Democracy for New Mexico

NM-03: Wiviott Asks for Your Input on Questions for Petraeus & Crocker

I like this a lot. Imagine -- a candidate asking potential constituents for advice and input on an issue of supreme and timely importance. NM-03 Congressional candidate Don Wiviott is reaching out to New Mexicans for questions they'd like him to forward to General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker when the two testify next week on the situation in Iraq.

This Wednesday, General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker will testify before the House Foreign Relations and Armed Services committees about the situation on the ground in Iraq.

Next week, I'm going to unveil a series of tough questions that I would ask General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker. I'm going to send those questions to the media and to members of the committees. I have an idea of what I'm going to ask - but, since it will be my job to represent you, I want to know what questions you think should be asked of General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker. Please, visit my website and submit your question.

Almost every Dem candidate is for ending the Iraq quagmire, but it's impressive that Wiviott is doing what he can now, as he runs for office, to try and make a difference. This effort comes close on the heels of Wiviott's pledge last week in support of A Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq, which Darcy Burner, Dem Congressional candidate in WA-08, and Major General Paul Eaton and other distinguished experts worked together to produce. Wiviott is among 48 U.S. House candidates and four Senate candidates who have so far stepped up to endorse the plan. He's clearly making the Iraq occupation a centerpiece of his campaign.

As Don's message continues:

In Congress, I'll ask the tough questions about Iraq and I'll be responsive to my constituents. But, I'm not waiting until I get to Congress to lead the fight to bring our troops home from Iraq. Each and every one of us can help to bring the war to an end right now and one way to do it is to make sure that Congress asks General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker the tough questions.

I'm going to review your questions and I will include some of them in my press release that will be distributed to media across New Mexico and to members of Congress on the relevant committees.

To see our previous coverage of the 2008 NM-03 Congressional race, visit our archive.

National Politicos Converging on New Mexico

Hillary Clinton will be jetting in and out of Albuquerque on Sunday for a big-ticket fundraiser organized by former Ambassador to Spain, Ed Romero:

At Clinton's fundraiser, invitees will pay $2,300 to be "sponsors," while "friends" pay $1,000 for the catered event of Spanish tapas, wine and sherry. Romero declined to say how much Clinton hopes to raise.

The guest list will include Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez, former state Democratic Party chairman John Wertheim and former Ambassador Joe Wilson and his wife, Valerie Plame, who says she was outed as a CIA operative after her husband criticized the Bush administration's handling of prewar intelligence on Iraq.

Payback for Gov. Bill Richardson's endorsement of Barack Obama? I wouldn't be surprised. What I am surprised about is that the hosts are seeking funds for Clinton's lagging prez campaign at a time when local cash donations are in high demand here. With all three U.S. House seats and Domenici's U.S. Senate seat up for grabs, Dem candidates in New Mexico are scrambling hard for contributions, especially after so many resources went to support Gov. Richardson's prez run. Reports are abundant that the Clinton campaign is running out of cash and delaying payments to vendors, as pressure builds from many quarters for her to withdraw from an increasingly unwinnable race and Obama continues to snag endorsements from prominent superdelegates.

GOP Tamaya Huddle
Meanwhile, out at Santa Ana Pueblo's Hyatt Regency Tamaya near Bernalillo we've got a big meeting going on this week of the GOP State Party Chairs from all over the nation, led by Republican National Committee Chair Mike Duncan (right). Duncan has made it clear that the Repubs will be targeting New Mexico with everything they've got in the 2008 election cycle:

"New Mexico is a battleground target state for us," Republican National Committee chairman Mike Duncan told The Associated Press. "We recognize it's going to be an important state for us."

Darren White: GOP Beltway Fave
Besides touting the prez campaign of John McCain, the RNC is also taking sides early and rallying around the Congressional candidacy of Darren White in NM-01 -- to the detriment of the Party's other primary candidate, State Sen. Joe Carraro.

It's unusual for the national or state party to openly take sides in a contested primary race, but Duncan said party rules allow that when requested by a state's RNC members. New Mexico's three RNC members, who include state chairman Allen Weh, submitted a letter to the national party asking it to treat White as the presumptive nominee. The letter was sent after White received 85 percent of the vote of delegates at the party's preprimary nominating convention in mid-March.

Of course the RNC will be pushing hard for Darren White -- he was the Bush campaign's chair in Bernalillo County in 2004. Repub bigwigs know that Darren's loyalty will always be given first and foremost to the Beltway rightwing establishment. If elected (heaven forbid), he'll be a dependable supporter of the insider Repub agenda whether it benefits New Mexicans or not. White has always answered to the demands of the GOP extremists in DC. What's worse is that he seems to sincerely believe in the policies that have brought us a quagmire in Iraq, an economic tsunami at home, a compromised Constitution, a broken health care system and a dearth of good-paying jobs.

NM-Sen: Rep. Tom Udall Finishes 2nd in ActBlue Fundraising This Cycle

Rep. Tom Udall (r) at NM Dem Preprimary Convention last month

Congrats to Rep. Tom Udall and all who donated via ActBlue. As reported in CQ Politics:

Part political committee, part fundraiser, part social networking site, the pro-Democrat fundraising Web site ActBlue announced today that it collected $24 million from 199,000 donors for candidates so far this election cycle — more than 10 times what the political action committee raised at the same point in the 2006 election. 

... Daniel Seals leads the way this cycle, raising $245,000 on ActBlue for his rematch against Rep. Mark Steven Kirk , R-Ill. He is followed by Senate candidates Tom Udall of New Mexico and Texan Rick Noriega, who raised $195,000 and $171,000 respectively. Donna Edwards, who upset fellow Democrat Rep. Albert R. Wynn in a Maryland primary, raised $151,000 via ActBlue.

Udall has raised a total of $333,722 at ActBlue.

And here's the rundown on donations raised at ActBlue on behalf of the Dem Congressional candidates in New Mexico, led by NM-01 candidate Martin Heinrich at $159,601. Hooray Martin and all who gave! I'm not sure, though, whether these totals include everything given at the site through midnight yesterday, the deadline for donations to count towards the candidates' first quarter FEC report.

Regardless, Dem fundraising is on track to break records this cycle, up and down the ticket, all over the country. Official campaign fundraising reports for the first quarter are due to the FEC by April 15, but I'm sure many of the campaigns will be releasing their totals before that date. Keep an eye out.

NM-03: NM Communication Workers Endorse Luján

Today the NM Communications Workers of America announced their endorsement of Public Regulation Commissioner Ben R. Luján for U.S. Congress in New Mexico's 3rd District. The CWA, which represents 6,500 workers in New Mexico, joins the League of Conservation Voters, the New Mexico Professional Fire Fighters Association, the IBEW, and all 18 unions of the New Mexico Building and Constructions Trades Council in supporting Luján's candidacy for Congress.

"Our New Mexico CWA locals want to thank you for your energy and commitment to working families in New Mexico," CWA State Council President Phillip Sweeney told Luján. "We wholeheartedly look forward to your firm support of the Employee Free Choice Act and ongoing efforts to improve access to health care. New Mexico deserves a Congressman who has the courage to do what's right and who has the integrity and experience we can trust to support working families in New Mexico."

"There's no better partner in the fight for working families than organized labor," Luján said. "I am grateful for the CWA's endorsement and look forward to working with them to improve health-care access, create more good-paying jobs and support the middle class."

Ben R. Luján is a New Mexico Public Regulation commissioner and former chairman who is running for U.S. Congress in New Mexico's 3rd District. He has been a leading proponent of renewable-energy development and a strong advocate for consumers' rights and improved access to health care.

NM-03: Wiviott and Luján Close in New Pollng But Most Still Undecided

The primary race is tight in NM-03 between fellow Dems Don Wiviott and Ben Ray Luján. Internal polling conducted for Wiviott's campaign shows Luján in the lead but within the poll's statistical margin of error (numbers rounded up*):

The poll of 500 likely Dem primary voters in New Mexico's Third District was conducted by Lake Research Partners from March 24-27, 2008, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4%. No crosstab data is available. Click for the polling memo by Celinda Lake and Daniel Gotoff. Excerpt:

When asked whom they would vote for if the election were held today, fully 48% of voters are undecided. Underscoring that this race is far from over, the number of undecided voters is more than double the support of any candidate in the race. In the same initial trial heat, Luján leads Wiviott by a statistically negligible margin (23% to 16%), with the remaining candidates clocking in at single digits. Montoya, Adams and Shendo each draw 4%, and Martin attracts just 2%.

In other words, this race has a long way to go and it's clear that Wiviott is more than holding his own. This, despite Luján's perceived advantages related to name recognition and political help provided by his father, Ben R. Luján, Sr., who is Speaker of the NM House of Representatives.

Caroline Buerkle of the Wiviott campaign had this to say about the poll results:

Just a few weeks ago, Don Wiviott was polling in single digits. Now, he's closing in on the lead! With just over two months to go until the primary election, Don Wiviott has surged to within just single digits of his nearest rival. There's a large undecided and Wiviott and Lujan are polling within the margin of error. This race is wide open and Wiviott is surging.

Don Wiviott has the momentum. These encouraging numbers show that Don's commitment to our shared values is beginning to resonate among the electorate. They also show that the voters - not the insiders - will decide this nomination.

Don Wiviott said:

"I am very humbled by the outpouring of support our campaign continues to generate. People are desperate for change and leaders who can deliver it. For too long, Congress has stood idly as Bush Republicans replace our government with divisive politics and right-wing ideology. New Mexico needs to elect leaders who will fight tooth and nail to move our country forward and put the interests of the American people first."

In a release the campaign added:

Wiviott's momentum is a reflection of his growing grassroots support from New Mexicans disillusioned with insider politics and the influence of corporate lobbyists in Washington. Wiviott believes too many politicians have lost touch with the people who sent them there and are turning a blind eye to the most pressing problems confronting Americans, such as skyrocketing gas prices, an ailing economy, and lack of adequate health care coverage.

Wiviott seems to be picking up significant momentum in the race when compared with results from a February poll conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research for the Luján campaign. Although no documentation was provided, the Luján campaign reported that Luján had 35% of the vote, with Harry Montoya at 9%, Don Wiviott at 6%, Jon Adams at 4%, Benny Shendo, Jr at 4%, Derrith Watchman-Moore at 3% and Rudy Martin at 2%.

At the March 15, 2008 Dem preprimary nominating convention, the candidates came out like this among the delegates:

Ben R. Lujan: 40%
Don Wiviott: 30%
Benny J. Shendo Jr.: 16%
Harry B. Montoya: 11%
Jon Adams: 2%
Rudy Martin: less than 1%

(*The actual numbers in the Lake poll before rounding were: Lujan 22.5%, Wiviott 16.1, Shendo 4.3, Montoya 4.3, Adams 3.5, Martin 1.6, Undecided 47.6.)

To read our previous coverage of the 2008 NM-03 Congressional race, visit our archive.

NM-03: Wiviott Endorses "A Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq"

Darcy Burner, Dem Congressional candidate in WA-08, and Major General Paul Eaton worked together, with input from other distinguished experts, to produce "A Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq." The plan was unveiled at the recent Take Back America Conference in Washington DC. Its supporters are encouraging candidates for U.S. House and Senate seats and others to band together and formally endorse the plan so they can be on the record about the policies they support to end the Iraq occupation and change course to a more rational policy in the region. In this way, the grassroots/netroots can target support to candidates who are willing to demonstrate their commitment to bringing our troops home in an expeditious manner and working to make meaningful diplomacy and green energy intiatives top priorities.

