NM-Sen Race: Marty Chavez Disses Tom Udall, Others

Anyone else shocked and dismayed that Mayor Marty Chavez has the nerve to paint Rep. Tom Udall -- one of the most respected and widely popular political figures in the state -- as a fringe left candidate? In an interview with Las Cruces blogger Heath Haussamen, Chavez is quoted as follows commenting on the Dem primary race for U.S. Senate in New Mexico:

He [Chavez] also said he is confident he would defeat Udall in a primary. "Philosophically, he's so far to the left," Chavez said. "I'd rather not have him in the race, but that's a challenge I'd not shy away from."

Despite serious misgivings about Chavez's primary run on the part of many Democrats -- high and low -- he comes across as supremely confident he can beat anyone because, well, he's "moderate" Marty Chavez and any other baggage he carries is apparently irrelevant:

"I feel very strongly that this is going to be a Democratic pickup and I'm going to be that Democrat, because I'm a moderate Democrat," Chavez said. "I think the Republicans are more afraid of me than some others."

... He also said he isn't concerned about U.S. Reps. Heather Wilson and Steve Pearce, the two Republicans who are running. He said Wilson "is in trouble" because she's damaged from the 2006 election and the U.S. attorney scandal, and Pearce - who he called the likely winner of the GOP primary - "is way outside the mainstream."

In contrast, a statewide SurveyUSA poll, conducted for Albuquerque's KOB-TV from October 5-7, 2007, shows Pearce 21 points over Chavez and Wilson besting Chavez by four. The poll also has Pearce losing to Tom Udall by 18 points, as well as Wilson losing to Udall by 18 points. Seems that according to those polled anyway, it's Chavez who's outside the mainstream in some way.

Chavez also said he's "not concerned" about running against popular Lt. Gov. Diane Denish in the Dem Senate primary, should she decide to enter the race:

Chavez said he isn't worried. Denish has already raised more than $1 million for a 2010 gubernatorial run, and with Chavez abandoning his gubernatorial bid to instead run for Senate, he said it wouldn't make sense for her to enter the race. He said he is "not concerned" even if she does enter the race.

In addition, Chavez is out of step with those who believe that Albuquerque's recent municipal election, where the candidates he backed lost miserably, was a meaningful gauge of his current popularity:

Chavez said he doesn't "take much" from the results of the city election because turnout was only 9 percent.

... "I have legitimate progressive credentials, but I am pro-business," Chavez said, adding he believes the two can go together.

Marty doesn't seem to get that there's a big difference between being supportive of local business interests and giving away the store to sprawl developers and other big donors while claiming to be "progressive" and "green." There's also a big difference between Dems respected by New Mexicans for their integrity and fair play, no matter what their political stripe, and those who too often come across as concerned only with maximizing their own power by any means necessary.

To read our previous posts on the 2008 U.S. Senate race in New Mexico, visit our archive.