Democracy for New Mexico

2008 NM Primary: Sample Ballots, Polling Places for June 3rd Election, More

See our previous post for information and links for finding your polling place, sample ballot and more. Also check out the links under Voting Info on this blog's left-hand sidebar near the top for voting guides and more. I thought I'd repeat this because I've gotten almost 2000 more than 2100 2300 2985 3525 hits already by the time the counter shifted to another day at midnight GMT time, many of them looking for election info. Yesterday I got 1404 unique visitors and 3265 hits. People are definitely interested in this election.

More stuff:

**New Mexico FBIHOP is from New Mexico voters about their experiences at the polls today. Go share yours after you vote.

**NM-03 Dem candidate Ben Ray Lujan Jr.'s campaign will be live-blogging today about how the voting's going and more at their campaign blog.

**Check the Coming Events calendar on the right-hand sidebar on this page for various election night parties you're welcome to attend, including gatherings hosted by the Democratic Party of New Mexico, Don Wiviott, Ben Ray Lujan, Jr. and Tim Keller.

**Steve Olson and Bryan Barash of Tom Udall's campaign will be live-blogging and webcasting from tonight's Democratic Party of New Mexico election night celebration at the Convention Center in ABQ.

**New Mexico's U.S. Senate and House races are getting heavy attention from the national press and blogs. Take today's Real Clear Politics piece on "Battleground New Mexico," and yesterday's post by the Washington Post's Chris Cillizza reviewing and praising Martin Heinrich's ad, "George Bush Leaves NM Families in the Dust."

Clinton to Concede; Record Turnout for NM Primary? Tonight's the Night ...

... When the results of the last two Dem primaries in South Dakota and Montana come in and Hillary Clinton concedes to Barack Obama. It's now being reported that Clinton will acknowledge tonight that Obama has the delegates needed to secure the nomination, and effectively end her presidential bid. She'll be giving a speech in New York this evening, while Obama holds a huge victory rally in Minneapolis at the arena where the GOP will crown McCain at their convention this summer. His campaign will be revealing groups of endorsements throughout the day from superdelegates.

... When we finally learn whether Rep. Tom Udall will face Rep. Heather Wilson or Rep. Steve Pearce on the Repub ticket in the U.S. Senate race. A just-released SurveyUSA poll shows Pearce-Wilson in a dead heat on the eve of the election. We'll also see if a late endorsement from Sen. Pete Domenici will put Wilson over the top. Wilson would need a huge turnout in the Albuquerque area to win. SurveyUSA still has Udall trouncing Pearce 60% to 35% and Wilson 60% to 36% in November.

... When we see if a recent 11% edge in the polling numbers holds and Martin Heinrich beats out Rebecca Vigil-Giron, Michelle Lujan Grisham and Robert Pidcock to snag the Dem nomination for Congress in NM-01.

... When we discover if Bill McCamley's grassroots-fueled ground game beats Harry Teague's oil money run for the Dem nomination for Congress in NM-02. There's also a highly competitive race with gobs of money being spent on nonstop TV ads on the Repub side in this District. Will the winner be Ed Tinsley (the favorite), Aubrey Dunn, Earl Greer, Monty Newman or Greg Sowards? In a contest with this many candidates, anything can happen.

... When we learn who'll be the new U.S. Rep. in NM-03 in a fiercely fought, down-to-the-wire Dem primary contest between Don Wiviott and Ben Ray Lujan, Jr., with Benny Shendo, Jr. and Harry Montoya also expected to get some significant support. The winner of tonight's primary will undoubtedly win in November in the overwhelmingly Dem district.

... When we discover if clean government, reform-minded Dem challengers in Albuquerque area State Senate and House races can overcome the incumbent clout in races like those that pit Eric Griego vs. Sen. James C. Taylor, Tim Keller vs. Sen. Shannon Robinson and Eleanor Chavez vs. Rep. Dan Silva. And will John Blair snare the Dem nomination vs. Tim Eichenberg?

There are also many other legislative and county contests on the ballot, PRC primaries, and judicial races at the Metro, District and Supreme Court levels. A significant number of them are uncontested.