Here's a list of the endorsers of the plan to date. Activists around the nation are being urged to submit the plan to U.S. House and Senate candidates in their districts and request their endorsements. NM-03 candidate Don Wiviott is the first New Mexican candidate to sign on. His campaign released the following statement today about his decision to support the plan:

Today, Don Wiviott officially joined 41 other congressional challengers across the country and endorsed “A Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq,” a comprehensive, 36 page document endorsed by Major General Paul Eaton, Dr. Lawrence Korb (Asst. Secretary of Defense under President Reagan), Brigadier General John Johns and Captain Larry Seaquist (former Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Policy Planning). The plan has also been endorsed by a 37 U.S. House candidates and 4 U.S. Senate candidates.

Endorsing the plan, Don Wiviott said, “It's time to bring George Bush and Dick Cheney's foreign policy disaster to a responsible end. Make no mistake about it - fixing the quagmire that Bush, Cheney and the Washington Republicans created won't be easy. But with this plan, we have a thoughtful and responsible approach to bring our troops home, promote stability in Iraq, deal with the humanitarian crisis and take care of our troops when they come home. I’m pleased to endorse this comprehensive and responsible plan to bring the war in Iraq to an honorable end.”

Joining Wiviott in endorsing the plan is Major General Paul Eaton. From 2003 – 2004, Major General Eaton served in Baghdad and was charged with rebuilding the Iraqi army. He said, “What we’re after with this plan is a means of responsibly concluding the military war in Iraq... I’m proud of this document and the people that produced it.”

In Congress, Wiviott will work with America’s military leaders and fight for legislation that keeps our troops safe and restores America’s strength on the international stage. Wiviott will stand up to the Bush Republicans that seek to continue a failed strategy in Iraq costing lives and untold billions.

The Responsible Plan endorsed by Wiviott includes the following major components:

End U.S. military action in Iraq. There is no military solution in Iraq. Our current course unacceptably holds U.S. strategic fortunes hostage to events in Iraq that are beyond our control; we must change course. Using diplomatic, political, and economic power, we can responsibly end the war and removing all of our troops from Iraq.

Leverage U.S. Diplomatic Power. Much of the remaining work to be completed in Iraq requires the effective use of diplomatic power. Many of Iraq's neighbors are currently contributing to instability and need to be persuaded to assist instead in stabilization.

Address Humanitarian Crisis. The humanitarian crisis caused by Iraq's situation is destabilizing to the region and damaging to America's moral credibility. We must both take responsibility for the Iraqis who are now endangered because of their assistance to the U.S. and begin to address the regional problems of displaced Iraqis.

Restore Our Military. Repairing the damage done to our military will require reforms in contracting procedures, restoring benefits for members of the military and veterans, and investment in repairing or replacing damaged military equipment.

Move America Toward Energy Independence. Finally, we are clearly tied to Iraq through our dependence on oil, which makes us vulnerable. Moving away from that dependence is necessary for strategic, economic, and environmental reasons.

For a full copy of the plan, visit www.responsibleplan.com/plan.

NM-03: Former Ambassador Joe Wilson Officially Endorses Wiviott

Yesterday, the Wiviott Campaign announced the major endorsement of prominent Iraq war critic and respected diplomat Ambassador Joseph Wilson. Citing Wiviott’s commitment to finding a responsible end to the Iraq war, Wilson (right) praised Wiviott’s judgment and ability to effectively represent New Mexico’s Third District in the United States Congress.

“Don Wiviott’s call for an end to war in Iraq is a voice that is sorely needed in Washington,” Wilson said. “Wiviott has an extensive understanding of the situation in Iraq, and I’m confident his election will provide a crucial catalyst for change in Iraq and improving the strength of our international stature throughout the world.”

“I am honored to have the support of Ambassador Joe Wilson in this effort,” Wiviott (left) said. “Few individuals in our country possess a wider breadth of knowledge and experience in American foreign policy than Joe Wilson. I look forward to working closely with him and heeding his advice on Iraq and the Middle East.”

