Democracy for New Mexico

NM-03: Wiviott Hosts Election Night Party

Democrat Don Wiviott, running for Congressin NM-03, is hosting an election night party that begins at 7 PM at his Campaign HQ, 1964 Cerrillos Road, in Santa Fe. All are welcome!

NM-03: Ben Ray Luján Election Night Celebration

Democratic Congressional candidate Ben Ray Luján will hold an election night celebration on Tuesday, June 3, at 7:00 PM at the Hotel Santa Fe, 1501 Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe, NM. All are welcome.

NM-02, NM-03: Richardson Endorses Teague, Luján

Governor Bill Richardson officially announced two endorsements today in New Mexico's Congressional Dem primary races in NM-02 and NM-03. He didn't make any endorsement in NM-01, where Martin Heinrich has a double digit lead according to recent polling. What does this tell us? That the races in the Second and Third Districts must be mighty close and the candidates he endorsed likely felt they needed to convince the Governor to publicly support them as the days tick down toward the June 3rd primary. Their primary rivals are breathing down their necks.

Richardson backed Harry Teague in the 2nd Congressional District, saying that "Teague is the right person to carry the Democratic banner into the general election."

"Harry Teague is a successful businessman and community leader with moderate views who should be able to wind the general election," Governor Bill Richardson said. "I worked with Harry Teague to reinvigorate and diversify the economy in Southeastern New Mexico. I know Harry will use that experience to create jobs and represent the mostly rural communities of Southern New Mexico in Congress."

No response yet from the Bill McCamley campaign, but I have one -- go McCamley! P.S. Go check out post on McCamley's bold new ad. I also see that Mr. Heath has an additional quote from Richardson's camp about the endorsement in NM-02:

“The decision to endorse was a tough one. The governor fully supports Harry Teague, but he’s also very big on Bill McCamley, who he believes has great potential to be a political leader in the future,” Gallegos said.

In the 3rd Congressional District up north, where Richardson once served as a Congressman, the Governor endorsed Ben. R. Luján, Jr:

"As someone who knows this district well - as a Congressman and now as Governor - I believe Ben Ray Luján is the most qualified candidate and is best prepared to represent the diverse communities that stretch across northern and eastern New Mexico," Governor Bill Richardson said.

"I am also proud to endorse a candidate who has taken the high road against negative and unnecessary political attacks from some of his opponents," Governor Richardson said. "I trust Ben Ray Luján as the candidate who will stand up for New Mexico. He has worked hard on the Public Regulation Commission to serve the people of New Mexico. No other candidate can match his record of fighting for consumers, increasing renewable energy production and creating regional solutions to climate change."

Don Wiviott's campaign responded to the endorsement of Luján in a statement:

"While Wiviott has nothing but respect for the Governor, this endorsement comes as no surprise. It is well known that the Speaker and the Governor have a close relationship, and that Don Wiviott is not a political insider or a career politician. The only endorsement that matters in this race is the support of Third District voters."

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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.

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(Updated) NM:03: I Take It Back - Shame on Shendo (and Wiviott Weighs In)

UPDATE 5:40 PM: Benny Shendo has issued a statement explaining his aims and reasons for confronting Lujan about "lifestyle." You be the judge.
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I posted yesterday about my decision not to cover the negative campaigning that's erupted in the NM-03 Congressional race. I said I believed that any one of the top three candidates -- Don Wiviott, Ben R. Lujan, Jr. and Benny Shendo, Jr. -- would make a wonderful Congressman for the Third District. I take it back in the case of Shendo. As far as I'm concerned, he's gone way over the line with comments he made last night about Lujan's personal life. Shendo's attack is lower than low in my book, representing the very worst of what a campaign for public office should be about.

Shendo raised the issue of Lujan's "lifestyle" -- read sexual orientation -- in a candidate forum yesterday in Farmington. He provided no documentation for his accusation. Kate Nash and Steve Terrell of the Santa Fe New Mexican report:

Benny Shendo Jr. caused a stir at a Monday night candidate forum in Farmington when he asked a question of Ben Ray Luján that implied Luján is gay. "You say that you stand up for the people of New Mexico," Shendo said, "and I want to know how you can stand up for the people of New Mexico if you can't stand up to your mom and dad about your lifestyle."

The question was supposed to continue, but Shendo said he was cut off by raucous members of the audience.

Lujan responded at the forum:

"Mr. Shendo, I'm very honored to have parents like I have as you are with your parents as well. It's with great honor that I'm before you because of my great parents. I'm not sure what you are referring to, Mr. Shendo, but I honor my mom and dad, and I believe that I represent them well."

