Democracy for New Mexico

NM-01: Heinrich Calls for Energy 'Apollo Project'

In his latest post, NM-01 Congressional candidate Martin Heinrich says we need to move toward energy independence and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions with a bold effort similar to the Apollo project of the 1960s. He's convinced that slow, incremental change won't be enough, and that we need to break the deadlock in Washington to get the nation moving on the right track. Heinrich believes a major commitment to critical changes in our energy policy will create millions of new jobs -- many of them in New Mexico -- while dramatically reducing our reliance on foreign oil:

Nearly half a century ago, John F. Kennedy summoned his generation to a great cause – to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. When he made the declaration, people didn’t think he was a visionary – they thought he was crazy. But, President Kennedy proved his critics wrong. He made a major investment in our space program and by the end of the decade – we put a man on the moon. We can and must do it again. We need an Apollo program for energy independence. This program will not only free us from foreign oil and help us fight global climate change – but, will also create 3 million new jobs. And, I will fight to bring those new "green collar" jobs to New Mexico.

Martin (second from the right) at ground breaking ceremony for Albuquerque's Advent Solar, which manufactures photo voltaic panels, and is part of the new energy economy that Martin envisions for New Mexico.

New Mexico has tremendous wind, solar and geothermal energy potential. With real leadership and commitment we can create tens of thousands of good paying jobs harnessing that energy. We have the minds and the resources to lead the way right here in New Mexico – but, we need strong leadership in Washington to get this done.

Heinrich has long been involved with exploring the benefits of solar energy and other clean energy alternatives. When he was an engineering student, he worked on one of the first trans-continental solar car races. And as New Mexico's Natural Resources Trustee, appointed by Gov. Bill Richardson, Heinrich is well aware of how much damage can be inflicted on the environment by irresponsible fossil fuel mining techniques. He sees a conversion to clean energy sources and technologies as perhaps the most important legacy we can leave our children.

If you agree, sign up to volunteer or donate a few bucks to his campaign via the DFNM Netroots page at ActBlue.

To see our previous coverage of the 2008 NM-01 Congressional race, visit our archive.

Guest Blog: Marshall Martinez on NM-01 Candidate Michelle Lujan Grisham

This is a guest blog by Marshall Martinez of Albuquerque, who is the prime mover and shaker in the NM-01 Congressional campaign of Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham. Only 23 years old, Marshall already has years of experience in community and political organizing, and is in his fifth year on the Equality New Mexico board of directors. He's been very active in a number of organizations including the Democratic Party of New Mexico, Young Democrats, NARAL, The League of Conservation Voters, AFSCME Council 18, Las Adelitas Women in Politics, Students for Reproductive Justice and the campaigns of a number of progressive candidates.

Working in politics is tough business.  Doing it day in and day out takes it a great amount of energy, and can definitely drain one of their spirits from time to time.

Occasionally, though, I get to work with someone who breathes life back into the soul of a political junkie like me.  Sure, I’ve always believed in the candidates I’ve worked for before, but this one really sticks out. She mobilizes my passion first thing in the morning.

I am fortunate enough to be working for Michelle Lujan Grisham in her bid for the NM CD 1.

If you don’t know her, here is the backstory. She is an attorney who ran the Elderly Law Referral Service for the New Mexico Bar Association. Michelle was appointed as Director of the state Agency on Aging by Governor Bruce King. She ran the department with such vigor and poise that she was then re-appointed by Republican Governor Gary Johnson. When Governor Richardson took office, he kept her on as well.  In fact, he liked the work she had done so much he turned the Agency on Aging director position into a cabinet secretary job.

After a couple of years at this post, Governor Richardson moved Michelle to the post of Secretary of the Department of Health.

I met her two years ago while working with the New Mexicans for Responsible Sexuality Education.  I was approaching her to ask for her support to refuse the federal abstinence only funding.  We worked closely over the following months to reach a compromise on sexuality education  - a program that has been modeled nationwide.  I was proud to have worked so closely with Michelle during this time period.

After Patricia Madrid lost the election, I was racking my brain to try to think of a candidate who could win this seat in the next election.  And in the middle of the night it occurred to me, Michelle was the one to do it.