"During my time in Washington, I met a lot of career politicians," Wilson said. "Too many of them are beholden to the lobbyists and far too many have lost touch with the people who sent them there. Sending another career politician to Washington isn’t going to change anything. That’s why I’m so excited about Don Wiviott. He doesn’t represent politics-as-usual –he’s a breath of fresh air. He’s a new kind of leader with bold ideas for turning our country around."

Wilson spent over two decades as a career diplomat in the US Foreign Service, most notably in Africa and the Middle East. He was the Deputy Chief of Mission in Baghdad, Iraq from 1988-1991, where he played a crucial role in the run up to the Gulf War. From 1992 to 1995 Wilson was Ambassador to Gabon and São Tomé and Príncipe. After finishing his Ambassadorship in 1995, Wilson served as a special assistant to President Clinton and Director for African Affairs at the National Security Council.

Wilson is also the bestselling author of “The Politics of Truth: Inside the Lies that Led to War and Betrayed My Wife's CIA Identity: A Diplomat's Memoir”, a book detailing his struggle to hold the Bush Administration responsible for fabrications in pre-war intelligence.

Also see Joe Wilson's personal email message discussing why he supports Don Wiviott and urging contributions to Wiviott's campaign.

Photos by M.E. Broderick. To read our previous coverage of the 2008 NM-03 Congressional race, visit our archive.

NM Dem Preprimary Convention Congressional Races

Click for Official Results (pdf) of voting at Saturday's Dem Preprimary Convention.

NM-01 (Albuquerque area):
Martin Heinrich was the only Congressional candidate in any of New Mexico's three Districts to get more than 50% of the delegate votes -- a very strong showing in a field of four. Also, his 28% margin of victory over the First District's second-place finisher Michelle Lujan Grisham -- at 56.41% to 28.29% -- was the largest of any winning candidate. Heinrich and Grisham were the only two candidates to reach the 20% level in NM-01, giving them automatic placement on the primary ballot in the number one and two slots, respectively.

Diego Arencón, Debbie O'Malley, Martin Heinrich

Heinrich was nominated and seconded by Albuquerque City Councilor Debbie O'Malley, who touted his leadership and hard work on issues like raising the minimum wage, water conservation and smart growth planning, and International Association of Fire Fighters' Local 224 President Diego Arencón, representing one of the many unions that have endorsed Heinrich's candidacy. Heinrich emphasized he has the skills necessary to lead in Washington and take on the special interests. He pushed ethics, renewable energy, ending the war, creating green-collar jobs, solving the health care dilemma and regaining and protecting our constitutional rights and civil liberties.

Rebecca Vigil-Giron (at 11.15%) and Robert Pidcock (at 4.16%) will have to submit more petition signatures if they want to get on the ballot. They both gave spirited speeches. Jessica Lynn Wolfe withdrew from the race before the voting began, and will run instead for State Senate in District 21 against conservative Repub incumbent Kent Cravens.

Unfortunately, I had to leave the event before Michelle Lujan Grisham gave her speech. I believe she had the tough role of being the last speaker of the day-long Convention. I've heard she was rousing nonetheless. Anyone out there hear her?

NM-02 (Southern NM):
Despite the deep pockets of wealthy oil business honcho Harry Teague and his friends in the Hobbs area oil patch funding Teague's candidacy, Dona Ana Commissioner Bill McCamley scored an impressive victory in the Second District with 48.71% of the delegate vote in the four-person race. Teague came in second with 36.47%, followed by Al Kissling (13.41%) and Frank McKinnon (1.41%).

Teague supporters fill the stage

McCamley's live-wire (and sometimes humorous) speech at the convention seemed to wow the delegates in all three Districts. He recounted how he had beaten big odds in his first campaign for Dona Ana County Commissioner, and trashed conventional wisdom in his fundraising and grassroots organizing in this campaign. Change is in the air and McCamley is working hard to bring fresh air and new ideas to Washington.

Former Lea County Commission Teague, however, won the unofficial wardrobe award in NM-02 with dozens of his supporters wearing blue campaign t-shirts and white hardhats as they marched to the stage in unison. He stressed his hard scrabble roots and his up by his bootstraps business successes as evidence of his hardworking nature and knowledge of the concerns of ordinary people.

