Radio Debate and New Radio Ad for NM Land Commissioner Candidate Jim Baca

Jim Baca at a DFA-DFNM Meetup earlier this year

Democratic challenger Jim Baca will debate with Republican incumbent Land Commissioner Pat Lyons live on radio KKOB-77AM's Jim Villanuci show on Monday, October 16, from 4-5:30 PM. You can also listen to a live stream at the KKOB website at that time.

Baca is locked in a tight race with Lyons, whose campaign contributions have come almost entirely from big oil and gas interests to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Lyons is also getting strong support from Republicans at the national level. He's set to launch a massive TV-ad campaign filled with the kinds of personally destructive attacks peppered with disinformation that have characterized the approach of Republicans in NM this election season.

Meanwhile the Baca campaign has launched a new radio ad calling attention to several recent financially questionable boondoggles by Lyons while serving his current term. Click to listen to the ad (mp3). You can help keep it on the air by donating what you can to the Jim Baca Campaign. If we want to elect a candidate who will work for all New Mexicans rather than just for oil and gas interests, now's the time to donate a few bucks and help Jim get his message out.

In the lastest Journal poll, Baca leads Lyons 43% to 39%, with 18% undecided. The outcome of the election may well turn on convincing those 18 percent, and the Baca campaign needs your help to accomplish that. Here's Jim Baca's response to the poll results:

New Mexico voters are rejecting Lyons’ negative advertising and looking instead to the important issue of who best will provide the proper balance of protecting our environment while generating revenue from state land from oil and gas leasing and development.

It is a very tight race, and that may be a result of Lyons’ significant war chest that has been spent on advertising that is paid by contributions from the oil and gas industry.  It’s a simple fact that the oil and gas industry wants someone in office who will do their bidding, and they’re willing to pay for it.

I’m certainly not against oil and gas production in our state, but I’m also very supportive of renewable energy development, and coordinated development on state lands. We must protect our valuable hunting and fishing areas for sportsmen. We must protect valuable water supplies and wilderness areas. Development and protection can go hand-in-hand if we balance competing interests.

We just can’t give it all away to the oil and gas industry. New Mexico voters understand the need for a balanced approach, and that may be the reason why despite heavy spending by my opponent, I remain the leader in this race.