{"id":2385,"date":"2007-10-16T12:21:00","date_gmt":"2007-10-16T18:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmpolitics.net\/index\/2007\/10\/teague-confirms-run-mccamley-gets-union-support\/"},"modified":"2007-10-16T12:21:00","modified_gmt":"2007-10-16T18:21:00","slug":"teague-confirms-run-mccamley-gets-union-support","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2007\/10\/teague-confirms-run-mccamley-gets-union-support\/","title":{"rendered":"Teague confirms run; McCamley gets union support"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Former Lea County Commissioner Harry Teague confirmed today that he\u2019s running for the Second Congressional District House seat regardless of whether U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce<\/a> gives it up to run for Senate. <\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, one of two Democrats Teague will have to face in a primary, Do\u00f1a Ana County Commissioner Bill McCamley<\/a>, announced today an important endorsement from the New Mexico Building and Construction Trades Council.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

I first reported Monday evening<\/a> on Teague\u2019s entrance into the race. The Hobbs<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> oilman said today he has no knowledge of whether the GOP congressman will give up his House seat to run for the Senate seat being vacated by Pete Domenici<\/a>, but said he decided to run regardless.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Teague didn\u2019t plan until recently to enter the race, and actually gave McCamley $2,300 in June. He said after Domenici announced his coming retirement, a number of Democrats began urging him to run for the House seat if Pearce ran for Senate. Once he decided to run either way, Teague said there was no reason to wait for Pearce\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Term limits forced Teague, 58, to leave the Lea County Commission at the end of 2006. He\u2019s the owner of Eunice Well Servicing Co.<\/a>, and said he has the ability to help finance his own campaign. He said he will do so if necessary, but he believes he can raise the money he\u2019ll need to win primary and general elections.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cI think I\u2019m very fortunate that the opportunity has presented itself, that I have the opportunity to run for U.S. Congress and serve my state and nation,\u201d Teague said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

McCamley said the race \u201cshould not be about a political opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cThis should be about getting results in Washington<\/st1:place><\/st1:state>, and I have the energy and experience to get those results. That is why I am running and why I will win,\u201d he said. \u201c\u2026 We need to get out of Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>, create jobs, reform our health care system and take care of our veterans. I am running for this seat because I believe in true change, and the work we have done over the past six months and the endorsements we have received show our momentum and support.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Al Kissling<\/a>, the other Democrat in the race, said he welcomes Teague to the contest.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m delighted. \u2026 I think it will make it more competitive,\u201d he said. \u201cThe thing we\u2019re running on is the issues, and we\u2019re going to be focusing on a solution to the health-care problem and the energy problems we have and the future of education. We\u2019re focused on the children. I think having another voice in the race will just help people wake up and get attention on the issues.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

War, health ca<\/span>re, immigration<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Teague said he doesn\u2019t expect to file paperwork making his campaign official for as long as two weeks. He said his campaign will focus on the War in Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>, health care and immigration. Here\u2019s what he said on each:<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u2022 The war: \u201cI don\u2019t like our people being killed and crippled in Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>. I think there\u2019s a way to get that resolved so we can get our people out of there.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u2022 Health care: Teague said he hasn\u2019t read the children\u2019s insurance bill recently vetoed by the president, but said, \u201cWe\u2019ve got to have health care for our kids. \u2026 We can make that happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u2022 Immigration: Teague said the United States<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> has to \u201csecure our borders for our country\u2019s protection, but we also have to protect the immigrants who come across.\u201d He said those immigrants \u201care doing an honorable job and they have to be respected.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Unions <\/st1:place>endorse McCamley<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> <\/p>\n

\n

Meanwhile, McCamley\u2019s campaign announced today that the affiliates of the state building and construction trades council, which includes 17 local union groups, voted unanimously to endorse him.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

The council released a statement to McCamley saying it \u201cis proud and honored to announce that, for your support for labor and your will to be a strong advocate for New Mexico<\/st1:place><\/st1:state>, its affiliates voted unanimously to endorse you in your candidacy for U.S. Congress.\u201d The council is part of AFL-CIO<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very pleased to receive the unanimous support of the council,\u201d McCamley said. \u201cIt helps us continue building momentum in our campaign to take back this congressional seat and bring to Washington a focus on results that matter to the people of Southern New Mexico.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Last week, three state representatives from Do\u00f1a<\/st1:placename> Ana<\/st1:placename> County<\/st1:placename> and a Public Regulation Commission member from Sierra<\/st1:placename> County<\/st1:placetype><\/st1:place> endorsed McCamley.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Teague said he doesn\u2019t believe it\u2019s too late to get in the race, and said he had nothing to say about McCamley.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cI personally like Bill, so I don\u2019t want to build my opponent up and I sure don\u2019t want to say anything negative about him,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\n

Teague\u2019s history with Pearce<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Teague acknowledged his previous campaign contributions to Pearce. He gave $1,000 to the congressman in 2004 and $2,100 in 2006. However, most of his contributions over the years have gone to Democrats.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Teague knows Pearce well, and said the congressman was two grades ahead of him in school. He has supported Pearce in the past in part because they have common interests in farming and livestock groups. In addition, he said his wife\u2019s family is close to the Pearce family.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Over time, Teague\u2019s support for Pearce dwindled, he said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cI supported Steve up until things got to where I just couldn\u2019t. You do certain things because of friendship, but over time, you just can\u2019t continue to do that,\u201d Teague said, adding that the shift was a result of \u201cstrong differences that I have from his perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cI guess, as time passes, it shows why he\u2019s a Republican and I\u2019m a Democrat,\u201d Teague said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Though he said he has no inside knowledge of what Pearce will decide, he is \u201cconvinced that he\u2019s going to run for Senate just because I know him.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Noting that he was the chairman for 3.5 years of a county commission whose majority was Republican, Teague said he has \u201cthe ability to bring both sides together. We made tremendous progress in Lea<\/st1:placename> County<\/st1:placetype><\/st1:place> while I was chairman.\u201d In part because of that, Teague said he\u2019s certain he can raise the money to win even if Pearce stays in the race.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Former Lea County Commissioner Harry Teague confirmed today that he\u2019s running for the Second Congressional District House seat regardless of whether U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce gives it up to run for Senate. Meanwhile, one of two Democrats Teague will have to face in a primary, Do\u00f1a Ana County Commissioner Bill McCamley, announced today an important […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2385","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2385","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2385"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2385\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2385"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2385"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}