Michelle is incredibly quick on her feet. She never backs down in a debate, and can voice her view articulately without hesitation.  I watched her perform with poise and power in the halls of the Legislature two years in a row.  I thought these qualities would be great in a candidate.

After begging Michelle to run for months, I was very excited when she brought me on board to help make the final decision.

Advocates enjoyed working with her as health secretary. Constituents adore her, and Governor Richardson appreciated that she got things done.  There are far more employees at the DOH who support her than there are who dislike her.  She cleaned up a department that was in shambles when she inherited it.

Michelle is a candidate who has a wealth of domestic policy experience.  In a political world that is driven constantly by a misguided war, Michelle not only knows we need to end that war, but also knows how we need to re-direct the path of the nation so that we’re on the right track again. Her in-depth level of policy experience on healthcare, Medicare and Medicaid alone outshines that of any candidate we have ever seen here.  She has an understanding how all of our issues, and the entirety of a Domestic Policy Agenda, are related and interconnected.

I wanted to work for a candidate who, when they get elected, will not need much lobbying.  I want the 1st Congressional District of New Mexico to belong to a champion on the issues important to me, and to other New Mexicans.  Michelle’s office in DC will be a place to meet, and strategize for successes in congress, not a place we have to go to educate her on the issues, and convince her to do the right thing. 

I am proud to be working hard on this race. I am proud to be supporting Michelle Lujan Grisham.  Her progressive credentials are without debate. Her passion and drive are unending. But most of all, her integrity and honesty are beyond question.

I hope you too will take a good look at Michelle. Give her your serious consideration, as a friend and peer of mine.  I am happy to make myself available to anyone who wants to talk more to me about why I am supporting Michelle. I also would set up a time for you to meet with her directly. 

And don’t forget to come out to the Democracy for New Mexico Meetup Thursday night to hear her speak!

www.MichelleLujanGrishamforCongress.com

This is a guest blog by Marshall Martinez of Albuquerque. You can contact him at azulymarron@gmail.com. Guest blogs provide readers with an opportunity to express their views on relevant issues and may or many not reflect our views. If you'd like to submit a piece for consideration as a guest blog, contact me by clicking on the Email Me link on the upper left-hand corner of the page.

To read our previous coverage of the 2008 NM-01 Congressional race, visit our archives. Other Democrats running in the NM-01 primary include Martin Heinrich, Jason Call and Jon Adams.

NM-01: Booman Tribune Questions Martin Heinrich

Martin Heinrich speaking at South Valley event

It's already obvious that the 2008 U.S. House and Senate races in New Mexico will be getting intense scrutiny from all quarters, locally and across the nation, in the traditional media (such that it is) and on the blogs. New Mexico's voters will have a critical role to play in deciding whether the progressive Democratic agenda can move forward in Congress -- and get help from a Democratically held White House. We have a chance to turn New Mexico Blue in a big, big way, in all three Congressional Districts and in a Senate race for a second Dem-held seat. Not to mention the seats we can pick up in the NM Legislature and other locally elected offices. Despite the continuing horrors of Bush and his minions, It's a hopeful and exciting time to be a progressive Democrat, isn't it?

I linked to an interview with Dem Senate Candidate Tom Udall conducted by MyDD in an earlier post today. And now I just ran across an indepth interview with Martin Heinrich, who's running for the Democratic nomination in New Mexico's First Congressional District, conducted as part of the Booman Tribune's Open Seat Initiative. Their Initiative provides an opportunity for candidates in open House and Senate races who are seeking the support of the Progressive Netroots to answer a standardized set of questions. The questions are very specific and designed to put the candidates on record as to their positions on critical issues like "FISA, torture, the Bankruptcy Bill, the Military Commissions Act, and other issues where Bad Democrats have let us down," as Booman explains.

I encourage you to read all of Heinrich's responses to the questionnaire, as I think his answers are quite compelling, complete and satisfying in terms of showing where he stands on the Bad Democrat - Good Democrat scale on many important issues. What comes up over and over again when we discuss Democrats with our friends, families and colleagues? That we need Dems with backbone who aren't afraid to speak out clearly and coherently about what they believe in, on behalf of the people. In my opinion, Heinrich has done just that on the Booman questionnaire, but go judge for yourselves. Excerpts:

BOOMAN TRIBUNE: If elected, would you join one of the congressional caucuses (New Democrat, Blue Dog, Progressive)? Why, or why not?

