{"id":2737,"date":"2008-01-14T23:12:00","date_gmt":"2008-01-15T05:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmpolitics.net\/index\/2008\/01\/presidential-campaigns-get-active-in-new-mexico-as-denish-backs-clinton-and-domenici-backs-mccain\/"},"modified":"2008-01-14T23:12:00","modified_gmt":"2008-01-15T05:12:00","slug":"presidential-campaigns-get-active-in-new-mexico-as-denish-backs-clinton-and-domenici-backs-mccain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2008\/01\/presidential-campaigns-get-active-in-new-mexico-as-denish-backs-clinton-and-domenici-backs-mccain\/","title":{"rendered":"Presidential campaigns get active in New Mexico as Denish backs Clinton and Domenici backs McCain"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Hillary Clinton<\/a> scored a major victory in New Mexico<\/st1:state><\/st1:place> today when Lt. Gov. Diane Denish<\/a> endorsed her, but Barack Obama\u2019s<\/a> campaign is also focusing on the state and John Edwards\u2019<\/a> organization may soon follow. On the Republican side, meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici<\/a> today endorsed the campaign of John McCain<\/a>. <\/p>\n

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

Gov. Bill Richardson\u2019s<\/a> withdrawal from the presidential race has left the state\u2019s delegates to the Democratic convention in August up for grabs, and New Mexico<\/st1:place><\/st1:state> is gaining increased attention in advance of its Feb. 5 Democratic caucus.<\/p>\n

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

\"\"<\/a>Today\u2019s announcement that Denish will chair Clinton\u2019s campaign in New Mexico comes four days after the lieutenant governor was released from her role as national co-chair of Women for Richardson because the governor disbanded his campaign. Denish was joined on the conference call announcing her endorsement by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio <\/a>Villaraigosa<\/a>, the national chairman of Clinton<\/st1:place><\/st1:city>\u2019s campaign.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cAs voters in New Mexico and states across the country ask themselves two important questions \u2013 who will be the best president and who\u2019s ready to win in November \u2013 I\u2019m confident that the answer will be the same as Lt. Gov. Denish and I have come to, and that\u2019s Sen. Clinton,\u201d Villaraigosa said.<\/p>\n

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

Denish said the senator has \u201cthe heart, the record and the experience to bring about the change that we need.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cWe have to have a leader who\u2019s ready to start doing things on day one and making change happen,\u201d the lieutenant governor said.<\/p>\n

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

Clinton<\/st1:place><\/st1:city>, in a news release, said Denish is \u201ca true inspiration.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cAs lieutenant governor, she has shown a true, committed passion for helping New Mexico<\/st1:state>\u2019s families,\u201d Clinton<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> said. \u201cLike her, I have chosen this life of public service because I want to help people and build a brighter future for everyone. I am running for president not to put Band-Aids on America<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>\u2019s problems. I want to solve them.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Obama, Edwards also organizing<\/span><\/p>\n

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

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

Meanwhile, the Obama campaign opened its first New Mexico<\/st1:state> office in Albuquerque<\/st1:city> on Wednesday, the day before Richardson<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> withdrew from the race. The campaign plans to open offices in Las Cruces<\/st1:city> and Santa Fe<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> in the coming days, a campaign spokeswoman said. Obama\u2019s campaign has upcoming events<\/a> scheduled in Albuquerque<\/st1:city>, Santa Fe<\/st1:city>, Los Alamos, Gallup<\/st1:city>, Taos<\/st1:city> and Roswell<\/st1:place><\/st1:city>.<\/p>\n

\n

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

In addition, an Obama staffer held meetings over the weekend with activists in Las Cruces<\/st1:city> and Mesquite<\/st1:place><\/st1:city>. Arturo Uribe, an organizer with New Mexico PACE<\/a>, was one of seven people who met with the Obama staffer in Mesquite<\/st1:place><\/st1:city>. He said they discussed the political situation in the area and how the Obama campaign can gain attention here.<\/p>\n

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

\n

Though Uribe said he personally supports Obama, his organization isn\u2019t backing any candidate and has also spoken with the campaigns of Clinton and Edwards. Uribe said he is interested in bringing any Democratic and Republican presidential candidates to Southern New Mexico<\/st1:place> to help voters make educated decisions.<\/p>\n

