Mayor Chavez Helps Repub Councilor Raise Campaign Funds

Once again Albuquerque Mayor Marty Chavez, who calls himself a Democrat, is helping a Republican in the fundraising department. Chavez co-hosted a $500 per person benefit yesterday at Scalo's designed to help Republican City Councilor Don Harris pay off his campaign debt. Harris was elected in November in a District 9 race against Democrat Chris Catechis.

Click to see the invitation to the event, which was mailed out with an instruction to RSVP to Teri Baird, Chavez's campaign finance honcho. A Marston Moore post this past September on Duke City Fix provides a rundown on Baird's history of mishaps, legal problems and fundraising prowess applied to the likes of ABQPAC, the slush fund set up to provide Chavez with pocket money "donated" by "high-ranking city employees, real estate developers, lawyers, bankers, city contractors and city vendors."

Chavez's connections with Don Harris are well-documented. Check out another post by Marston Moore at DCF on this topic, which also reveals that Harris is a close friend of Teri Baird. Ah the circles go round and round, and the big question is, what does Marty want from Don Harris? After all, the Mayor's support doesn't usually come without strings attached.

Chavez has a pattern of helping some Republicans, especially those who can help further his causes or help stop initiatives he's against. One example is provided by the recently defeated municipal ethics package introduced by Councilor Brad Winter where Marty's partner in crime, Sally Mayer, was one of the nays in a vote decided by one nay. Chavez has endorsed Republicans running against Democrats, including Mayer, who ran against talented Dem Marianne Dickinson in District 7 last Fall, and Sen. Pete Domenici, who has stated he will run for reelection once more in 2008.

I don't understand why Marty continues to call himself a Democrat, do you? If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck....