Democracy for New Mexico

Marty Chavez Disses Negative Politics & U.S. House; Ex-Wife May Run for Mayor

Since he released a statement last Friday withdrawing from the U.S. Senate race, Albuquerque Mayor Marty Chavez has essentially been in hiding from the public. He hasn't appeared at a single press conference -- a rarity for the camera-loving Mayor. Although he was present at Friday's lighting of the Old Town Christmas tree, Marty reportedly fled the scene when invited to the podium. He's let his campaign manager, Mark Fleisher, do most of the talking, and Fleisher has been repeating a story that poor internal polling numbers were the reason Marty decided to abruptly withdraw from the race.

That explanation always seemed odd, given that all of the polling numbers from day one of Marty's Senate campaign were poor. Juicy rumors continue to percolate about the real reason Chavez suddenly fled the race. Dark innuendos multiply by the day. Now we have another scenario, directly from Marty via a telephone interview with Albuquerque Journal reporter Jeff Jones:

Chávez on Tuesday contended the poll did not play a role in his decision to get out of the race. He said he became convinced it would take a "particularly hard-hitting" primary race to secure the Democratic nomination, leaving the winner "bloody and weakened" heading into the general election ... He said Washington had "no role in my getting in, or getting out."

In other words, Chavez claims he was just being noble -- and doing so of his own volition -- putting the interests of the NM Dem Party before his own ambitions. Right. That's why his campaign began reciting negative mantras about Rep. Tom Udall even before NM-02's Congressman officially joined the Senate primary race. It's bad enough when fellow Dems fling mud as a close race draws to a close, but Marty went negative from the get-go.

Mayor Marty Too Genteel for U.S. House
Chavez had an even more outrageous explanation for why he won't enter the NM-01 Congressional race:

Chávez, in a telephone interview, blasted the U.S. House of Representatives and said that jumping into the race for the open, Albuquerque-based seat is "not an option." The House is "not a place where I want to be," said Chávez ... He said Tuesday that while the Senate remains a place where "individuals of substance gather," the House— whose members face re-election every two years, compared with six-year terms for senators— is "not a place for ladies and gentlemen any longer. ... They play a type of politics (that) I think is destructive."

Gag me with a spoon. Where do I even begin parsing these statements? Marty aghast at "destructive" politics? If the U.S. House is not a place for "ladies and gentlemen," does that mean that Rep. Tom Udall is just another low-life politico, at home for years in a setting beneath the dignity of Chavez? I guess Marty suddenly sees himself as a man of "substance" who's above the political fray, too unsullied and high minded to consider running for an office as shabby as the U.S. House. Amazing.

After all, this is a man who has been reveling in back-room, backstabbing politics at their most venal during his City Hall years. I guess he considers his underhanded skirmishes with the City Council and his belligerant antics in pushing his my-way-or-the-highway initiatives as a better match for the refined sensibilities of the U.S. Senate than what he sees as the nasty strategery of the U.S. House. My, my.

Margaret Aragon De Chavez Pondering Mayoral Run
In another intriguing development, Marty's ex-wife, Margaret Aragon De Chavez, told KOB-TV news that she'll form an exploratory committee next Spring to study whether she should run for Albuquerque Mayor in 2009. In her on-camera interview (text and video), Aragon De Chavez said:

... [running for Mayor] is something a lot of people have encouraged her to do. Aragon De Chavez said her experiences as a school teacher, principal, real estate agent, and single mother would make her a strong candidate.

"If you want to be an effective leader, you've gotta have the ability not to waffle on issues. I also think you've got to have compassion to listen and if you feel that you've made the wrong choice, you need to admit it and say it needs to be reevaluated," she said.

Aragon De Chavez previously considered running for Mayor in 2005, following her 2004 divorce from Marty. Asked about the possibility that she might be running against Marty in 2009, she said:

"You know I really don't want to talk about the possibility of other candidates, because I think what I need to think about is what would make me the best candidate and that's what I'm going to focus on," she said.

... Aragon De Chavez said her two teenage children plan on working for her campaign if she decides to run for mayor.

Timing is everything, isn't it? Marty told the Journal that "a possible run for a fourth mayoral term, a bid for the governor's job in 2010 or a return to the private sector all remain "on the table," but added that he's currently focused on his mayoral duties."

The current City Charter includes term limits that would preclude another mayoral run by Marty. However, if he wanted to run for a third consecutive term, which would be his fourth term in total, Marty could either try to change the Charter or challenge its constitutionality in court. A similar term limit provision for City Councilors was struck down by the New Mexico Supreme Court in the mid-1990s.

Click for archives of our previous coverage of the 2008 U.S. Senate race in New Mexico and the 2008 NM-01 Congressional race.

NM-Sen: Real Clear Politics Ranks Race #2 in Nation

The 2008 Senate race in New Mexico moved into the number two ranking at "The Exchange" created by the respected national website Real Clear Politics. The races are ranked based on the order in which they think they're most likely to change hands -- that is, the number one race is the seat most likely to switch from one party's control to the other.

2. New Mexico (R-Open): If Republicans can get bad news about New Mexico, bet that they will. When Sen. Pete Domenici announced his retirement, moderate Albuquerque Rep. Heather Wilson looked like a great candidate to retain the seat for the GOP. Then, dominoes started falling: Conservative Rep. Steve Pearce joined Wilson in the GOP primary. Rep. Tom Udall, a popular Democrat who will be well-funded, reconsidered his earlier decision not to run and jumped into the race, giving the party their strongest candidate to take the seat. But Udall's path wasn't entirely clear: He faced Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez in the primary. Until, that is, Chavez dropped his bid, giving Udall a clear shot. News can't get any worse for Republicans in New Mexico. But if it can, it probably will.

I just can't wait till the gloves come off in the Repub primary between Heather Wilson and Steve Pearce, can you? Should expose the powerful rifts within the local GOP structure and bring out all kinds of damaging things about both candidates.

NM-Sen: Why Did Marty Chavez Quit the Race? Door Still Ajar for NM-01 Run?

The abrupt departure of Mayor Martin Chavez from the U.S. Senate race in New Mexico on Friday is naturally spawning many theories about the reasons behind the move. Many have pointed to possible pressure to throw in the towel from heavyweights like Sen. Chuck Schumer, who heads the DSCC, and other powerful Dems who made it known they don't think Marty has what it takes to win a Senate race.

In a Sunday Albuquerque Journal article, Marty's campaign manager, Mark Fleisher, claims the decision to withdraw from the race was based on internal polling results, received Monday, that provided a dismal picture of Chavez's chances:

Disappointing results from an internal poll -- and not closed-door arm twisting from Democratic power brokers in Washington -- came during the run-up to Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez's surprise decision to quit the 2008 U.S. Senate race, his top campaign staffer said Saturday.

... Fleisher said he and Chavez began discussing a possible exit from the race last Monday when the Chavez camp got early results from an internal poll that "wasn't very favorable." He declined to provide specific poll numbers.

Who knows if what Fleisher is saying is true? As late as last Thursday the campaign sent out a fundraising email with another chance for folks to sign their petition to "Save New Mexico's Labs." This despite Fleisher's claim in the Journal article that "Chavez decided to quit the race Thursday and phoned Udall ... on Friday afternoon to inform him."

There are also rumors circulating that Marty's campaign fundraising was in the pits, perhaps because big donors were being discouraged from supporting Chavez by Dem leaders. Or maybe just because support for Chavez among Democrats seems to be at an all-time low, given his habit of backing Repubs and their views on issues important to Party members. And, our course, the support for Tom Udall for Senate inside and outside New Mexico is wide-spread and passionate.

Door Still Open to Chavez Congressional Run?
Although it has repeatedly been reported that Chavez has no interest in switching gears to run for Congress in NM-01, Fleisher seemed to leave the door slightly open to that possibility in his comments to the Journal:

Campaign manager Mark Fleisher added Chavez does not currently plan to jump into the race for the Albuquerque-based 1st Congressional District seat, which is also open. But Fleisher said he has been "surprised" by a large number of calls from backers urging Chavez to switch gears and enter the U.S. House race.

"We had absolutely no discussion about it -- so no, I don't think he's going to do it," Fleisher said in a Journal interview when asked about a possible House run by Chavez. "We'll see what the future brings.... But I don't think that's his intent."

Do You Hear What I Hear?
Remember all the "Run, Tom, Run!" cheers aimed at convincing Udall to enter the Senate race? Now that Udall is in and Marty is out, the calls have changed to "No, Marty, No!" in terms of Chavez entering the NM-01 primary contest. Let's hope that's what Marty keeps hearing above the rumble of his backers to run for Congress.