The Lujan campaign quickly responded:

Luján's campaign manager, Carlos Trujillo, said Tuesday: "For a fringe candidate like Benny Shendo to use such a personal issue to try to gain political points is despicable and has no place in this race. Obviously Benny's been unable to gain traction in this race so he's decided to stoop to a whole new level."

... Trujillo said .. Ben Ray Luján has "a loving and committed relationship with his girlfriend."

Shendo's campaign later expanded on the claim:

Shendo's campaign said in an e-mail later that before he was interrupted, he had planned to continue his question by asking Ben Ray Luján about lifestyle "choice, especially, in this day and age when it's much more accepted to be openly gay in public life, but your parents made you pretend to have a girlfriend at public events, for political reasons."

While Shendo didn't offer any evidence that Ben Ray Luján is, in fact, gay, he said in an interview Tuesday that he raised the issue because Luján has been "purposely and aggressively introducing a young woman at numerous political events as his girlfriend."

Shendo also said he doesn't care if any candidate is gay. "If he is gay, and he's deceiving people, that's wrong," he said. "The voters have a right to be concerned about the deception — not whether one is gay or not. The issue is deception. That's relevant."

Sorry, whether Lujan is gay or not, making accusations of this sort about a fellow Democrat at a public forum can only be considered to be inflamatory, unnecessary, unwarranted and just plain sleazy. Especially when the accuser has nothing to back up his claim. I agree with what spokespersons from Equality New Mexico have to say about the incident:

Negative campaigning aside, some members of equal-rights groups said Tuesday that Shendo's move was mean-spirited. "That kind of gay bashing is extremely inappropriate, especially coming from a candidate," said Alexis Blizman, executive director of Equality New Mexico, a prominent gay-rights organization. She said it's wrong to question peoples' sexual orientation, saying, "Until someone tells me otherwise, I take them at their word."

Blizman said her organization hasn't endorsed anyone in the congressional races. "We only endorse in state races," she said. However, she said both Ben Ray Luján and Wiviott "have been supportive of (gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender) issues. Benny Shendo has too."

Linda Siegle, a lobbyist for Equality New Mexico, said, "Whether he's gay or not shouldn't be an issue. Whether he has a girlfriend or not shouldn't be an issue. The issue should be the issues. Why would another Democrat be bringing this up?"

Given Shendo's behavior last night, I now urge anyone who's been considering voting for Shendo to think again. In my view, we shouldn't stand for this kind of nasty, innuendo-based politicking to happen anywhere near a Democratic primary.

Wiviott Weighs In
Don Wiviott's campaign just released the following statement criticizing Shendo's statements at the forum:

"I was unable to attend the forum, but I was disgusted by comments made by Benny Shendo in today's paper and I'm disappointed that a candidate would resort to such tactics,” Wiviott said.

“If someone made a racist remark in this campaign, I'd speak out about it.  If someone made a sexist remark in this campaign, I'd speak out about it.  This is no different.  Rumors and innuendoes regarding the personal life of any candidate should play no role in this election.”

“Northern New Mexico faces a real choice between candidates with different qualifications and positions on the issues.  That, and only that, should guide how Democrats make their decision on June 3rd.”

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(Updated) NM-03: A Tough Situation

5.21.08 UPDATE: I changed my mind about the campaign of Benny Shendo, Jr. See my later post.
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I'm gonna be honest. I have a hard time writing about the Dem primary race in NM-03 up north. I get many emails, phone calls, whispers and blog comments about the problems of the other candidates and the strengths of the one being pushed. I get fact sheets and complaints from the various candidates about the other candidates and how they are running their races. I just can't seem to make a firm decision to support one candidate to the detriment of some of the others and go at it with the passion of commitment.

Why? One reason is that I think we have more than one candidate with the qualities needed to be a top-notch member of Congress. Each of the top three contenders has strengths and weaknesses, of course, but I think the core values and talents of Don Wiviott, Ben R. Luján, Jr. and Benny Shendo, Jr. are all impressive. That's why I'm sad that the race seems to be heading irrevocably into negative-land in the final weeks of the campaign.

Negativity to the Forefront
You could say Wiviott's campaign started the negative trend with his new ad critical of Luján's experience and credentials, but negative stuff has been flying under the radar for many moons now, from all three of the campaigns. All three have had surrogates or campaign people out there ragging on the others for indiscretions real or imagined. There's some truth in any number of the criticisms leveled, but that's true with almost any candidate in any race. Most of them have screwed up in the past in some way. They're human. They aren't saints -- they're ambitious and complicated people even if they're new to politics.