Where to Track Results
The polls in New Mexico close at 7:00 PM tonight. If the Secretary of State's website is, by chance, functioning correctly tonight, we should be able to track results there. Many county clerk websites will have county race results. Various New Mexico newspapers, radio stations and TV news outlets will also be providing comprehensive results on the air and on websites. I'll be linking to some of them later today when the results start coming in.

Record Turnout Expected in NM?
According to an article in today's Albuquerque Journal,

In the state's 2006 primary election, fewer than 181,000 Republicans and Democrats voted in the top-tier contests— a figure that represented less than 21 percent of eligible voters. Secretary of State Mary Herrera predicted Monday that the four open congressional seats this year will help drive a record turnout today.

"Voter turnout should be in the high 30s," Herrera said, referring to the percentage of registered voters expected to cast ballots today. "I'm expecting the highest turnout in history for a primary."

In Bernalillo County:

Bernalillo County Clerk Maggie Toulouse Oliver said turnout is up significantly this year, based on early voting. Absentee balloting is about twice as heavy as usual, and the number of ballots cast at early-voting locations was up by about one-third, Toulouse Oliver said.

"Turnout is significantly higher for early and absentee (voters) compared to the 2004 and 2006 primary elections," she said.

Bernalillo County, the state's most populous, has mailed out roughly 22,000 absentee ballots— about 15,900 of which have been returned. About 7,500 are from Democrats, and about 8,400 from Republicans. About 17,200 people cast ballots at early-voting locations in Bernalillo County. Democrats totaled about 9,300 of the votes and Republicans about 7,900.

Update 3:00 PM: The reports coming in from precincts are mostly saying otherwise, describing light turnouts in many areas of the state. If true, it's a depressing development given what's at stake in this primary. Maybe we should start requiring people to pass a civics test before they can get a driver's license.

NM-01: NM Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO Endorse Heinrich

The last-minute endorsements are still trickling in. Just days before the June 3rd primary, the New Mexico Federation of Labor and the AFL-CIO have thrown their support behind Dem Martin Heinrich in New Mexico's First District Congressional race. The AFL-CIO represents over 13 million workers nationwide and the New Mexico Federation of Labor brings together scores of unions across New Mexico. That makes 20 union groups that have endorsed Heinrich in the primary, an impressive showing of support from organizations that represent the interests of ordinary working people.

Technorati Tags:

NM-01: Former Ambassador Joe Wilson Endorses Heinrich

Today former Ambassador Joe Wilson (with a new buzz cut) endorsed Martin Heinrich for Congress in NM-01. I especially like one of the reasons he cites for his support: "On energy policy he will do everything he can to free us from dependence on Middle Eastern oil so we never have to send American troops to fight in stupid wars again."

Ambassador Wilson also explained his support in a letter to voters:

I write you today to ask you to support Martin Heinrich in New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District. If we are serious about charting a new direction for our country, we must support strong leaders, like Martin, who have demonstrated the ability to enact change. My family and I may be relative newcomers to New Mexico, but I have seen the destruction caused by the years of the Republicans pushing their partisan agenda in Washington. I recognize the necessity for immediate action, starting here at home – that is why we must elect Martin Heinrich.

I support Martin because his core values will lead him to make the right choices for New Mexicans. The son of an electrical lineman and a factory worker, Martin appreciates the value of hard work. He proved this when he successfully fought to raise Albuquerque’s minimum wage. He led that struggle for two years, through its ups and downs, and did not quit until the job was done. I am confident we will see this same work ethic when we send Martin to represent us in Congress.

Martin is keenly aware that we need new leadership on foreign policy and national security. We cannot afford any more Bush/Cheney-like recklessness that has cost this country trillions of dollars and thousands of American soldiers’ lives. I know firsthand that the Bush administration rushed us into an ill-conceived war based on manipulated intelligence. That administration took its eyes off the real threats -- al-Qaeda and the chaos in Afghanistan -- and instead jeopardized our national security to solely enact its extreme partisan agenda.

Martin believes we can make America both safer and stronger by bringing our troops home from Iraq, rooting out the terrorists in Afghanistan, and rebuilding our international alliances.

America's, and New Mexico’s, financial stability depends on strong foreign policy. We cannot continue spending billions of dollars in Iraq with no end in sight while New Mexican families bear the brunt of a slowing economy. We see rising costs in everything from gasoline prices to healthcare, and the bills left for our children and grandchildren. This is another reason why Martin will work to bring a responsible end to the war in Iraq.