\n

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

Only the state\u2019s Democrats will caucus on Feb. 5. Republicans opted not to hold their vote until June, so there is expected to be far less GOP presidential candidate activity in New Mexico<\/st1:place><\/st1:state> this year.<\/p>\n

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

\"\"<\/a>The Edwards campaign had its first organizational conference call with New Mexico<\/st1:state> supporters in December, long before Richardson<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> left the race, but the campaign doesn\u2019t appear to be getting as active in the state as the campaigns of the two Democratic frontrunners. Instead of helping organize the New Mexico<\/st1:state> effort, the state\u2019s most visible Edwards supporter, former Attorney General Patricia Madrid<\/a>, has spent the last several days campaigning in Nevada<\/st1:place><\/st1:state>. She returned to New Mexico<\/st1:place><\/st1:state> this evening.<\/p>\n

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

Madrid<\/st1:state> said Edwards \u201chas a loyal following in New Mexico<\/st1:place><\/st1:state>,\u201d and she thinks the campaign will hold a conference call with supporters in the state in the next week.<\/p>\n

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

Domenici backs McCain<\/span><\/p>\n

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

\"\"<\/a>Meanwhile, the McCain campaign announced today the endorsement of New Mexico<\/st1:place><\/st1:state>\u2019s senior senator. In a news release, Domenici, a colleague of McCain, called the Arizona<\/st1:state><\/st1:place> senator \u201cthe best candidate on the issues upon which I have spent most of my career \u2013 deficit reduction, federal spending reform, a strong military and the increased use of nuclear power for electricity generation in this time of global climate change.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\"\"<\/a>\u201cI believe, based upon my years on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee and my work with Sen. McCain, that he will bring the strongest leadership to what I consider the most important question facing America<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> \u2013 how we defend ourselves against Islamic extremists bent on destroying this nation,\u201d Domenici said. \u201cAnd, despite my own personal misgivings last year, Sen. McCain was, and continues to be, right on the American military surge in Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> and the strategy outlined by General David Petraeus. John displayed the kind of courage and consistency a president must have.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

McCain thanked Domenici for his support.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cPete is a leader in the U.S. Senate who is dedicated to environmental conservation and, as a member of the Indian Affairs Committee, has committed himself to addressing the challenges facing America<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>\u2019s native communities,\u201d McCain said. \u201cHe proudly represents the people of New Mexico<\/st1:place><\/st1:state>, and I am proud to have him working on my behalf in the Western states.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

More to come<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Denish said other prominent New Mexicans were preparing to endorse Clinton<\/st1:place><\/st1:city>, but she would not release their names, saying \u201cthey\u2019re going to want to make their own announcements.\u201d A group of prominent elected officials are also preparing to publicly back Obama.<\/p>\n

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

Denish said during today\u2019s conference call that she spoke with Richardson earlier in the day, and he indicated that he might endorse one of the Democratic presidential candidates after Nevada holds its caucus on Saturday. Denish said she did not know who the governor would endorse.<\/p>\n

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

The lieutenant governor said she hopes Clinton<\/st1:city> will be able to visit New Mexico<\/st1:place><\/st1:state> before Feb. 5. Uribe said he hopes any candidate who comes to New Mexico<\/st1:state> takes the time to visit rural communities on the frontlines of issues like immigration, instead of making only quick stops in Santa Fe<\/st1:city> and Albuquerque<\/st1:place><\/st1:city>.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cSince Gov. Richardson dropped out of the race, there\u2019s a tremendous opportunity for any candidate to come to New Mexico<\/st1:state>, stand in a border community like Sunland<\/st1:placename> Park<\/st1:placetype><\/st1:place>, with families, and talk about issues like immigration,\u201d Uribe said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hillary Clinton scored a major victory in New Mexico today when Lt. Gov. Diane Denish endorsed her, but Barack Obama\u2019s campaign is also focusing on the state and John Edwards\u2019 organization may soon follow. On the Republican side, meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici today endorsed the campaign of John McCain. Gov. Bill Richardson\u2019s withdrawal from […]<\/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-2737","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2737","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=2737"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2737\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2737"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2737"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2737"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}