(Updated) NM Clinton Camp Challenges Election of Laurie Weahkee as Unpledged Add-On Delegate

John Wertheim (second from left) and Mark Fleisher (far right)
complaining about add-on delegate election at SCC Meeting last Saturday

UPDATE: Click for a copy of the letter (pdf) submitted to Chairman Brian Colón by John Wertheim and nine other members of the DPNM Executive Committee regarding the process used to elect New Mexico's unpledged add-on delegate to the DNC Convention.
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As I reported previously, the Clinton camp in New Mexico raised a ruckus over the way Democratic Party of New Mexico Chair Brian Colón handled Saturday's election of the unpledged add-on delegate to the Dem National Convention. When Colón nominated two Native American women who hadn't endorsed either of the presidential candidates, former DPNM Chair John Wertheim and Clinton delegate Mark Fleisher led a rowdy effort to make an additional nomination from the floor, claiming Colon wasn't following the Party's Delegate Selection Plan.

The Clinton camp's attempt was eventually ruled out of order, and Laurie Weahkee was elected by the Party's State Central Committee to fill the NM delegation's last unpledged slot. Weahkee has said repeatedly that she hasn't yet made up her mind whether she will support Clinton or Obama for the presidential nomination.

Now Wertheim and others have submitted a letter to Colón complaining that he didn't follow the rules. The Clinton camp is saying there should be a run-off election for the slot between Weahkee and Heather Townsend, who received write-in votes from Clinton supporters on the SC-- despite the fact that she wasn't an official nominee. Townsend is an acknowledged Clinton supporter. According to an article in today's Albuquerque Journal:

In a letter this week to state Democratic Party Chairman Brian Colón, 10 ranking party members— including four Clinton superdelegates— accused Colón of breaking the delegate selection rules. Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, another Clinton superdelegate, told the Journal that she thinks Barack Obama backers put "tremendous" pressure on Colón about the selection plan.

"I don't think the governor personally would have done it," Denish said of Gov. Bill Richardson, who has endorsed Obama. "But people associated with him would have worked very hard at that on his behalf."

Richardson spokesman Pahl Shipley said Wednesday that no governor's associates put the heat on Colón, adding that Richardson played no role in the outcome of Saturday's election. Colón said Wednesday that backers of both Obama and Clinton were pressuring him heavily before his nomination of the 12th superdelegate, Laurie Weahkee, who has said she is still uncommitted to either Clinton or Obama. Colón added that the party broke no rules in the selection process, which led to Weahkee's election.

"The Clintons are fighting for every single delegate, and the Obamas are fighting for every single delegate," Colón said. "At the end of the day, what I did was follow the rules."

Here's what the Clinton camp is claiming:

Former state party Chairman John Wertheim, four Clinton superdelegates and several others said in a letter to Colón on Tuesday that he broke the rules in the nominating process by failing to meet with the party's executive committee before making his two nominations. The letter also called for a runoff between Weahkee and Townsend, who received five votes fewer than Weahkee.

"It is neither democratic nor Democratic to fail to hold the required runoff," the letter said, pointing out that none of the three received a majority vote.

I don't know what, if anything, happens next, but Colón and the Party's Executive Director are insisting that the election process followed the rules of New Mexico's Delegate Selection Plan:

Colón said he abided by party rules by consulting with several members of the executive committee before making his nominations. Party Executive Director Josh Geise said that, because Townsend was not nominated by Colón, she was not eligible to take part in Saturday's election and there will be no runoff. Shipley said Richardson backs the way Colón handled the election.

Click for the official listing of New Mexico's 42-member delegation to the DNC Convention.

New Mexico's unpledged (superdelegates) and their announced candidate affiliations are as follows:

Governor Bill Richardson (Obama)
Lt. Governor Diane D. Denish (Clinton)
U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman (Obama)
Congressman Tom Udall (Undecided)
DPNM Chairman Brian S. Colón (Undecided)
DPNM Vice Chairwoman Annadelle Sanchez (Clinton)
DNC Committeeman Raymond G. Sanchez (Clinton)
DNC Committeewoman Mary Gail Gwaltney (Clinton)
DNC Committee Member Fred Harris (Obama)
DNC At-Large Member Mayor Martin Chavez (Clinton)
DNC At-Large Member Christine Trujillo (Clinton)

Add-On At-Large Unpledged Delegate Laurie Weahkee (Undecided)

Technorati Tags:Democratic Party of New Mexico, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Laurie Weahkee, New Mexico, Brian Colon, Bill Richardson, Diane Denish, unpledge delegates, John Wertheim