{"id":26922,"date":"2011-03-07T15:19:09","date_gmt":"2011-03-07T22:19:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmpolitics.net\/index\/?p=26922"},"modified":"2011-03-08T08:56:45","modified_gmt":"2011-03-08T15:56:45","slug":"wilson-formally-enters-u-s-senate-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2011\/03\/wilson-formally-enters-u-s-senate-race\/","title":{"rendered":"Wilson formally enters U.S. Senate race"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Former U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M. (Photo by Heath Haussamen)<\/p><\/div>\n

This article has been updated and is continuing to be updated as the news develops.<\/em><\/p>\n

Former U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson<\/a> formally entered the race to replace Democrat Jeff Bingaman<\/a> in the Senate today during an event that was clearly designed to discourage other Republicans from challenging Wilson for the party\u2019s nomination.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am a candidate for the United State Senate,\u201d Wilson said, adding that she is running because she is \u201cdeeply concerned about the future of our economy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first thing we have to do is get our financial house in order,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cWashington just does not get it. \u2026 Ladies and gentlemen, we cannot borrow our way to prosperity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wilson also talked about national security, health care, and the importance of families.<\/p>\n

A number of high-profile Republicans joined Wilson at her announcement in Albuquerque. They included former U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici<\/a>, Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry<\/a>, former U.S. Reps. Bill Redmond<\/a> and Manuel Lujan<\/a>, and former GOP gubernatorial candidates Allen Weh<\/a>, Pete Domenici Jr.<\/a> and Janice Arnold-Jones<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2018The only candidate who can beat the Democrat\u2019<\/h3>\n

Wilson was also joined by former land commissioner candidate Matt Rush<\/a>, who talked to the crowd about the importance of Republicans getting behind one candidate in the Senate race. He said Wilson is \u201cthe only candidate who can beat the Democrat.\u201d<\/p>\n

The event was clearly designed to include a number of heavy-hitters who would emphasize Rush\u2019s plea.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wholeheartedly endorse Heather Wilson as the Republican candidate for the United States Senate,\u201d Domenici told the crowd present for Wilson\u2019s announcement. \u201c\u2026 She is the best candidate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Redmond, whose endorsement helps Wilson among social conservatives, agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cHeather is a person of faith and conviction, well-aligned with our conservative values,\u201d he said. \u201c\u2026 Heather and Heather alone is qualified to understand the crisis that\u2019s before us as an American people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lujan talked about what\u2019s at stake for Republicans if they don\u2019t get behind one candidate, and referred to the divisive 2008 U.S. Senate primary battle between Wilson and U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce<\/a>. Ultimately, in 2008 Republicans went from holding three of five of New Mexico\u2019s seats in Washington to holding none.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe lost all our seats last time,\u201d Lujan said.<\/p>\n

Wilson opened her speech by recognizing those present and talking about New Mexico lawmakers who couldn\u2019t attend her announcement because the Legislature is in session. She said almost half of the Republicans in the N.M. House and Senate \u201care endorsing me today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Status of the race<\/h3>\n

Wilson represented the Albuquerque-area First Congressional District in Washington from 1998 to 2009, earning a reputation as a moderate \u2013 Wilson uses the term \u201ccommonsense conservative\u201d<\/a> \u2013 and a major player on some high-profile issues. As an Air Force veteran, she focused much of her time in the U.S. House on national security issues.<\/p>\n

In 2008, she gave up her House seat to run for the Senate seat being vacated by Domenici. She lost the GOP primary that year to Pearce, who went on to lose in the general election to Democrat Tom Udall<\/a>. Pearce was recently re-elected to his old House seat.<\/p>\n

Two less-known Republicans have also entered the U.S. Senate race \u2013\u00a0Greg Sowards<\/a> and\u00a0William S. English<\/a>. In addition, Lt. Gov. John Sanchez is seriously considering running<\/a>, and Pearce says he\u2019s also thinking about running<\/a>.<\/p>\n

No Democrats have entered the race.<\/p>\n

Treating Wilson like the frontrunner<\/h3>\n

Democrats are already hammering Wilson and treating her like the frontrunner for the GOP nomination. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee<\/a> has sent e-mail after e-mail to the media about Wilson and is highlighting national attention for a video<\/a> it\u2019s promoting.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor years, Heather Wilson was part of the problem in Washington, and now she wants to be sent back,\u201d DSCC\u00a0Communications\u00a0Director Eric Schultz said in a news release. \u201cLast time around, New Mexico primary voters rejected her, and turns out they had good reason to.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the main shots from Democrats has been about Wilson\u2019s role in the scandal that followed the Bush administration\u2019s 2006 firings of several U.S. attorneys<\/a>, including New Mexico\u2019s David Iglesias<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Domenici and Wilson separately called Iglesias in October 2006. Iglesias claims they called to discuss an ongoing criminal investigation involving a high-ranking Democrat. Wilson says she didn\u2019t call to discuss any specific case or person and did not discuss a case involving that high-ranking Democrat, Manny Aragon, with Iglesias.<\/p>\n

At the time, Wilson was in a tough re-election battle for her House seat that she ended up winning by fewer than 1,000 votes out of about 211,000 cast.<\/p>\n

Iglesias has alleged that Domenici and Wilson pressured him to speed indictments against Aragon, a former state Senate president, and others involved in the case in an attempt to sway voters, a charge both deny. Days after the election, Iglesias was fired.<\/p>\n

Last year, a criminal investigation ended<\/a> without Domenici or any others being charged. Wilson, who has said the Justice Department \u201cbadly mishandled\u201d Iglesias\u2019 firing, was not a target of that investigation, and the House Ethics Committee decided against launching a formal investigation into her role in the situation after conducting an informal review<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Still, Javier Gonzales, chairman of the Democratic Party of New Mexico<\/a>, referenced the U.S. attorney scandal in a prepared statement:<\/p>\n

\u201cNew Mexico voters\u00a0will not soon forget the image of a desperate Heather Wilson trying to influence a federal investigation to benefit her campaign in 2006,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s the kind of politics you get with Heather Wilson and it\u2019s the wrong kind of politics for New Mexico.\u201d<\/p>\n

A long list of endorsements<\/h3>\n

In a news release announcing her candidacy, Wilson included endorsement statements from dozens of current and former New Mexico elected officials. Among them were a number of high-profile conservatives from around the state.<\/p>\n

It appeared to be an intentional response to Republicans who say Wilson isn\u2019t conservative enough to be the party\u2019s nominee.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe Heather Wilson is the right person for New Mexico,\u201d said Bloomfield Mayor and San Juan County Commissioner Scott Eckstein<\/a>. \u201cI believe she can win and she will represent us well.\u201d<\/p>\n

State Sen. Clinton Harden<\/a> of Clovis pointed to his past service with Wilson in the administration of former Gov. Gary Johnson.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe showed a real talent for getting the waste out of\u00a0government while making sure it\u00a0worked well for citizens,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m proud to endorse her and call her my friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

State Sen. Gay Kernan<\/a> of Hobbs called Wilson \u201ca solid leader who understands the concerns of New Mexicans.\u201d State Sen. Bill Burt<\/a> of Alamogordo said Wilson \u201cwill be the perfect new senator for New Mexico.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

UPDATED: Former U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson formally entered the race to replace Democrat Jeff Bingaman in the Senate today during an event that was clearly designed to discourage other Republicans from challenging Wilson for the party\u2019s nomination.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,1],"tags":[156,116],"class_list":["post-26922","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-and-analysis","category-uncategorized","tag-2012-election","tag-washington"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26922","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=26922"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26922\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26922"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26922"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26922"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}