McCamley (right) entered the contest back in April when incumbent Repub. Steve Pearce had yet to vacate the race to run for U.S. Senate, and by all accounts has waged a highly successful person-to-person grassroots campaign, traveling more than 45,000 miles to visit every county in the massive District -- some several times.

“We are so grateful for this overwhelming support for our campaign and the momentum it has given us,” McCamley said in a statement. “The message today was loud and clear: The people are hungry for someone who has the commitment to fight for change in Washington and results for southern New Mexico. Today was a victory for the people. Many political insiders said that we wouldn’t win today, because there is another candidate who has a lot of his own money to spend. We proved them wrong. We showed that hard work, commitment, and a compelling message are what really matters.”

McCamley has already raised about $300,000 for the race and his victory at the pre-primary has sparked a new campaign initiative to raise $30,000 more between now and Bill's 30th birthday on April 1st. The campaign is asking supporters to give Bill a "birthday gift" by March 31, which you can do right here at Act Blue.

NM-03 (Northern NM):
Public Regulation Commissioner Ben Ray Lujan was the top vote-getter at 40.21% of the delegate votes, with political newcomer and green developer Don Wiviott making a strong showing at 29.67%. The two will be on the primary ballot in the one and two slots, respectively.

Jason Marks at podium nominating Lujan (left)

Lujan's supporters, clad in bright yellow and red t-shirts, marched through the crowd and onto the stage tooting kazoos and raising a ruckus to music. Lujan was nominated by fellow PRC Commissioner Jason Marks, who cited Ben Ray's environmental achievements, work ethic and fairness. Lujan gave a powerhouse speech amidst much cheering from supporters, and stressed his New Mexican roots and dedication to environmental and energy issues.

Jason Marks (left), Ben Ray Lujan (right)

Commenting on his first-place finish in a six-candidate race, Luján said in a statement, "I am grateful and honored by the support delegates have shown for our campaign. Saturday's victory and Friday's endorsement by the League of Conservation Voters puts momentum on our side, and we will work 1 percent at a time to secure victory in June."

"This is a great showing, and along with the LCV endorsement, we clearly have the momentum going forward," said campaign manager Carlos Trujillo. "We will keep working to let voters know about Commissioner Luján's record of leadership on renewable energy, of holding insurance companies and big corporations accountable and of standing up for New Mexico consumers."

Don Wiviott was escorted toward the stage by a large contingent of supporters while the Beatles song "Revolution" filled the hall. In a surprise move, Wiviott was nominated by former Ambassador Joe Wilson (right), who relocated to Santa Fe last year with his family after Scooter Libby was found guilty in the scandal involving the outing of Valerie Plame-Wilson's CIA status by the Bush administration. He remarked that traditional political experience is highly overrated given the current state of affairs in DC and beyond, and that we need more citizen members of Congress like Wiviott to set things right.

Wiviott stressed that he's dedicated to bringing change to Washington and won't take a cent from special interest lobbyists or PACs in this campaign. He hopes to bring real-life experience at problem-solving and a strong dedication to greening the economy and ending the war to Washington.

In response to Don Wiviott's capturing almost 30% of the delegates, campaign spokesperson Caroline Buerkle said in a statement, “It is remarkable how far this campaign has come. Don started out with no name ID, no political network and none of the advantages of a political insider. Just a few months later, he shocked the establishment by not only getting on the ballot, but by running neck-and-neck with those who started with far more in their favor. Don’s strong showing is a testament to his progressive vision and voters’ desire for change.” 

Buerkle said Saturday that Don is looking forward to a spirited primary campaign. “Now that he’s on the ballot, Don’s going to keep on doing what got him here today -- working hard, meeting with voters and talking about his commitment to fight for change in Washington, DC. Today’s showing made clear that Don’s message is resonating with voters. They are tired of politics and politicians. They want leaders who will focus on their issues and fight for them.”