Former Albuquerque City Councilor Martin Heinrich has been active in the NM-01 race since this past April, and has raised a considerable amount of cash and wide-ranging support. His campaign reports more than 1,400 supporters, 93% of them New Mexicans, have contributed so far. Democrats seem to be coalescing in large numbers around his candidacy. And there's already an active primary contest going on, with firecracker Michelle Lujan Grisham, pro-impeachment candidate Jason Call and attorney Jon Adams in the race in the underdog category. Do we really need another candidate to compete for the 20% of the vote needed to get on the ballot at this Spring's Dem preprimary convention?

Remember, Chavez has never gotten even 50% of the vote in his nonpartisan mayoral runs. With little support from the progressive wing, and recent controversies swirling over issues like his red light camera program and Tax Increment Financing for "green field" developments like those of Sun Cal, the chances of Marty being victorious in a Democratic Congressional race primary in the Albuquerque area seem slim indeed.

I guess we'll have to wait a bit to get a definitive, first-hand answer on what's next for Chavez. Mayoral spokeswoman Deborah James told the Journal that Marty "would discuss his plans in coming weeks." Sounds like that rules out a press conference appearance anytime soon by Chavez to explain in person why he left the race and what he sees as his viable political options.

To read our previous coverage of the 2008 U.S. Senate race in New Mexico, go here. Our post archive for coverage of the NM-01 Congressional race can be accessed here.

NM-Sen: Udall Statement on Chavez Departure

Congressman Honored by Mayor's Support
Today, Congressman Tom Udall, D-N.M., issued the following statement on Mayor Martin Chavez's departure from the Democratic primary race for the U.S. Senate:

"I am honored by Mayor Martin Chavez's support and very much appreciate his decision to unite and move forward together to ensure New Mexico sends a Democrat to the United States Senate next November. I know I speak for all Democrats in thanking him for his commitment to ending the ill-conceived war in Iraq, expanding access to health care, improving our schools and turning around our struggling economy. I look forward to working with him in the future as we make progress on these and other shared values."

Tom Udall, a candidate for U.S. Senate in New Mexico, is a former prosecutor and two-term Attorney General who is currently serving his fifth term in the House of Representatives. During his career of public service, Udall has earned a reputation as a thoughtful, principled and effective legislator. He is known for reaching across party lines to find common ground on issues of importance, voting his conscience and getting things done for his constituents. Udall is a member of the House Appropriations Committee.

Editor's Note: Rep. Udall is in Iowa this weekend campaigning for Gov. Bill Richardson's presidential campaign. To see our previous coverage of the 2008 U.S. Senate race, visit our archive.

(Updated) NM-Sen: Daily Kos Breaks It: Chavez Withdraws from Race

UPDATE: Here's a link to video from tonight's KOAT-TV News, which includes a reaction via phone from Rep. Tom Udall to the news that Mayor Chavez is dropping out of the race. Also check out what has to say. The speculation begins. And see Marjorie's compendium of local blogger reactions over at m-pyre. (OK, Marjorie, we admit it. We may be a WEE bit "strangely fascinated" with the guy ....)
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Walk away from the computer for an hour and so and look what happens. One of our wildest dreams comes true. Guess he couldn't find enough campaign donors. I still can't quite believe it. Marty giving up? On anything? The reactions he got to his run in the Dem primary for U.S. Senate must have been harsh indeed. Not only from bloggers, but from the heavyweights in the Party and beyond. Talk about the ultimate slapdown. And Kos says he has it confirmed that Marty won't run for the NM-01 Congressional seat either. Sure hope that's true. What will he run for? Can he really reinsert himself in the the 2010 Governor's race after this humiliation?

NM-Sen: Chavez dropping out

by kos

Fri Dec 07, 2007 at 04:13:11 PM MST

From multiple sources, I'm told Chavez called Udall this afternoon to say he'd be dropping out tonight, announcement expected at 8 p.m. ET.

Good riddance. Except maybe not, as Democrats are still looking for a top-tier challenger for NM-01, and Marty unfortunately qualifies as one of those (even if I'd beg to differ).

I was looking forward to Udall ending Chavez' career, but really, we'll still be plenty entertained watching Pearce and Wilson tear each other up in the GOP primary.

Update: It's official. I have added Chavez' statement in the extended text. Note that he made no mention of NM-01.

