Lesser Known Candidates for Domenici’s Senate Seat Topic of KNME’s ‘NM In Focus’ Tonight

From New Mexico In Focus: Big names have already announced plans to run for the U.S. Senate when Pete Domenici retires next year. Along with Tom Udall, Martin Chavez, Heather Wilson and Steve Pearce, the field includes other candidates voters may not have heard much about. This week, ‘New Mexico In Focus,’ which airs Friday night, November 16 at 7 PM and repeats Sunday, November 18 at 6:30 AM, introduces two lesser known candidates -- one a small town newspaper publisher and the other a high school English teacher. Find out why they want to run and what lesson educator Zack Boatman hopes to teach his students by venturing into national politics.

This week’s guests are Zack Boatman (Independent), and Leland Lehrman (Democrat), U.S. Senate candidates; and Santa Fe High School students John Biddle, Louis Demella and Elena Valdez. Also featured is Dr. David Jernigan, executive director, Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth.

Protecting our young people from the onslaught of alcohol advertising is also a topic on NM In Focus this week. The alcohol industry spends an estimated $2 billion annually on advertising, much of it targeting teens. Host Gene Grant sits down with one of the leading experts on alcohol advertising impacts, to find out what state leaders can do to shield young people from countless TV, radio and magazine ads.

Co-Hosted by Santa Fe Reporter staff writer David Alire Garcia and Albuquerque Journal columnist Gene Grant, ‘New Mexico In Focus’ takes a multi-layered look at social, political, economic, health, education and arts issues and explores them in-depth, with a critical eye to give them context beyond the “news of the moment.”

New Mexico In Focus, KNME, Channel 5’s prime-time news magazine show covers the events, issues, and people shaping life in New Mexico and the Southwest. The one-hour show concentrates on bringing viewers important topics of our time, and all the opinions and insight they are used to, in an integrated and cohesive package.

Producer of ‘New Mexico In Focus’ is Kevin McDonald. Support for has been provided by McCune Charitable Foundation. Closed Captioning of has been made possible by a gift from Mrs. Elspeth G. Bobbs.

Editor's Note: Leland Lehrman will officially enter the 2008 U.S. Senate race next week and complete the necessary SEC filings. Click to visit his new campaign website.