Griego and Keller Release Statements on Lawsuit by Incumbent Primary Losers; Robinson Talks Melodrama

Eric Griego tells it like it is:
"I thank voters once again for electing me as the Democratic nominee to the State Senate in District 14 with a wide margin, 62% to 38%. I am confident their vote for change in the June Primary will not be undermined by the unfortunate lawsuit filed Friday.

My team and I ran a strong, ethical, issue-based, grassroots campaign that spoke to real concerns.  Along with over 100 volunteers, I knocked on over a thousand doors and spoke to hundreds of voters.  I raised almost $90 thousand from nearly 500 contributors, many of whom gave $50 or less, all of which was timely and thoroughly disclosed.

I was endorsed by numerous community organizations including: New Mexico Professional Firefighters Association; Albuquerque Area Firefighters Local 244; National Education Association, New Mexico; American Federation of Teachers; Albuquerque Teachers Federation; Sierra Club; Conservation Voters New Mexico; South Valley Regional Association of Acequias; Democracy for New Mexico; and, Hispano Round Table. 

The voters and their desire for change determined the outcome of the election.  I am confident the Court will not overturn the will of the majority of the voters. I look forward to representing District 14 in Santa Fe as state senator."

Tim Keller speaks truth to power as he did in his campaign:
Having recently lost the June Democratic Primary election in Senate District 17 by a two to one margin, Shannon Robinson filed on Friday, August 1, 2008  in District Court to contest the election results claiming that voters were defrauded and a new election should be held. Robinson is also representing defeated incumbent legislators Rep. Dan Silva and State Senator James Taylor.

"The substance of this case is baseless. We are prepared to let the legal system take its course. We expect the case will be dismissed and the will of voter's decision will be upheld," says Tim of the lawsuit. "Our campaign followed the rules and spirit of campaign finance."

"I received the support of respected leaders like Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino, City Councilor Rey Garduno, former Congressional candidate and State Senator Richard Romero; and longstanding pillars of the community like the Albuquerque Teachers Union, Albuquerque Fire Fighters Union, Albuquerque Journal and the Sierra Club.

"Each night my volunteers, family and I were on the doors, talking to voters about the policy issues affecting our district. I'm proud of the grassroots campaign I ran and honored to have received the support of elected and neighborhood leaders, donors and most importantly, an overwhelming number of voters in my district. I look forward to representing the people of Senate District 17 in Santa Fe."

On June 3, Tim Keller captured 66% of the vote in the Democratic Primary and defeated 20 year state senator Shannon Robinson in Senate District 17. More about Tim can be found at his website www.timkellerfornewmexico.com.

Paranoia Strikes Deep in Robinson
Primary loser Shannon Robinson, on the other hand, is still spreading his garbage in the blogsphere. Now he's claiming that some unnamed "insiders" from the alleged "conspiracy" to wrong him and fellow losers Dan Silva and James G. Taylor are "snitches" -- and he explains to Heath Haussamen that's how he got the basis for his frivolous suit. He insists it'll be the "snitches" who prove his case.

Even weirder, the suit claims that it's GEORGE SOROS and some mysterious others who funded the "conspiracy" to the tune of $1.5 million. I'm not kidding. A long-standing boogieman to the right-wingnuts, Soros has been accused of funding almost every liberal cause and candidate in the universe at one time or another. Now his eye just happened to be on three Democratic statehouse primaries in New Mexico. Amazing. With all the political causes and candidates seeking help in this election cycle, George chose three primary legislative races (and other unspecified contests) in the Land of Enchantment to be the beneficiaries of his secret largesse.

I knew that the defeated incumbents often voted like Republicans, but I didn't know they bought into the cliched conspiracy theories of the right about scary, scary Soros. I wonder if Robinson et al. are also awaiting The Rapture. Remember that late in the primary race Robinson put out the word that Tim Keller was actually a Republican, despite his many endorsements from prominent progressive politicos and organizations. Maybe Robinson was looking in the mirror when that strategy came into his head.

And don't forget THE ILLEGAL ALIENS! Yes, folks, the lawsuit also claims that non-citizens were rounded up, registered and "encouraged" to vote for the primary winners:

46. Contestants alllege that non-citizens were knowingly and recklessly registered by the non-profit defendants and their agents and Contestees and then encouraged those same non-citiizens to participate in the election and vote for Contestees.

Yes, the English is atrocious. Robinson must have been in a hurry. Or something. In fact, the lawsuit is rife with grammatical and factual errors. One big oopsie -- it falsely claims that Neri Holguin managed the campaigns of Griego, Keller and Eleanor Chavez. Chavez was never a client of Holguin. It also wrongly asserts that Holguin is the treasurer of Conservation Voters New Mexico. As Matt Brix of the Center for Civic Policy said to Haussamen, "There are so many completely outlandish allegations that we don't even know where to begin. Everything in the lawsuit is categorically untrue."

As to the chances for success with the suit, Robinson told Haussamen, "We're going to do real well. All you have to do is follow the money" He added that the situation is "like playing cards when the other side has a marked deck. Eric Griego says he knocked on 1,000 doors. Good for him. Then why did he have to cheat?" Earth to Robinson -- he didn't. He beat James G. Taylor hands down because of his convincing and personal outreach to the voters -- something you haven't done in years -- and his impressive track record of integrity.

Message to Ringleader Shannon Robinson -- First, admit to yourself that you were beaten because you no longer care one iota about your constituents and haven't served them responsibly in years. They noticed. Then go play some rugby and cool down in some dark joint with the wall leaners and influence peddlers you've come to know and love. You can all commisserate together about the unfairness of elections where the voters know the score because they've actually met candidates dedicated to service to the comunity, and they support them.

Robinson's actions seem like something out of those old screen melodramas. The problem is, he's the villainous guy twirling a greasy mustache and trying to tie innocent people to the tracks. In the end, the bad guy always loses and virtue always triumphs in those sensational plot lines. Remember?

Read the complaint here and here (PDFs). To see our previous coverage of these (and other) legislative primary races, visit our archive.

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