Update II: I have confirmed that Chavez will not run for Congress. Good.

Today I am announcing that I will not seek the seat for U.S. Senate.

Traveling my home state over the past several weeks, I have been honored to spend time with my fellow New Mexicans to talk about the issues and challenges facing our state.

While I deeply appreciate all the support I have received, it has become very clear to me that Democrats should not be divided in the upcoming election.  It is crucial to the future of New Mexico and this country that a Democrat become the next U.S. Senator.  A hotly contested primary, as this one certainly could be, would likely dramatically weaken the Democratic nominee and place the general election in jeopardy.

It is far more critical to end the war in Iraq, reform our broken healthcare system, and provide educational opportunities to our youth to empower them to participate in a worldwide economy.

The war in Iraq was a mistake from the very beginning -- one of the greatest foreign policy blunders our country has ever seen. Our brave men and women in uniform have served honorably.  They've done everything they've been asked to do, and they've done it superbly. Now it's time to honor them by ending the war and bringing them home.

Congress has a critical role to play.  Unfortunately, Republicans in the House and Senate have stymied Democratic efforts to set benchmarks and timetables to begin a phased redeployment of our troops and start bringing them home.  That's unacceptable.  That's why we need to expand our Democratic majorities, especially achieving a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, to end this war.

To that end, I pledge my full support for Tom Udall for U.S. Senate, and I encourage all New Mexicans to support Tom as well.  I hope you will visit Tom’s website at www.udallforusall.com and sign up to join his campaign.

I will work tirelessly to help Democrats get elected throughout our great State of New Mexico and our Nation.  As Mayor, I have many new, exciting programs that I want to bring to fruition.

Thank you so much for your continued friendship and support.

https://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/12/7/18943/4215/731/419300

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Does anyone else find it incredibly hypocritical that Chavez pledged his "full support for Tom Udall for U.S. Senate"? You mean the candidate Marty said was "too liberal" and "endangered national security" because of his vote on a bill that included a budget cut for nuke weapons activities at Los Alamos? Blimey.

To see our previous coverage of the 2008 U.S. Senate race, visit our archive.

Chavez Allies on ABQ City Council Desert Their Posts

Councilor Sally Mayer cheering on Mayor Marty's victory in '05

Apparently the City Council allies of Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez would rather pout and throw tantrums than represent their districts and take up matters important to the community. Last night, Repub Councilors Sally Mayer, Don Harris and Trudy Jones, along with Dem Ken Sanchez, refused to attend the scheduled Council meeting. They said they were angry because Brad Winter allegedly changed his decision on who he supported for Council president. Ultimately, Winter ended up as the winner by a unanimous vote of the Councilors left at the meeting -- Debbie O'Malley, Ike Benton, Rey Garduno, Michael Cadigan and Winter himself.

The Mayor's clan headed off in a huff to Capo's restaurant in lieu of attending the meeting, and whined to the media that Winter is dishonest and lacking integrity because he didn't follow through on his alleged promises to vote for Mayer, and later Sanchez, for the Council presidency. Wah. I guess the political wheeling and dealing common to such battles for leadership was somehow shocking to their refined sensibilities. Or maybe they're sore losers just like their mentor Marty, who's running for the U.S. Senate and conducting a campaign so negative in tone it rivals those of the Bush people.

One factor figuring into the brouhaha is that the Council President would become the next Mayor of Albuquerque if hell freezes over and Marty Chavez wins his Senate bid. Marty and his minions, of course, would want one of their own to move up into the city's top spot. Clearly, Dem Councilors Debbie O'Malley, Ike Benton, Rey Garduno and Michael Cadigan find that outcome less than appealing as it would give the pro-sprawl forces the upper hand. As for Repub Brad Winter, he's been locked into a heated, often personal, battle with Chavez for years.

Red-Light Camera Fines Suspended
Despite the runaways, City Council business did proceed with only five councilors present. Winter's red light camera bill was passed by a margin of 3-2. The measure suspends the collection of fines generated by the unpopular intersection cameras until a study is completed in mid-January by a task force abruptly appointed by Chavez when he entered the Senate race. Cadigan, Winter and Garduno voted to suspend the fines, while O'Malley and Benton voted no.