Martin understands that American freedom requires true energy independence from unstable regimes in the Middle East. That's why he has proposed a plan to break us from our dependence on foreign oil by increasing energy efficiency and developing alternative energy technologies here at home. By investing in local technologies, we will provide the basis for a new energy economy and jobs of the future for our children, right here in New Mexico.

Martin also knows that we must honor those who have served our nation. That's why he will make sure our veterans, including those here at Kirtland Air Force Base, have well funded VA hospitals that provide efficient, high-quality health care. Martin believes it is the very least we can do to show our gratitude for their service. This is one of the many reasons why Martin would like to be on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

These are just a few of the reasons why I urge you to vote for Martin Heinrich on June 3rd and again on November 4th. Our country is at a turning point. We must send leaders to Washington who will work to put us back on track. I believe that Martin is one of those leaders, and I hope you will join me in supporting him. It could not be more important.

Best regards,

Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson

Technorati Tags:

NM-01: alibi Endorses Martin Heinrich; Vote for Martin on Blue America

The alibi, Albuquerque's alternative weekly newspaper, endorsed Martin Heinrich for Congress in New Mexico's First District Dem primary. You should read the whole thing, but here's an excerpt:

It's mainly Heinrich's time in the City Council that earns him our endorsement. That time was relatively brief—he was voted into office in 2003 and served a four-year term, one year of which as Council president. But during those four years, Heinrich accomplished more than some two- or three-term councilors, and through it all managed to hold on to his integrity.

Heinrich always demonstrated a vast reserve of knowledge and accountability on city issues. And he did an admirable job of never backing down against the Mayor's Office.These things matter, because we believe the exceptional qualities Heinrich displayed in his previous office will translate into the next.

... In the end, we think Heinrich would make an excellent congressman. He's demonstrated that he can work with people from a wide political spectrum and stand out among a crowd. He's proven himself a true progressive. He strikes us as honest. And it is with great pleasure that we give him our endorsement.

Donate $1.01 and Vote for Heinrich
By the way, Martin was recently endorsed as a Blue America candidate, backed by the ActBlue PAC organized by national bloggers DownWithTyranny, Firedoglake, Crooks and Liars and digby on Hullaballoo. This week Howie Klein of DownWithTyranny is Air America radio's guest blogger, and he's getting paid for his work. Because Howie doesn't believe in taking money for what he describes as "defending the Constitution," he'll be donating what he earns to one of the candidates on Blue America. The candidate who gets the bucks will be chosen by blog readers. This means you. Here's how:

To vote in Howie's contest, all you have to do is donate at least a dollar to a candidate on the Blue America page and add one cent to your contribution so Howie knows it's a vote. Of course you're urged to vote for Martin Heinrich by doing just that. Click here to give $1.01 or any amount you can afford. Just be sure to add the penny to your total so it will count as a vote for Martin. One vote per person. Do it now.

Technorati Tags:

Video: DPNM Protests Bush Fundraiser for GOP & White

The Tom Udall campaign liveblogged the Dem Party of New Mexico's demonstration in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque today protesting George Bush's fundraiser for NM-01 candidate Darren White and the state GOP. Click to see the recorded video of the event. Participants included reps from the AFL-CIO, AFSCME, Tom Udall's campaign and UNM College Dems, as well as State Dem Party chair Brian Colon, NM-01 Dem Congressional candidate Martin Heinrich and Janice Saxton, Dem candidate in NM House District 22. KRQE News 13 has this video of Bush's arrival in Albuquerque and the protest in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque.

A major complaint raised by demonstrators centered on Bush's promise to veto the new GI Bill that would expand veterans' benefits and support every vet who's served since 9-11 with expanded financial support for a college education. John McCain, the presumed GOP nominee for prez, is also against the new GI Bill. I guess he supports vets, but only when George Bush tells him it's ok. A couple of quotes from participants about the close relationship between White and Bush:

DPNM Chair Brian Colon: "You know, Darren has been critical of the administration but he got a lot less critical when he had the opportunity to get some money from Bush's supporters. "That's not acceptable."

NM-01 candidate Martin Heinrich: "It's disappointing to see Darren White continue to embrace the president at a time when the administration's failed policies are hurting New Mexico families."