HEINRICH: I haven't yet decided which caucuses I will join. However, I can say without a doubt that I will not join the New Democrat or Blue Dog caucuses. I believe that we need more and better Democrats in Congress. We need strong leaders who are willing to stand up, speak out and fight for our values. We don't need more Republicans in Democratic clothing. In Congress, I'll be a strong voice for our values - and, I'll continue to use the internet to engage in a conversation with my constituents and the American people.

BOOMAN TRIBUNE: The Protect America Act of 2007 had a six-month sunset, and it is now being marked up in the Senate Intelligence and Judiciary committees. The Intelligence Committee recommended providing the telecommunications corporations immunity from responsibility for prior cooperation in illegal warrantless surveillance. Presidential candidate, Sen. Chris Dodd has taken a position against immunity, and has promised to on any bill that provides for it.

"While the President may think that it's right to offer immunity to those who break the law and violate the right to privacy of thousands of law-abiding Americans, I want to assure him it is not a value we have in common and I hope the same can be said of my fellow Democrats in the Senate.

"For too long we have failed to respect the rule of law and failed to protect our fundamental civil liberties. I will do what I can to see to it that no telecommunications giant that was complicit in this Administration's assault on the Constitution is given a get-out-of-jail-free card."

Do you agree with Senator Dodd's position?

HEINRICH: Yes. I oppose amnesty for telcos who violate our civil rights and who violate the law. I believe that sets another dangerous precedent. All people must be treated equally under the law - regardless of one's wealth or influence. I teach my children that when you do something wrong - you get punished for it. And, just as petty criminals get punished for committing crimes, so too should the Scooter Libby's and the telcos of the world who commit crimes.

Go read the rest at Booman Tribune.

Click to donate to the Heinrich campaign via our DFNM Netroots page at ActBlue. To read our previous coverage of the 2008 Congressional race in NM-01, visit our  archive.

NM-01: Heinrich and Pie, Oh My

Martin picking up the pie

Wondering who won the prize of the Thanksgiving pie personally delivered by none other than Martin Heinrich, Dem candidate for Congress in NM-01? Turns out it was Floyd Vasquez, featured in this blog post on Heinrich's campaign website.

To have a chance at winning the pie delivery prize, folks had to donate online to Heinrich's campaign via ActBlue, and a slew of people evidently did. Heinrich was among the top five fundraisers on ActBlue during the pie contest, topped only by Edwards for President, Mark Warner for Senate (VA) and the People's Email Network. He beat out Jean Shaheen for Senate (NH) for fourth place. To date, the Heinrich campaign has raised almost $85,000 via ActBlue. To add to that total, click here.

Vasquez family with free pie

Pie winner Floyd, a Duke City Fix reader, sent the local community blog a photo of the delivery and described how he used the meeting with Heinrich to "give Martin a folder with information that reflects our views and concerns regarding a host of issues. We talked about public service, net neutrality, media ownership rules, local media and the upcoming election." Good going, Floyd!

After delivering the pie, Heinrich returned home for his family's T-day gathering. Check out some photos here. Looks like pie was popular at their dinner too, doesn't it? Me? I had a slice of pumpkin pie topped with whipped cream and homemade cranberry sauce at the Thanksgiving dinner I attended. Highly recommended. I wouldn't kid around. Trust me.

To read our previous coverage of the 2008 NM-01 Congressional race, visit our archive.

NM-01: Heinrich Offers Free Pie Delivery to Lucky Donor

From Martin Heinrich:

This Thursday, I'm going to deliver someone a free Thanksgiving pie - and, it could be you!

Here's how it works. Everyone that makes an online contribution to my campaign between now and 6 PM on Wednesday will get entered into a drawing. We'll conduct the drawing at 6 PM sharp and announce the winner on the Heinrich for Congress blog (www.martinheinrich.com/blog). We'll contact the winner shortly after the drawing and arrange for a Thanksgiving delivery.