TIF Banned for New Sprawl
A controversial Cadigan-sponsored measure, to preclude the use of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) to fund so-called "green field" development at the city's fringes, passed by a margin of 4-1. Voting for the measure were Cadigan, Benton, O'Malley and Garduno, with Winter voting nay. About 30 people showed up to testify about the proposed TIF changes, almost all of them supportive of the limitations.

TIF was originally proposed as a way to help encourage infill development, but is increasingly being sought to fund massive new developments on the city's fringes like those proposed by Sun Cal on the West Side -- exactly what the original legislation was designed to discourage. Cadigan's measure will limit the use of TIF for developed areas or areas where the financing tool has already been approved.

Many community activists, including members of 1000 Friends of New Mexico, New Mexico Voices for Children, the SouthWest Organizing Project and AFSCME, mounted a strong campaign in support of Cadigan's amendments to the current TIF requirements. And posts on many local blogs, including this one, encouraged readers to contact their Councilors to urge passage of the Cadigan amendements. See our previous post. Although we were successful, the fight is hardly over.

What Happens Next
Messages were quickly dispatched from the deserters' camp that they may well call up one or both measures for appeal at some future date, if and when they decide to return to their posts. Mayor Marty might veto both bills anyway, depending on how the political winds are blowing at the time. Stay tuned.

Today's Must Read: MyDD Interviews Rep. Tom Udall

Jonathan Singer at the national blog MyDD has posted an excellent interview he conducted this weekend with Rep. Tom Udall. Udall formally kicked off his campaign for U.S. Senate in New Mexico last week during a 9-city tour of the state. Singer provides both a text transcript and an mp3 of his talk with Udall, which includes discussion of Udall's votes against the Iraq invasion and the Patriot Act, his reasons for running, his recent vote on the Los Alamos National Labs budget, how he intends to run his campaign and his positions on issues like health care and renewable energy that will be the core of his platform. You really should go read and/or listen to the whole thing, but here are a couple excerpts:

On Negative Campaigning:
Singer: Now this is a complete non sequitur, but we're seeing so far in the race - even before you got in the race - a negative campaign in the Democratic primary. A lot of primaries you don't see negative campaigning at all. But when you do see it, it tends to be towards the end of the campaign. Were you surprised by the mudslinging even before you made a decision to get in the race?

Udall: I believe that the American people and New Mexicans don't like nasty campaigns. And we've had some of my opponents get very nasty and say that they're going to run nasty campaigns. And my response has been I think you're going to see a very bad reaction from New Mexicans to this kind of campaigning. People don't like mudslinging. They don't like that. They don't like the feeling about it. They don't like the failure to have any positive vision.

What I'm going to try to offer is a positive vision for communities in New Mexico, talk about the things that we can really do working together. I've viewed my job in the House of Representatives as being empowering communities to fulfill their dreams and working with those communities on specific issues to see that they get things done. That's what people want out of public servants.

There are others out there that want to demean the whole process and demean the system. I find that a very sad commentary on our political life nowadays and I wish we could focus more on the positive. And in fact the best advice my father gave me was just to be positive and work hard, and the best will work out for you. And he just told me that recently.

Running for a Statewide Race:
Singer: Moving forward, of course you don't want to look too far ahead, but as someone who has run and won two successful statewide bids for Attorney General within New Mexico, how does that prepare you for the campaigning statewide? A lot of people think that maybe moving from the House to the Senate is more difficult, but you have statewide election experience. What did that teach you?

Udall: I served two terms as the state Attorney General. In my job I chose to travel widely in New Mexico. We had a state plane available to us, and so we would have some of my division directors... I would always make it known several weeks before we were traveling so that others in the office could do work in a variety of communities in New Mexico. And we'd take off very early in the morning and come back pretty late at night and get a lot of work done.

One thing I learned is that it's a big state. There's a lot of diversity. Even in a fairly fast plane it takes you an hour from the center of the state, the state capital of Santa Fe, it takes you an hour in almost any direction to get out to the far reaches of the state. In order to represent the state you have to travel a lot. It may be by train, it may be by car. But all of these communities are wonderful communities that are engaged in a variety of ways with the federal government in some cases. There are three military bases in New Mexico, two national laboratories. We have a diversity of other kinds of industry and businesses, many small businesses. We don't have many large Fortune 500 type of companies. We do have Intel, and Intel has been a major player in my Congressional district, and we have some wonderful people working there.

