Domenici's Hand-Picked Successor Announces Senate Run; What Will Pearce Do?

Yesterday afternoon Rep. Heather Wilson (NM-01) stated that she'll be running for Pete Domenici's Senate seat during a hastily called news conference at the Nativo Lodge hotel in Albuquerque. Wilson attempted to head off perceptions that her jumping into the ring so quickly -- only a day after Domenici announced his retirement -- might be seen as insensitive. She claimed this wasn't an "official" announcement saying, "There will be an opportunity later for formal campaign kick-offs and celebrations. This just doesn’t seem the day for it." The political posters behind her and the presence of her husband and children on the stage seemed to indicate otherwise.

At any rate, everyone knows this is how it has long been planned. Domenici "discovered" Wilson and encouraged her to take up the political life in the Land of Enchantment. She's publicly acknowledged he's her "mentor" and Domenici has made no secret of grooming her to be his successor.

Starting in 1998, Wilson was a staff member on the National Security Council during the first Bush administration. She moved to New Mexico in 1991 and helped found Keystone International, where she did consulting with defense-related corps on business development. At Domenici's urging, she was appointed in 1995 by then-Governor Gary Johnson to the post of cabinet secretary of NM's Childen, Youth and Family Department. Early on Wilson ran into some trouble with the media about her removing a file on her husband from the agency's records, and then lying about it on camera. She ran for the NM-01 House seat in 1998, replacing fellow Republican Rep. Steve Schiff, who died of cancer. Wilson has been there ever since, waiting in the wings for Domenici to retire so she could follow in his footsteps as his designated heir.

The Iglesias Angle
Sure, it's a little awkward to have a retiring Senator who's entangled in the U.S. Attorney firing scandal trying to pass the torch to a Representative called on the carpet for the same thing -- but in the George II era anything goes. After all, Domenici and Wilson merely took advantage of an environment where even the U.S. Justice Department was being politicized by Karl Rove. Why not pressure U.S. Attorney David Iglesias to issue pending corruption indictments right before the 2006 election? Friends help friends. Wilson needed a boost in her faltering reelection race against Patricia Madrid and Domenici was all for making it happen by any means necessary. He's used to geting his way.

So both Domenici and Wilson ended up calling Iglesias to apply the pressure. But nothing happened. Iglesias refused to buckle. The cases weren't ready. So Domenici, with help from NM GOP operatives like Pat Rogers, used his clout to get Rove, Gonzales and Bush himself to agree to put Iglesias' name on the political firing list. The goal was to get rid of USA's who dared to refuse to play ball, those who put ethics before obedience. Soon Iglesias was sent packing and the rest is history. Ethics investigations are reportedly still ongoing in the Senate and House ethics committees regarding the roles played by Heather and Pete in firing of Iglesias. Heather and Pete don't care. They're following the original game plan and working on the finale, where Pete passes the baton to his protégé. At this point, only New Mexico's voters stand in the way of the handoff.

Rep. Steve Pearce: Will He or Won't He?
There may, however, be another potential obstacle in the form of Rep. Steve Pearce of New Mexico's Third Congressional District. Pearce, a conservative true believer with close ties to the Club for Growth and other extreme right-wing think tanks, is threatening to challenge Wilson for the Senate seat and force a Repulbican primary fight. The split in the state's Republican Party between hard right ideologues and those who at least pretend to be moderate on some issues has often been volatile and on public display.

Steven Moore, one of the founders of the Club for Growth, is president of the conservative publication National Review. It's interesting that a hit piece on Rep. Wilson written by Paul J. Gessing and entitled, "Heather Wilson, Tax-and-Spend Republican: Meet One of the Last People Who Should Replace Retiring Sen. Pete Domenici," was published on the National Review website yesterday. Paul J. Gessing is president of the Rio Grande Foundation, a New Mexico right-wing think tank. The infamous John Dendahl, who ran a disastrous campaign against Gov. Bill Richardson last time out, is the foundation's former president.

The question is whether Domenici still has enough clout within the local party to hold off a Pearce run and clear the field for Heather. I think we'll probably know over the next few days. Wilson's haste in making her "unofficial" announcement to run indicates she's staking her claim early to discourage Pearce from running. No doubt he'll decide quickly if he plans to get in the race so he can start denying the perceived inevitability of Wilson's nomination.

Oh, and there's also the possibility of current NM Land Commissioner Patrick Lyons entering the Republican primary race. He's been making some noises. More on that later.

To read previous posts about the 2008 U.S. Senate race in New Mexico, visit our archive. For past posts on David Iglesias and the U.S. Attorney firing scandal, click here. Photo at top borrowed from Down With Tyranny.