PLEASE, CLICK HERE, MAKE A CONTRIBUTION AND ENTER OUR PIE CONTEST!

If you don't live in New Mexico's First Congressional District, you're still eligible to win! But, instead of getting a visit - you'll get a Thanksgiving phone call and a coupon for a pie. The only participation restriction is that you must meet the eligibility requirements to contribute to my campaign.

This is your chance. Help us turn this Congressional seat blue and win a free pie. What could be better than that?

PLEASE, CLICK HERE, MAKE A CONTRIBUTION AND ENTER OUR PIE CONTEST!

Want to increase your chances of winning? Make sure everyone that's going to your Thanksgiving dinner makes a contribution to my campaign by 6 PM on Wednesday! Thanks so much for your continued support. And, have a happy Thanksgiving!

Sincerely,
Martin Heinrich
www.martinheinrich.com

Editor's Note: To read our previous coverage of the 2008 Congressional race in NM-01, visit our archive.

NM-01: Repub Darren White Believes in America and New Mexico

The first things you see when visiting Repub Darren White's spartan new campaign website for his Congressional candidacy in New Mexico's first district are his assertions that:

I'm an optimistic person.
I believe in America and I believe in New Mexico.

THESE are what pass for reasons to vote for a Republican candidate at a time when the nation and many parts of the world are reelilng from the horrors of Bush and the neocons? Oh wait, there's more:

I will fight to bring real change to Washington,
and you will always be able to count on my
integrity and independence along the way.

I wonder what kinds of changes Darren will fight for given that he headed up the Bush-Cheney campaign in Bernalillo County in 2004 and has toed the Bushie line ever since? Independent? From whom? Everyone knows that's not allowed on the right side of the aisle, especially among those on the Bush Team. Integrity? How does that work when you back one of the most corrupt and dishonest administrations in history? Well, as Darren said, he's "optimistic."

Kerik's mug shot, 2006 arrest

I guess White, who serves as Bernalillo County Sheriff, sees himself as full of "integrity" despite the fact that he was also running Rudy Giuliani's campaign in New Mexico until he declared his Congressional candidacy. When you think of Rudy, you have to think of Bernard Kerik, the former Rudy-appointed New York City top cop, who was indicted the other day by a federal grand jury for 16 counts of mail fraud, wire fraud and lying to the IRS.

Funny that a law enforcement guy like Sheriff White would be running the NM presidential campaign of a politician mixed up so intimately with the likes of Kerik -- who Giuliani pushed for Secretary of Homeland Security back in December of 2004. That fell through after numerous allegations surfaced about Kerik's mob ties, among other things. In 2006, Kerik pled guilty to two unrelated ethics violations after an investigation by the Bronx District Attorney's Office, and was ordered to pay $221,000.

Kerik declared bankruptcy in October 1987 but today he is a multimillionaire, the result of a lucrative partnership with Giuliani and a profitable relationship with a stun-gun manufacturer. You really must read this description of Giuliani's management and security consulting business, including a subsidiary that was called Giuliani-Kerik Security and Safety before 2005.

Kerik's career and personal life are full of controversies and sleaze. You can read about it here. Critics believe his chief qualification for New York Police Commissioner was that he had served as Giuliani’s driver and bodyguard and had been a very close associate of Rudy's for many years. Giuliani personally promoted the career of Kerik on several occasions, despite advice to the contrary.

I wonder why Sheriff White would be so enamored of Rudy Giuliani -- obviously a politician without any qualms about making money and political hay out of 9-11 and partnering with the ethically challenged -- to say the least -- Kerik. Or why White found it in his "independent" heart to want run the county's Bush-Cheney campaign in 04. Must be all that integrity, independence and belief in America that White mentions on his campaign website ....

For our previous coverage of the 2008 Congressional race in NM-01, see our archive.

