, explained his disease and talked about his career – both what has happened and the 15 months that remain. “We’re going to do our best with those 15 months to do something spectacular,” Domenici said. Continue Reading

Bingaman expects Domenici to finish term effectively

By |

In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman praised his colleague Pete Domenici, and in a later interview he said he has seen nothing that might indicate New Mexico’s senior senator isn’t able to continuing serving until his planned retirement at the end of 2008. Domenici is announcing his retirement today because he has frontotemporal lobar degeneration, which can lead to frontotemporal dementia and affect parts of the brain important for organization, decision-making and mood and behavior control. “Senator Domenici called me yesterday afternoon to tell me of his decision,” Bingaman said today during the speech. “My reaction was one of surprise, which gave way to admiration and appreciation for this man’s decision to conclude his distinguished career of public service on his own terms.” Bingaman said when he arrived in the Senate in 1983 that Domenici was “here to welcome me,” and said the senator has “earned a reputation as a fierce and effective champion for New Mexico.” “Today, and during his entire Senate career, Pete has achieved what all of us try to achieve – that is to be effective in getting results in Washington while also staying close to the people who have sent us here to represent them,” Bingaman said. “He has assured me that he expects the remaining fifteen months of his service to be productive. Continue Reading

Udall ‘seriously considering’ Senate run

By |

U.S. Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M., is seriously considering running for the Senate seat that will be vacated by Pete Domenici next year. “Congressman Udall is seriously considering it and, as always, will make a decision based on how best he can serve New Mexico,” spokeswoman Marissa Padilla said. Read my analysis of Udall’s situation by clicking here. Continue Reading

Dems attack Bush, Pearce for kid’s insurance veto

By |

Sensing an opportunity, Democrats unleashed a barrage of harsh criticism on Wednesday against President Bush and those, including U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., who supported his veto of a bill that would have expanded children’s health insurance. “Steve Pearce doesn’t get it. As a member of Congress, he can get the best health insurance money can buy, paid for by our tax dollars,” Bill McCamley, who is running against Pearce next year, said in a news release. “But apparently he doesn’t think 11,000 New Mexico kids deserve any. This is what’s wrong with Washington, and this is what I will fight to change when I get there.” The criticism is driven by more than politics. Continue Reading

Report: Wilson to run for Domenici’s Senate seat

By |

U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson will run for the Senate seat being vacated by Pete Domenici next year, The Hill is reporting. Assuming the report is accurate, Wilson is the first candidate the public has learned will run, other than the three lesser-known Democrats who jumped into the race long before news of Domenici’s coming retirement broke on Wednesday. A number of Democrats and Republicans from around the state are considering getting into the race. The Hill cited “a source familiar with Wilson’s decision” in its report. Wilson’s spokesman told me he had no comment. Continue Reading

Hannan may consider leaving U.S. Senate race

By |

Jim Hannan, one of three Democrats who had already entered the 2008 U.S. Senate race before news broke Thursday of Pete Domenici’s coming retirement, may be having second thoughts about running. “I welcome the news that Senator Domenici has decided to retire,” Hannan wrote in an e-mail to me. “I truly believe that it is time for new vision, new leadership in that position. It is my fervent wish that a Democrat like Tom Udall decides to run for the United States Senate.” Hannan, of Santa Fe, provided no further comment to me on whether he would drop out of the race if Udall were to enter it, but had this to say to the Albuquerque Tribune: “Obviously, if it’s Tom Udall or somebody with great credentials coming into the race, I would immediately withdraw,” he said. “I’d love to see Tom or someone like that jump in.” Hannan once worked for the late U.S. Rep. Mo Udall, D-Ariz. Continue Reading

Degenerative brain disease forcing Domenici to retire

By |

U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici is being forced to retire because he is suffering from a degenerative brain disease that can lead to dementia, the Associated Press is reporting. The condition, frontotemporal lobar degeneration, can cause a number of syndromes including frontotemporal dementia, the disease that forced former Doña Ana County Sheriff Juan Hernandez to resign in 2004. Domenici’s condition could eventually affect parts of the brain important for organization, decision-making and mood and behavior control. “The progress of this disease is apparently erratic and unpredictable. It may well be that, seven years from now, it will be stable,” the 75-year-old Domenici intends to say, according to a draft of remarks prepared for delivery and obtained by the Associated Press. Continue Reading