By the way, the Udall campaign is seeking 1000 donations between now and when the polls close for the primary election on June 3rd to offset the effects of the big bucks being raised today in New Mexico for Republican candidates. You know what to do.

Technorati Tags:

NM-01: Heinrich Responds to Bush Fundraiser for White

Do your part to counter Bush Repub partying ... After a fundraiser for Darren White here today, Bush heads to AZ to raise money for his pal John McCain

Martin Heinrich, running for the Dem Congressional nomination in NM-01, is hitting back at George Bush's fundraising with GOP elites at a residence in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque today by reaching out to the national and local netroots/grassroots for support. Bush is sneaking into town today to attend a private, no-press-allowed, $1000-per-person event to raise campaign funds for long-time buddy Darren White, the presumptive Repub Congressional candidate in NM-01, and the State Repub Party's so-called Victory Fund.

It's expected that the event will raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for White and the GOP. As we all know by now, Darren White is a Bush-clone supreme, having served as Bush's campaign chair in Bernalillo County in 2004 and having been selected to accompany Bush to the podium for his nomination at the RNC Convention that year. His positions support the continuation of the Bush agenda even when Bush will be gone from the White House. We can't have that, can we? What we can do:

First, listen in today at Noon Mountain time, Heinrich will be interviewed for 45 minutes by Adam Lambert and David Atkinson on a Blog Talk Radio Heading Left show hosted by ePluribus Radio. Click here to listen online.

Next, head over to the nationally prominent blog, Crooks and Liars, at 3:00 PM today Mountain time, to lend some local flavor to Heinrich's live blog there.

Last, but certainly not least, donate a few bucks to Martin Heinrich's campaign. Let's show them what people-powered politics can do, one small donatiion at a time, to give Martin what he need to win. Add a donation you can afford to the page and support the efforts to turn New Mexico as blue as our azure skies this election cycle.

P.S. Double your impact by adding $.01 to every donation that you make this week. DownWithTyranny, this week's guest blogger at Air America, is donating his Air America check to the candidate that picks up the most online contributions with $.01 added. So, add a penny to your contribution and help Heinrich earn an additional donation!

Technorati Tags:

Action Alert: Dem Party Protest of Bush's Tuesday Visit to NM

From the DPNM: The Democratic Party of New Mexico will be demonstrating against George W. Bush's visit to Albuquerque to fundraise for Darren White:

• What: Demonstration against George W. Bush's war and his plan to veto the GI Bill! We don't support his war and we don't support anyone who uses him to raise money!
• When: Tuesday May 27th, 2008 from 11AM-12 Noon
• Where: Hartnett Park, Los Ranchos De Albuquerque: 6718 Rio Grande Blvd NE (MAP)

Come down and show Darren White and George Bush what Americans really think of the War! Don't forget to bring your SIGNS! More info.

Technorati Tags:

NM-01, NM-03 Journal Polls: Heinrich, Lujan Ahead But Undecideds High

Results from the Albuquerque Journal's telephone polling of Democrats in the First and Third Congressional Districts by Research and Polling Inc. were released in this morning's paper. Martin Heinrich and Ben R. Lujan, Jr. were the winners in the NM-01 and NM-02 Dem primary race polls for U.S. House seats, respectively, but there were high percentages of undecided voters in each contest. This, despite there being only nine days until the June 3rd primary election, and early voting already underway.

The paper quotes David Wasserman, the Cook Political Report editor who covers House races, on the high percentage of undecideds: "I would definitely expect for voters to realize in the final weeks of the campaign that there is an election going on."

Surprising, at least to me, was the second place finish in NM-01 by former NM Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron. Vigil-Giron got into the race late, had to gather additional signatures to get on the ballot and has run what can only be called a poorly funded, low-key campaign. In the reporting period that ended May 14, Vigil-Giron said she'd raised only $18,000 to date and had spent only about $15,000. Heinrich has raised a total of $733,000 in donations and spent almost $525,000, according to his report. Heinrich would seem to have a strong edge over Vigil-Giron going into the primary as he can spent significantly more on TV ads, mailers and GOTV efforts in the final days of the primary.

In a polling universe where 29% are undecided after months of primary race events, maybe it isn't surprising after all that name recognition appears to be a big factor. Despite campaigning longer than Vigil-Giron and airing one TV ad to none by Vigil-Giron, Lujan Grisham garnered only 10% of the votes in the sample. She has to be disappointed.