So far, I don't see anything in any of the criticisms of Wiviott, Luján or Shendo that amounts to proof they wouldn't or couldn't do a good job in Washington representing NM-03 and Democratic values. If I consider each of them as individuals, I see mostly positives. Strong positives. So I don't feel like taking any potshots. That's my conundrum.

Wiviott
I've had an opportunity to interact with Don Wiviott since way back when he had the courage to run against Domenici for Senate when nobody else would. I've grown to like and respect him, and to admire his way of thinking about problem solving and bringing change. I like the passion, personal committment and, yes, personal dollars he's put on the line in this race. It's evident that he believes in a set of values that matches my own in many ways. And that he also sincerely believes he's the best person to represent them in Washington. He's not holding back. He's making some very personal sacrifices to run, and his positions have generally been strong and unspun, especially on the Iraq war. I think he's a can-do guy and he doesn't owe anything to special interest donors.

Luján
Ben Ray Luján has similar strengths. Yes, we all know he's Speaker Luján's son. Yes we all know that he's gotten help from his father's colleagues and friends. But by all accounts -- this from people whose judgment I truly trust -- he's done a fantastic job on the PRC and is one smart, hard-working, passionately committed Democrat with a deeply rooted, heart-felt love of New Mexico and New Mexicans. Almost everyone who's worked with him seems to have only good things to say, at least to me. He's the kind of politico that people seem to take to, and trust. He's warm and determined. He cares. He sees our future challenges much as I do. I think he'd work his heart out in the job.

Shendo
Then there's Shendo. Who wouldn't be excited about a progressive Dem from Jemez Pueblo running a person-to-person grassroots campaign? Shendo has strongly liberal views on most issues and isn't afraid to say so. He speaks his truth clearly, with confidence. Sure, he's an underdog in terms of political or financial clout, but he's making his mark in this race with a vengeance. I don't count him out and I'm excited about his prospects in the future. He can bring hope to many without a voice in government, and he seems dedicated to doing just that. I applaud him.

Why the Confession?
Why am I telling you all this? Because I just can't get down in the trenches on this one and repeat the latest mudslinging and the latest retorts. You can read that elsewhere and make up your own mind about what's important and what's not. Me, I'm gonna try to keep covering the race as fairly as I can without dipping into the negativity that's erupted and surely will continue until June 3rd. There's a part of me that's glad I don't really have to make a final choice and vote for one of them over the others.

All I can really do is hope that the folks up in the Third District vote with their brains and their hearts to the best of their abilities. One way or the other, I think we're gonna have a wonderful new Congressman in NM-03. And that's a very good thing.

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NM-03: Stewart Udall Endorses Luján

The Ben R. Luján campaign announced that Stewart Udall (right), the father of Rep. Tom Udall (D, NM-03), has endorsed Luján for Congress in the Third District's Democratic primary. Stewart Udall's environmental credentials and integrity are powerful and impeccable. Udall's endorsement may well provide a boost to Luján's chances in the closing days of the hotly contested primary race to be decided on June 3rd.

Luján is running to replace Tom Udall, who's running for U.S. Senate. Rep. Udall has not endorsed any candidate in the race.

Check out Matthew Reichbach's scoop on the story on the endorsement at the New Mexico Independent, which includes a nice photo of Luján and Udall. In a phone interview with NMI, Stewart Udall explained his endorsement this way: "I like him as a person, but I’m for him because of the strong position he’s taken on the issues that are important to me."

Steve Terrell's article in the Santa Fe New Mexican reports another quote from Udall:

"I've followed (Luján's) career, and I have a high regard for him," the elder Udall said in a telephone interview. He said he likes Luján's record on energy and environmental issues. "He's interested in all the things I am," Udall said.

An article in the Albuquerque Journal included commentary from the campaign of Don Wiviott, another Dem running in the NM-03 primary who's considered to be Luján's main rival:

A Stewart Udall endorsement would have likely been welcomed by Lujan's five Democratic opponents for the nomination, many of whom appear eager to assume the Tom Udall mantle. But an aide to Santa Fe developer and political newcomer Don Wiviott said the campaign knows not to expect such endorsements.

"Obviously, Wiviott respects Secretary Udall immensely and is grateful for his distinguished service to our country, but as an outsider and a candidate who is not a career politician, he doesn't expect a lot of endorsements," spokesman Webster Cash said in a statement.

