The gubernatorial race is suddenly a lot more interesting.<\/p>\n
J.R. Damron\u2019s departure will result in a brutal, nasty campaign between Bill Richardson and his new Republican challenger, John Dendahl. Dendahl is controversial even within his own party for aggressive campaigning. Richardson is vulnerable on a lot of issues.<\/p>\n
There are the airplane rides he accepted as gifts. There are the jobs he created without legislative approval that some legislators have called illegal. There are the appointees, magistrate judge and otherwise, who have been huge embarrassments. There are the controversial commuter rail and spaceport projects. (I support the spaceport, but it\u2019s still controversial.) There are allegations, backed by fairly convincing evidence, that the governor vetoes the capital outlay projects of those legislators who oppose him.<\/p>\n
I could go on, but there\u2019s no need. Dendahl is sure to do it. As a syndicated columnist for Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Las Cruces newspapers for the past few years, Dendahl knows the issues.<\/p>\n
Richardson is a man of vision. He has big plans for the state, and wants them accomplished quickly while he builds his r\u00e9sum\u00e9 for a presidential run.<\/p>\n
But critics who say he plays fast and loose are right. An example is the commuter rail, which has a final price tag that more than tripled from what the Richardson administration first told legislators.<\/p>\n
Oops.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s those flubs Dendahl will attack.<\/p>\n
But will it matter?<\/p>\n
Not likely. Sure, Dendahl will energize the conservative base and raise more money than Damron, but it will take much more to convince voters to send the popular Richardson packing.<\/p>\n
The right-wing Dendahl won\u2019t convince many moderates to vote for him, so he\u2019ll have to convince them to vote against Richardson.<\/p>\n
Dendahl\u2019s entry into the contest will make this an interesting election year, and that should lead to higher voter turnout in November. And, in the end, anything is possible.<\/p>\n
Richardson was aiming to win 70 percent of the vote in November, sources tell me. I don\u2019t think that will happen now.<\/p>\n