Retirement throws New Mexico politics into chaos

By |

News of U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici’s retirement after 36 years sets off a domino effect that begins with the highest offices in the state and filters down to local races in a number of communities. The Bill Richardson issue aside, the immediate question is whether the other giants – U.S. Reps. Heather Wilson and Steve Pearce on the GOP side and U.S. Rep. Tom Udall, Lt. Gov. Diane Denish and Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chávez on the Democratic side – plan to seek the open Senate seat. All four will consider it. If Wilson and Pearce, who both want the Senate seat, jump into the race, two heavily contested House seats are suddenly open. Continue Reading

ABQ voters reject mayoral takeover

By |

By Whitney Cheshire ABQ voters just said “no” to a mayoral takeover. Now, can we get some of these anti-Winter, cranky pundits a cup of coffee, please? I had to laugh today when my traditional post-election Wednesday morning sleep-in was irritatingly interrupted by my pest-control guy… at dawn. After years of working campaigns, I expect the world to stop for “The Morning After,” and I get a little cranky when somebody reminds me that it hasn’t. Anyway, when the doorbell rang this morning I threw my hair in a ponytail and let in my long-time critter-killer while reminding myself to be pleasant. Continue Reading

Election ’07 winners: checks, balances and ABQ

By |

By Carter Bundy The big story from the Albuquerque elections is that a very powerful mayor went 0-for-4 in city council races and also was rebuked by voters on several referenda. Lots of people are going to be talking this week about Marty Chávez’s diminished authority and the rise of an independent city council. But those who think this is somehow the end of Chávez’s career underestimate him at their own peril. Chávez is bright. He can be charming and engaging. Continue Reading

Madrid still considering Senate race

By |

Patricia Madrid, a former state attorney general, said tonight she is considering whether to run for the open seat in the U.S. Senate following news that the GOP’s Pete Domenici is retiring next year. “I’m getting calls from all over the state,” the prominent Democrat said. “It’s very complex. I am, of course, talking to my husband of 35 years.” In addition, Madrid is considering the fact that she is working for a “lucrative” law firm and her job is “certainly more enjoyable than getting beaten up on television for a year.” Still, Madrid said the Democrats will need a strong candidate with statewide name recognition who can raise millions of dollars. “There are very few of us in the state, and I’ve done it,” she said. Continue Reading

Richardson, Chávez praise Domenici

By |

New Mexico Democrats are releasing primarily cordial statements in response to the news that U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici is retiring, and Gov. Bill Richardson and Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chávez are no exception. “For more than three decades, Senator Domenici has been a respected and powerful champion for New Mexico’s interests in the U.S. Senate,” Richardson said in a news release. “As Senator Domenici nears the end of a remarkable career, his departure will close a important chapter in our state’s history and leave a legacy of dedicated public service.“ In a news release, Chávez agreed. “Senator Pete V. Domenici will leave office with a tremendous legacy of public service to our state,” he said. “We join with other New Mexicans in thanking the senator for his leadership and vision for New Mexico. Continue Reading

Wilson praises Domenici, gives no clues on her plans

By |

U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., who will likely consider running for the Senate seat being vacated by Pete Domenici, released a statement this evening calling the senator “a mentor and an inspiration.” Wilson gave no indication of whether she’ll run for the seat being vacated by Domenici, but it’s no secret that she has been the senator’s protégé for years. “I understand Senator Pete Domenici will make an important announcement tomorrow,” Wilson said in a statement released by her office. “Whatever his announcement, New Mexicans can be grateful for all our senator has done for our state and nation. He drove the Balanced Budget Act that led the country to balance the budget for the first time in thirty years in 1998, 1999 and 2000 – paying off $450 billion in publicly held debt. He was the engine behind the 2005 Energy Bill that is already helping America to be more energy independent. Continue Reading