So what you end up learning is you learn the whole state, you understand the state, you understand what the needs are. And that helped me, in my eight years as Attorney General, understand what people want, and I'm going to step up to the plate and try to help them fulfill their dreams and empower them to work hard to fulfill their dreams.

If you're as enthusiastic about Rep. Udall's run as I am, head over to the Netroots for Tom Udall page at ActBlue and make a campaign contribution right now. You can also visit Udall's campaign website, which will be revamped soon, at https://www.udallforusall.com/.

To read our previous coverage of the 2008 Senate Race in New Mexico, visit our archive. If you haven't yet seen our video clips from Rep. Udall's formal announcement event at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque last Thursday, click here and here.

NM-Sen: More Video Clips of Udall's Official Announcement

See our previous post, which includes video clips 1-4 of Rep. Tom Udall's official announcement of his U.S. Senate candidacy today in Albuquerque at the National Hispanic Cultural Center.

Part 5: Conservation is the legacy of the Udall family

More video clips below the fold.

Part 6: Saving our national treasures


Part 7: Health care for all, si, se puede!


Part 8: NM is a masterpiece; many tragic sacrifices

To see previous coverage of the 2008 U.S. Senate race in New Mexico, visit our archive.

NM-Sen: Udall Officially Announces (Videos)

Udall announcement Part 1


Part 2: Time for the will of the American people to be heard

During the noon hour today, Democratic Rep. Tom Udall (NM-03) officially announced his candidacy for U.S. Senate in New Mexico at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque. Salon Ortega was packed with supporters, local and national media and a slew of New Mexico politicos, as well as Tom's family -- his wife Jill, his daughter Amanda Cooper and her husband Jim Noel, and his legendary dad Stewart Udall. I'm uploading a number of video clips and photos from the event, which will take some time, so bear with me. I'll post additions as they become available. Later, I'll also post a report on a blogger phone conference with Rep. Udall that I participated in this morning. (Tom mentions it in my first clip -- we apparently made him hoarse!) I see Las Cruces blogger Heath Haussamen, who was also on the call, has posted his report on the conversation, which you can read here.

For now, the top video captures the very beginning of Udall's speech. He "Won't Back Down." (More videos below the fold.)

Click on photos for larger versions. Video clips from still digital camera. Enjoy accordingly.

Part 3: Iraq and our priorities


Part 4: Vote against the war, preserving constitutional rights

See video clips 5-8 in our later post.

To see previous coverage of the 2008 U.S. Senate race in New Mexico, visit our archive.

NM-Sen: Hannan Officially Withdraws from Race, Endorses Udall

Hannan (R) shaking hands at Dem Party Meeting in Las Cruces

I think we all owe a debt of gratitude to Jim Hannan, who used his Senate candidacy to call attention to the poor voting records of NM's Repub Congressional members. Jim ran so many ads effectively demonstrating that Sen. Pete Domenici's clout was all about supporting the Bush agenda and voting against the interests of ordinary New Mexicans in recent years. He ran some excellent ones about Heather Wilson too, when she entered the race (see below for an example). Thanks, Jim. You stepped up to the plate when nobody else was brave enough to do so -- a class act all the way.

From Jim Hannan for U.S. Senate: This morning I formally bring to an end my candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat in New Mexico. I also enthusiastically endorse Congressman Tom Udall as our next U.S. Senator.

I entered the race on March 1st. I decided to run for two reasons.   

First, I wanted to publicize the voting record of Pete Domenici. It's my opinion that Pete Domenici has not received proper scrutiny from the New Mexico media. While he has been effective in securing federal funds for our state, he has also voted consistently against the interests of middle class and working American families.   

Second, I wanted to layout a sensible, progressive agenda for change.  My platform focused on four critical areas that we need to address:

• Protect Social Security
• End the War in Iraq
• Slow global warming
• Provide health care for all

An ad Jim ran after Wilson entered the Senate race

Over the last nine months, I have run the only outreach political campaign in the state. I ran 27 different newspaper ads, in the largest newspapers in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Las Cruces. My campaign had a far reaching influence.  By the time Pete Domenici decided to retire, his approval rating had dropped to 41%. 

With the announcement today by Tom Udall that he is entering the campaign, I am withdrawing and endorsing Tom Udall.  Tom Udall has proven to be a strong fighter for the issues that matter most to working people. He will join US Senator Jeff Bingaman in providing New Mexico the type of representation that we need.