In NM-03, the race appears tight between frontrunner Lujan and second place finisher Don Wiviott. Given that a third of voters sampled were still undecided, this race could still go either way. Although Wiviott has more money at his disposal, Lujan seems to have enough to stay up on TV with his ads and to conduct an effective campaign in the final days. Shendo finished a distant fourth, despite the media blitz that followed his allegations about Lujan's "life style." Part of the polling in this race was done after Shendo's accusations received widespread attention in the media and blogs, but they appeared to have little or no affect on the results, according to Brian Sanderoff, president of Research and Polling Inc.

Polling results NM-01 Congressional Dem Primary: Telephone interviews were conducted on May 20-22 with 402 registered Democrats in the 1st District who have a record of primary voting. The margin of error is plus or minus 5 points.

34%  Martin Heinrich
23%  Rebecca Vigil-Giron
10%  Michelle Lujan Grisham
04%  Robert Pidcock
29%  UNDECIDED

Polling results NM-03 Congressional Dem Primary: Telephone interviews were conducted May 20-22 with 500 registered Democrats in the 2nd District who said they were likely to vote. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.5 points.

29%  Ben R. Lujan, Jr.
23%  Don Wiviott
07%  Harry Montoya
05%  Benny Shendo, Jr.
02%  Jon Adams
01%  Rudy Martin
33%  UNDECIDED

Once more, the Albuquerque Journal continued its irritating ane unexplained practice of neglecting to release complete data on the polling -- no info on the questions asked and provision of only hit and miss data on the demographic cross-tabs for either race.

According to the Albuquerque Journal article on the NM-01 race:

Any clue to how the undecideds will vote might be found in the breakdown of the Democrats polled who are Hispanics or who have a high school diploma or didn't complete high school. Those groups were the most likely to be undecided, and those groups also tipped more in Vigil-Giron's favor than for any other candidate.

Heinrich found his strongest support among Anglos and the most educated Democrats, and he topped the field among those polled from 18 to 34 years old, 35 to 49, 50 to 64 and 65 and over. He also led among males and females polled.

Vigil-Giron was strongest among Hispanics, high school graduates and had solid support from those between 35 and 49 years old.

Lujan Grisham made her best showing among the elderly, while Pidcock found himself in the 3- to 5-percentage point range among every category of those polled.

According to the Albuquerque Journal article on the NM-03 race:

Hispanic Dems: 38% Lujan; 18% Wiviott. Anglo Dems: Wiviott 34%; Lujan 22%

"The ethnicity of a candidate is oftentimes a major predictor of how people will vote and this race is no exception," Sanderoff said.

The highest percentages of voters who said they were still undecided were in Rio Rancho in Sandoval County and the district's east side, which includes Clovis and Portales.

Lujan outpolled Wiviott among men and women across the board. Thirty-one percent of men said they favored Lujan and 24 percent of men preferred Wiviott. Among women, Lujan had 28 percent support, while 22 percent favored Wiviott.

The Journal will release Research and Polling Inc.'s polling on the Repub primaries in NM-01 and NM-03 next Sunday. The paper did not poll the Dem NM-02 Congressional primary race.

Technorati Tags:

NM-01: New Heinrich Ad Says Bush Leaves NM Families in the Dust

I really like the new ad from the Martin Heinrich for Congress campaign in NM-01, which takes on the Bush agenda's horrific affects on the economy and New Mexico's families. It's right on time given George Bush's upcoming visit to New Mexico next Tuesday to host a private, big-dollar fundraiser for Bush protege Darren White, the presumed GOP candidate in NM-01. The failed president is expected to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for White and the New Mexico Repub Party at a private reception in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque (last we heard).

We can't let that go unanswered, can we? We don't need another Bush clone in office to represent George's disastrous policies -- while dissing the needs of New Mexicans. You can donate now to Heinrich's campaign to start offsetting the dollars Bush will raise for White on his visit to New Mexico. Also, stay tuned for a new effort by several local blogs (including this one) that will launch on Tuesday to counter Bush's fundraising here. I hear that Heinrich's campaign will also have some additional activities coming up on Tuesday. Keep an eye out.

Technorati Tags: