First Look at Marty Chavez's Senate Campaign Team

A Roll Call article (subscription only) entitled, "Chavez Consolidating Democratic Establishment Support in New Mexico" provides an early look at the team Mayor Marty Chavez is putting together for his primary run for U.S. Senate in New Mexico.

I find it telling that Mayor Marty's finance team is "composed of many individuals from outside the mayor's Albuquerque base." That might just be because so many rank and file Democrats in the Albuquerque area don't consider him to be a genuine Democrat or one that can be trusted. Chavez seems to be drawing heavily from the big dollar donors with ties to oil and gas, horse racing and gambling interests that have been among the campaign funding mainstays in the political circles of Gov. Bill Richardson and Lt. Gov. Diane Denish.

Judging from those named, I wouldn't be surprised if Denish and Chavez made some kind of deal that's aimed at giving Chavez support for his Senate run while leaving a clear path for Denish to the governorship in 2010 -- or earlier if Richardson leaves New Mexico for a job in DC. If true, I hate to say it -- but yuck. Nothing like helping a flawed candidate with undoubtedly high negatives in order to assure that your own political path is easier. I hope I'm wrong.

The article says that the list of Chavez's "cadre of supporters" suggests that Richardson and Denish won't be running for the Senate seat, and that Marty claims he's lined up $560,000 in campaign pledges. No money in the bank, just "pledges." Trying to scare off the competition? You bet.

The Chavez Team According to Roll Call

Campaign Manager: Mark Fleisher, who ran Chavez's '05 mayoral reelection campaign

Finance Team:

• Edward Romero, former ambassador to Spain
• Jamie Koch, who chaired Richardson's first run for governor in 2002 and is the finance co-chair of Denish's 2010 gubernatorial campaign committee as well as a former business partner of her late father, Jack Daniels.
• Paul Blanchard, who serves on Richardson's presidential campaign finance committee
• Johnny Cope, wealthy oil and gas executive and a big fundraiser for statewide Dem candidates and another Denish ally
• Javier Gonzales, former Santa Fe County Commissioner
• Bud Dziak, insurance executive and prominent Repub fundraiser
• Mike Anaya, former chair of the NM Dem Party and brother of former Dem Gov. Toney Anaya.

General Consulting: McMahon Squier Lapp and Associates

Polling: Celinda Lake of Lake Research Partners

Media Consulting: Intends to sign Murphy Putnam Media LLC.

I'll be writing more soon about the backgrounds and connections of the Chavez team. For now, suffice it to say that it's clear that Mayor Marty will be running for the Senate nomination much as he has for Mayor -- with an emphasis on big donor bucks from the usual suspects who are heavily involved in the big business community. It should be interesting to see how the Party's State Central Committee members and primary voters will react to this approach to securing the nomination. Not only is Chavez seen as an anti-progressive DLC-type Dem, his operating style and power base is viewed with what might be termed disdain on the part of many. It's one thing to be "moderate" but quite another to be ethically challenged.

Additional Media and General Consulting: Brown Inc.

Direct Mail: The Mack Crounse Group