« Tomorrow: U.S. Senate Candidate Don Wiviott at DFA-DFNM Meetup | Main | More on Domenici Retirement: Announcement Set for 4 PM Tomorrow in ABQ »
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
(With Updates) AP Report: Domenici to Announce Retirement Tomorrow
Big news. Tomorrow Sen. Pete Domenici will announce his intention to retire at the end of his current term according to "anonymous Republican officials" quoted in a short AP story released about an hour ago. The story says he'll make the formal announcement in New Mexico that he will end a 36-year career in the Senate next year. I'll be adding more as it becomes available.
Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post quoted sources close to the 75-year-old Senator saying "he will fly home to New Mexico tomorrow to make the announcement that he is retiring."
UPDATE: The top Dem contender in the Senate race right now is Santa Fe green developer Don Wiviott, who just happens to be scheduled as the keynoter at our DFA-DFNM Meetup in Albuquerque tomorrow night. Click for more info on that.
Wiviott is saying he's committed to the race regardless:
"We remain committed to moving forward in this race. The issues remain the same. When no one else was willing to get up and go against Pete, we were committed, and we remain committed now."
The possibility of other, more prominent Democrats jumping into the race, Wiviott said, is “certainly no more daunting than running against Domenici.”
“We jumped in early, we got committed and we got set up,” he said. “I’ve never backed out of a fight, and I won’t do it now.”
Domenici’s retirement, Wiviott said, is “a seismic shift for the agenda that we’re putting forward. What this means is that we have a much better shot of ending the war…”
Wilson and Pearce
The phones of Reps. Heather Wilson (R, NM-01) and Steve Pearce (R, NM-02), the most likely to run for Senate on the Republican side, must be ringing off the hook. Both have some problems. Wilson is implicated in the scandal surrounding the firing of U.S. Attorneys by virtue of a phone call she admits making to former USA David Iglesias and just barely won her race against former Attorney General Patricia Madrid last time out. Pearce is so far to the right that it's difficult to see him winning a statewide race. Both were recently named by CREW to a 22-member list of the most corrupt members of Congress -- Wilson for her admitted role in the Iglesias scandal, Pearce for failing to report a stock transaction and allegations having to do with BLM Otero Mesa oil leases and Yates Petroleum, Pearce's single largest donor. Domenici also made the list due to a phone call that Iglesias described as "pressuring" him to issue indictments in a pending corruption case.
If Pearce decides to run for Senate that would likely benefit Dem Bill McCamley, who's currently in the running, and any other Dems who would decide to enter the race.
Dem Senate Candidates
Besides Wiviott, there's speculation all over the net about the possibility that other Dems will get in the race now that Domenici's out of the way. Names popping up include Rep. Tom Udall (NM-03), Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, ex-Attorney General Patricia Madrid (who ran against Wilson last time out), Albuquerque Mayor Marty Chavez, State Auditor Hector Balderas, State Treasurer James Lewis and Gov. Bill Richardson. Candidates must declare for the race by February 2008, and any primary would be decided in June of that year.
If Udall decides to run for Senate, it's almost a shoe-in for any Dem that runs for Congress in New Mexico's liberal 3rd District up North.
October 3, 2007 at 04:27 PM in 2008 NM Senate Race | Permalink
Comments
All I can think of is GOOD RIDDANCE, Pete hasn't represented his constituents very well since he became a rubber stamp for Bu$hCo in 01. I really would like to see Gov Richardson step up and run for his seat, I don't believe that the Gov will get the Presidential nomination and he sure could do our state a world of good as our Senator.
Posted by: VP | Oct 3, 2007 6:24:02 PM
Can't agree with you on Richardson. What we don't need is another DLC Democrat in the Senate, voting with the other cowards. Richardson is deliberately trying to stake out the left and antiwar positions in the presidential race to try and knock out Edwards and clear him out to give Hillary a better chance. But his record shows he's no progressive when push comes to shove. He's politically expedient, period.
I like Wiviott and if any other "name" Dem comes in I hope it's Udall or Denish. Let's hope Madrid and Marty Chavez stay far away.
Posted by: Old Dem | Oct 3, 2007 6:53:54 PM
Richardson's EGO would never run for senate.
Right now he is posturing for a cabinet seat in the Clinton phase III.
Posted by: mary ellen | Oct 3, 2007 6:54:22 PM
Old Dem, I agree we don't need another DLC crony in the Senate. I haven't been paying that much attention to what he (Gov) has been up to so if I was wrong, I stand corrected. Thanks for the heads up.
Posted by: VP | Oct 3, 2007 9:06:35 PM
no we need another DLC member, Wivott will get crushed in a primary against Wilson or Pearce, why give it to the GOP?
Udall enjoys his seat on the the appropriation committee, Patsy makes to much money, and Diane wants to be Governor.
Marty is the guy, he is embattled and can beat Heather and Pearce.
Posted by: New Dem | Oct 3, 2007 11:27:51 PM
Marty was just crushed in all the races and referendums he was pushing and pretending not to in the Albuquerque municipal election. His work behind the scenes in the attempt to recall Don Harris was truly evil. He is a has been now, a lame duck. The Democratic base here can't stand him and I highly doubt he could win anything in a Democratic primary if he has a challenger which he will.
Richardson could never stand being a junior Senastor. He is doing the work of pretending to be on the left so Edwards won't take as many votes from Hillary and he will be rewarded.
If Denish runs for Senate she will win big. She has a big following all over the state on both sides of the aisle and she isn't a bully and crook like Marty Chavez.
If anyone runs against Wiviott in the primary I hope it's her.
Posted by: | Oct 4, 2007 12:23:29 AM