Steward Udall, now 88, served in the U.S. House representing Arizona from 1955-61 and as Secretary of the Interior under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson from 1961-69.

Udall was the primary mover and shaker behind the enactment of environmental laws as part of Johnson's Great Society initiative, including the Clear Air, Water Quality and Clean Water Restoration Acts and Amendments, the Wilderness Act of 1964, the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966, the Land and Water Conservation [Fund] Act of 1965, the Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965, the National Trail System Act of 1968, and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968. He's a giant in the environmental community and a living legend to many.

Luján has also received endorsements from prominent environmental groups including the League of Conservation Voters, Conservation Voters New Mexico, Sierra Club and Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club, but this is the topper.

Photo of Stewart Udall by Kurt Markus from a on the Udall family that appeared in Outside magazine in March.

Technorati Tags:Ben R. Lujan, Stewart Udall, endorsements, NM-03, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Democrats, Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters

NM-03: New Wiviott Ad Touts Fighting Special Interests

Switching gears a bit from making the Iraq war a certerpiece of his TV advertising campaign, the new ad from Don Wiviott emphasizes that he's the only candidate in the NM-03 Congressional race who won't take contributions from corporate lobbyists and special interest PACs. He ties the issue to that of health care, claiming he'll "stand up to the insurance companies to work for quality, affordable health care for everyone."

Only Wiviott and Ben Ray Lujan have aired TV ads so far in the primary campaign, and Wiviott has far outpaced Lujan in ad time purchased. Right now, Lujan has no TV ads running and the word is he probably won't for another week or so. Wiviott is seeking donations to keep the new ad on the air and continue his ads through the June 3rd Democratic primary. .

Technorati Tags:Don Wiviott, NM-03, New Mexico, political ads, Democrats, special interests, PACs, corporate lobbyists, health care

NM-03: Luján Campaign Grassroots Rally This Friday

NM-03 Congressional candidate will hold a grassroots rally for supporters in Santa Fe this Friday. According to the campaign, the rally is anticipated to be the largest event held by a candidate running for the Democratic nomination in the 3rd Congressional District:

Grassroots Ralley: Friday, May 9, 2008, 5:30 PM
Alumni Hall, College of Santa Fe, 1600 Saint Michaels Dr.

At the rally, Luján will unveil his county coordinators, key supporters in each county who will drive local voter turnout. Ben will introduce each county coordinator to those in attendance. The county coordinators are just part of an innovative campaign structure that will focus on the people of New Mexico. Local leaders will interact with the campaign and voters in their area to build support for Ben in every county. The bottom-up strategy will provide Ben with an opportunity to listen to and respond to individual voters in each county.

"This campaign is about the people of New Mexico; they are why I am running for Congress, and they will be the focus of all my decisions in Congress," Luján said. "The county coordinators will help me stay in touch with the needs and interests of people throughout the district."

The event is also an opportunity to connect with the hundreds of individuals who have donated to the campaign. Over 400 individuals have donated to Ben R. Luján's campaign.

Technorati Tags:Ben R. Lujan, NM-03, Santa Fe, New Mexico, political rally, Democrats

NM-03: Luján to Hold Health Care Town Hall in Taos

From Luján for Congress:
Ben R. Luján, Public Regulation Commissioner and candidate for New Mexico's 3rd Congressional District, invites Taos residents to a town hall as part of his Standing Up for New Mexico Town Hall Tour. While the focus of the town hall will be on the broken health care system, Ben will talk with voters about all issues, take all questions and listen to all concerns. The town hall will be held at the Talpa Community Center, 4 Archuleta Rd., Ranchos de Taos from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM in Taos on Wednesday, April 30.

As part of Cover the Uninsured Week, Ben will focus his discussion on America's broken health care system, which has left 400,000 New Mexicans uninsured. Cover the Uninsured Week is a time to raise awareness of the plight of the uninsured, with a goal of covering all Americans.

"Families should not have to choose between food and medicine, and parents should not have to hope each day that they will not get sick, so they can continue to provide for their children," Commissioner Luján said. "In Congress, I will stand up for New Mexico by fighting for affordable and accessible health care."

The town hall is part of Ben's Standing Up for New Mexico Tour. Ben will visit every county in the 3rd Congressional District at least once before the June 3 Democratic primary to speak with voters and discuss New Mexico's most pressing issues.

Technorati Tags:Ben R. Lujan, NM-03, Taos, New Mexico, Democrats, primaries