Political Upheaval in NM Follows Decision to Retire: Possible Senate, all 5 House seats Democratic

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: Political Upheaval Follows a Rare Decision to Retire
By RALPH BLUMENTHAL and DAN FROSCH
Published: November 25, 2007


(Susan Etheridge/NYT)
Tom Udall, a Democrat, had initially turned down a race to succeed Senator Pete V. Domenici, a Republican who is retiring.

....Now that seat, occupied for 35 years by Senator Pete V. Domenici, is up for grabs. The state’s three members of Congress are battling for it, surrendering their House careers and setting off a domino effect of political consequences for incumbents and newcomers alike — and for political influence in Washington....

***

Fighting for the Senate seat are all three of the state’s representatives: Tom Udall, a popular Democrat from northern New Mexico with family ties to the Kennedy administration; Heather A. Wilson, a moderate Republican from Albuquerque long seen as a protégée of Mr. Domenici; and Steve Pearce, a wealthy eastern New Mexico businessman and conservative Republican. The scrappy mayor of Albuquerque, Martin Chávez, a Democrat, has also said he will run.

Now, besides setting the stage for primary fights, the contest to succeed Mr. Domenici also opens all three House seats to newcomers next year, because Ms. Wilson, Mr. Pearce and Mr. Udall, who as incumbents would have been clear favorites, cannot run simultaneously for two federal positions....Mr. Pearce and Ms. Wilson acknowledged that their candidacies risked the loss of their seats to Democrats, swinging the state’s Congressional delegation’s current 3-to-2 Republican majority to a possible 4-to-1 or even 5-to-0 Democratic edge. (New Mexico’s other Senate seat has been held since 1983 by Jeff Bingaman, a Democrat.) But Mr. Pearce and Ms. Wilson said they were confident that they could at least keep the Senate seat in the Republican column....

***

Mr. Udall had initially turned down a Senate race — despite an early poll showing he could win — amid speculation that Gov. Bill Richardson would enter the contest if his presidential campaign fizzled. Mr. Udall’s daughter, Amanda Cooper, is the deputy campaign manager for Mr. Richardson. Last year, Mr. Udall was also named a member of the House Appropriations Committee.

But after hearing that Mr. Richardson had called his supporters to disclaim any interest in a Senate race, and after further conversations with Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York and other members of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Mr. Udall decided to enter the race. A formal announcement is expected within days. “They didn’t think anyone else could win this,” Mr. Udall said....Polls show Mr. Udall leading opponents from both parties, but Mr. Chávez, the mayor of Albuquerque, predicted that the gap would close....

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/25/us/25newmex.html

[derby378]

1. w00t!

[skipos]

2. Chavez needs to drop out

But I don't think he is smart enough to do it.

[rodeodance]

3. ha ha--say said Wilson was a moderate!! (certainly NOT when it comes to Fisa!!)

[Stop Cornyn]

4. It's a shame that Richardson didn't get on that train, but Udall ought to win it!