DPBC Third Thursday Meeting: NM-01 Dem Candidate Forum

This month's Democratic Party of Bernalillo County Third Thursday Meeting will feature a candidate forum for New Mexico's First Congressional District primary candidates for the Dem nomination:

DPBC Third Thursday Meeting
November 15, 2007, 6:00 PM
UNM Law School, Room 2401 (map), ABQ

Those running for the NM-01 Dem nomination include Albuquerque City Councilor Martin Heinrich, Former Secretary of the NM Department of Health Michelle Lujan Grisham, attorney Jon Adams and math teacher Jason Call.

Guest Blog: Jason Call for Congress

This is a guest blog by Jason Call, who's running for the Democratic nomination for Congress in NM-01:

Dear DFNM members,
Allow me to introduce myself, for those who have not yet either met me or heard me speak. My name is Jason Call, and I’m a citizen-activist, high school math teacher, and candidate for US Congress in CD 1.

I would first like to thank Barb Wold for kindly allowing me the time and space on the DFNM blog to present myself to you. I worked for the Howard Dean campaign for nine months in the last election cycle, and I am now proud to call myself a Dennis Kucinich supporter.

We need a Democrat in Congressional District 1, that much is clear. I have been a lifelong registered Democrat, though I have on occasion voted outside the Democratic Party (I have never cast a vote for a Republican.) However, I have lost faith in the Democratic leadership. I have lost faith in Nancy Pelosi and Rahm Emanuel. I have lost faith in Hillary Clinton and John Kerry. My faith in some of my past heroes, such as Russ Feingold and Barbara Boxer, is slipping. The reasons are plain and simple: These Democrats are not listening to the American people on some of the most important issues of our time. I have come to a point in my life as an American citizen, who believes desperately in the inherent goodness of our foundation – the US Constitution - where I have to ask whether the Democratic Party under its current leadership in Washington DC is serving the American people as it should.  And if the answer to that question is ‘no’, then what can I do about it?

I want to help bring the Democratic Party back to its senses. Here are a few of the things I want to ask you, the members of DFNM, about the Democratic Party.

Jason Call speaking at last Saturday's DPNM SCC Meeting

1)  We all understand that money is a corrupting influence in politics. Why do we stand idly by and let candidates essentially ‘win’ seats based on how much campaign money they can raise? Why haven’t we, as a citizen body, demanded campaign finance reform and public financing of elections? Shouldn’t a candidate’s position on issues be held in higher regard than fundraising ability? Can we ever truly trust a candidate who has big-money donors? Why have we allowed the media to make such a spectacle of fundraising (it seems to be the only issue in the Democratic presidential primary race.)

2)  We know that we were out-and-out lied to by the Bush administration about the Iraq War. We know that they are lying to us about Iran and its nuclear capability and intentions. Why is the Democratic leadership resisting impeachment of both Bush and Cheney, when clearly it is what the American public wants? The Bush administration has violated, repeatedly, both U.S. and International law. Their actions have caused almost 4000 US troop deaths, tens of thousands of the most heinous life-altering injuries, and untold hundreds of thousands of Iraqi deaths. I would see them stand trial not only for impeachment, but in an International Criminal Court, to face charges of crimes against humanity. Can we not say this without fear of reproach from not only political adversaries, but those who we are supposedly allied with? What has happened to us when we cannot speak plainly in our political sphere about what is clearly reality? Since we are there illegally (and always have been), then any vote to further fund military action is both pro-war, and a vote to continue a criminal course. There is no “we broke it, we need to stay and fix it.” There is only “Get out now.” Not a graduated withdrawal. The Iraqis don’t want us there, and we have no right to be there. Go. Now.

3)  Why have we allowed our leadership to cave to such nonsense as the Patriot Act, and warrantless wiretapping? What have we become, as a nation, when security (and false security at that) is more important than liberty? What happened to “Live Free or Die” and “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death”? Are we so wanting in our understanding of history that we cannot look to the past and see where this path leads? Why do we not dare to call it what it is? It goes beyond merely ‘unconstitutional’ and has broached the realm of totalitarianism. We all talk behind closed doors about what is happening to our freedoms – why do we fear to stand up publicly and call a spade a spade? Didn’t we cringe when Nixon said, “When the president does it, it’s not illegal”? Then why does our Democratic leadership stand for such tripe as signing statements, as if they were in agreement that ‘yes, the president is above the law’?