Jemez Pueblo member and former NM Secretary of Indian Affairs Benny Shendo Jr., garnered a somewhat surprising 16.47%. That didn't earn an automatic slot on the ballot for the electoral politics newcomer, but it did show he has substantial support in the District. Shendo is expected to seek a place on the ballot via the petition route, and he reportedly already has enough signatures to qualify. Many in the crowd were impressed by Shendo's heartfelt and progressive speech, and many commented on how refreshing it was to have a Native American candidate in the running. Here, here.

Trailing the field in NM-03 were Harry Montoya (10.98%), Jon Adams (2.37%) and Rudy Martin (0.30%).

Also see my previous posts on the Dem Nominating Convention here and here. You can check out our entire set of Convention photos at Flickr. All photos by M.E. Broderick except where noted.

2008 NM Dem Pre-Primary Winners: Martin Heinrich, Bill McCamley, Ben Ray Lujan (with Photos)

Campaign signs line the way to Santa Ana Star Center

UPDATE: Also see my later post for a link to more photos from the event.
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Click for Official Results (pdf) of the pre-primary delegate voting for Congressional races, U.S. Senate and NM Supreme Court Justice.

Amanda Cooper, Jill Cooper-Udall, our next Senator: Rep. Tom Udall, former Ambassador Joe Wilson

I'm beat from spending most of the day at the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho at the Dem Pre-Primary Convention but I wanted to post the Congressional results and some photos.

Rep. Tom Udall and wife Jill Cooper-Udall, who gave his nomination speech

Dems were out in force, campaign supporters were enthusiastic and vocal, the speeches were rousing (well, mostly) and competition for delegates was fierce.

2000+ Dems at Santa Ana Star Center

We had everything from a mariachi band strumming up support for Michelle Lujan Grisham to a Native American invocation, to former Ambassador Joe Wilson, now a Santa Fe resident, giving the nominating speech for Don Wiviott. I admit it -- I love waving campaign signs, being plastered with candidate stickers and schmoozing in an arena packed with Democrats. I can't help myself.

NM-02 candidate Bill McCamley with his mom


NM-01 candidate Martin Heinrich at podium with Albuquerque City Councilor Debbie O'Malley to his left, who gave his nomination speech
Martin Heinrich booth

Check in tomorrow for more on the Convention, additional photos and some videos too.

NM-03 candidate Don Wiviott


NM-03 candidate Ben Ray Lujan

P.S. Kate Nash of the Santa Fe New Mexican live blogged the entire Convention. Now THAT's dedication!

Click on photos for larger images. All photos by M.E. Broderick.

Also see my later posts on the Convention here and here.

NM-03: McSorley Endorses Luján

The Luján for Congress campaign released this statement today:
As a "champion for consumer rights," Public Regulation Commissioner Ben R. Luján should be the next representative of New Mexico's 3rd Congressional District, NM Sen. Cisco McSorley said this week.

"Ben Ray has been a lifesaver for consumer rights at the PRC. He has worked closely with me on a number of consumer issues, and in the face of tremendous special-interest pressure, he has been a champion of consumer rights," said McSorley, who represents Bernalillo in the New Mexico Senate. McSorley said he worked with Lujan "saving consumers hundreds of millions of dollars in the telecom battle" when Qwest tried to reduce investments it had agreed to make in New Mexico.

The settlement the PRC made with Qwest resulted in Qwest paying millions of dollars in credits to New Mexico customers and investing millions more in state infrastructure.

"Sen. McSorley has been a standard-bearer for progressive issues, including environmental protection, civil rights and ethics reform, in the New Mexico Legislature for years, and I am honored to have his endorsement," Commissioner Luján said.

Ben R. Luján is a New Mexico Public Regulation Commissioner and former PRC chairman who is running for U.S. Congress in New Mexico's 3rd District. He has been a leading proponent of renewable-energy development and a strong advocate for consumers' rights and improved access to health care.

To see our previous coverage of the 2008 NM-03 Congressional race, visit our archive.