4)  Why do we continue, at all levels of government, to allow such nonsense as electronic voting to continue? These voting machines are the death of democracy. Unauditable. Hackable. Run using covert proprietary software written by partisan corporations. And we expect clean elections? How absurd. The evidence is overwhelming that the 2004 presidential election was stolen and the 2000 election was caged. Yet we only had one Senator (Boxer) and a handful of Representatives who stood up and said “something is wrong here” after November 2004, and a candidate who folded like he had a bad poker hand, because the DNC didn’t want to put up a fight. 

5) Why do we not have a national healthcare system in which all Americans have access to quality healthcare, regardless of income? Isn’t this a fundamental foundation of a healthy society? The Democrats keep tossing healthcare plans back and forth, as if any of them did anything but secure corporate profits for insurance companies. When did it become written in stone that private insurance companies have an inherent right to play a part in our healthcare? I didn’t see it in the Constitution, perhaps I missed it. Yet we, and our leadership, treat the situation as if there can be no other way, or that to remove private insurance from the picture would be too difficult, being that they are so entrenched in the current system. How have we allowed ourselves to be conned into this thinking?  I’ll tell you – because our leadership is funded by private insurance companies. It’s as simple as that. If the insurance companies weren’t dropping fat donations into campaign coffers, we would have national single-payer healthcare now, and it would be more efficient and cost less money than we are currently paying, and it would cover everyone - every man, woman, and child. Clinton: wrong on healthcare.  Edwards: Wrong on healthcare. Richardson: Wrong on healthcare. Kucinich: (like so many other issues) Right on healthcare.

6)  Here’s the elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about. 9-11. Did we get a fair and impartial investigation? Why wouldn’t anyone in the Bush administration testify under oath? Why wouldn’t Bush and Cheney testify separately? Why did the Bush administration stonewall an investigation for an entire year, and when they finally caved to the pressure of forming a commission, why did they choose Henry Kissinger – the least credible person on the planet when it comes to telling the truth about the government – to lead the commission?  The list goes on and on. People ask me “Well if the government isn’t telling the truth, what happened?” I don’t know what happened. That’s the point. None of us know. And I want to know. I want to know who knew what, and when, and how. None of us know what happened for sure. But many of us are pretty damned sure that the Bush administration isn’t telling us the truth – not even half of the truth. Will we ever get an impartial independent investigation? Who knows. Probably not. But I believe that the obvious cover-up of events of 9-11 will be one of the blackest stains on this country’s history, and I want you to know that I can be honest about saying that.

So I ask the good people of DFNM – what do you want in a candidate and an officeholder? Are we so far gone down the path of political pandering and posturing that we can no longer expect an honest politician, as I hear from so many people these days? Can we no longer expect a candidate for office to commit to principled stands, such as “No, I won’t vote to pay for this illegal war”? Or, “Yes, I will commit to the fight for single-payer healthcare”? Are politicians so afraid of the media that they cannot speak plain truth?

Here is the reality of the current CD 1 race. A candidate needs 20% of the state delegation’s votes at the primary convention in March in order to get on the primary ballot. I ask you to consider the current field of candidates. Compare our websites. Listen to what we say between now and March. There are some monumental issues that need to be discussed in open forum. Do you want these issues to be debated publicly? If the state delegation crowns a candidate in March, that much needed debate ends. Does ceasing that debate help or hurt the Democratic Party?

I raise the above issues, and others, on my website. I talk about them in detail. I can’t promise a glitzy 30-second television ad in which I use catchphrases like “We need to work together” or “I have the experience to build a brighter future.” But I can promise you open and frank assessments of the problems we face, and what is needed to fix them. I don’t need to be guarded in my speech or my writing, because in the end, I’m not a career politician, and I don’t have big-money donors that I need to keep happy. I’m simply an American citizen, I love my country, and I’m not afraid of speaking my mind. I hope that that is enough to get me on the primary ballot.

Please check out my website at www.Call4Democracy.org. If what you read here and there resonates with you, send me an email and work with me. It is time to not only take our country back, but to change the face of the Democratic Party.

Sincerely, and in Peace
Jason Call

Editor's Note: This is a guest blog by Jason Call of Albuquerque, who's running for the Democratic nomination for Congress in NM-01. Guest blogs provide readers with an opportunity to express their views on relevant issues and may or many not reflect our views. If you'd like to submit a piece for consideration as a guest blog, contact me by clicking on the Email Me link on the upper left-hand corner of the page. Photo credit: M.E. Broderick.

Zia Pueblo Endorses Heinrich for NM-01

Heinrich supporters at Saturday's DPNM SCC Meeting

The lastest from Martin Heinrich's campaign for Congress in NM-01:

Heinrich: "My campaign is about changing the way Washington works, and I am proud to have the Pueblo's support as we move forward"

Albuquerque City Councilor and Democratic candidate for Congress Martin Heinrich picked up another endorsement today in his campaign to bring change to Washington. The Pueblo of Zia –- the first pueblo to endorse any candidate in the race –- has endorsed his bid to represent New Mexico's First Congressional District.

"Martin Heinrich has proven he is an effective advocate on tribal issues. He worked side by side with the Pueblo of to protect the Ojito Wilderness and to return critical ancestral lands to the Pueblo. We know he'll be a Congressman who understands the unique concerns of our Pueblo," said Governor Rudy Shije.Zia

"It is an honor to have the backing of a pueblo so fundamental to New Mexico's past, present and future," Heinrich said. "Just as the people of Zia believe that helping others is a sacred obligation, I believe that government should focus on helping the people instead of helping itself. My campaign is about changing the way Washington works, and I am proud to have the Pueblo's support as we move forward."

Martin speaks to Dems at Saturday's SCC meeting in Albuquerque

While the Pueblo of Zia is outside the boundaries of District 1, many tribal members reside in the district, especially in Albuquerque. In addition, the Pueblo has a long history of working closely with New Mexico's entire congressional delegation on matters important to the Pueblo and all New Mexicans.

Over the course of the campaign to date, Heinrich has amassed an impressive number of endorsements from community leaders and elected officials across the First District. Heinrich's backers include Albuquerque City Councilors Debbie O'Malley, Michael Cadigan and Isaac Benton, former Bernalillo County Commissioner Steve Gallegos, state Senators Jerry Ortiz y Pino and Cisco McSorley, and state Representatives Antonio "Moe" Maestas, Danice Picreaux, Al Park, Mimi Stewart and Gail Chasey.

For a full list of Martin's endorsements, click here.

You can contribute to Heinrich's campaign at the DFNM Netroots for Heinrich page at Act Blue or volunteer by calling his campaign office at 505.244.0022, located at 2118 Central Avenue SE, #71, in Albuquerque.

To see our previous coverage of the NM-01 Congressional race, visit our archive.

(Updated) Martin Heinrich to Live Blog on Daily Kos Today at 5:00 PM

Photo and pumpkin carving by Ambrosia Ortiz

UPDATE: Click the direct link to Martin's diary on Kos.
************
Visit the national blog Daily Kos today at 5:00-5:30 PM Mountain Time when NM-01 Congressional candidate Martin Heinrich will be live blogging, taking questions and comments in a diary. Check back here as 5:00 PM nears and I should have a direct link to his diary. If you go to the main Daily Kos page at 5:00 PM you can also look for Martin's diary link yourself, in the right-hand sidebar under the heading Recent Diaries, and click on it to enter the thread.

This will be a critical quarter for Heinrich's campaign fundraising. He needs strong numbers to continue demonstrating that he's the best candidate in the race for the Dem ticket. Many small donations can become a powerful force in maintaining the momentum he needs, so consider contributing a few bucks now via the Heinrich DFNM Netroots page at ActBlue. You can also mail donations to the Heinrich campaign office at 2118 Central Ave. SE, #71, Albuquerque, NM 87106. Checks should be made payable to Martin Heinrich for Congress.

The other announced candidates in the NM-01 Dem primary are atttorney Jon Adams and former Secretary of NM Public Health, Michelle Lujan Grisham. Former Attorney General Patricia Madrid, who ran against Heather Wilson in 2006, has decided not to enter the race.

To read our previous coverage of the NM-01 Congressional race, visit our archive.