Green Chile Chatter

Candidates get extra day to file campaign reports

2008-05-13T13:05:54Z

Because of problems with the Secretary of State's online campaign filling system, candidates will have until the end of the day today to file the reports that were due Monday, the office says.

Although improvements have been made, problems with the system have long plagued the Secretary of State's Office and caused wrath from the Legislature. So it's frustrating to find that the system is still slow, still difficult to use.

My guess is thess problems won't slide under the radar screen this time. Expect questions of Secretary of State Mary Herrera from lawmakers in the coming days about the system.

Domenici makes endorsement

2008-05-12T17:30:40Z

...but not in the big race where everyone is waiting with bated breath to see what he does.

Instead, Sen. Pete Domenici says he's for Marco Gonzales in the 3rd Congressional District Republican primary. The move is not a surprise: Gonzales worked for Domenici for 10 years on Capitol Hill. Gonzales, a Santa Fe lawyer, faces Dan East, a Rio Rancho construction company owner.

Domenici announced the endorsement in a postcard mailed to voters.

"I have enjoyed seeing Marco advance his professional career back home in New Mexico and re-establish his northern roots," he wrote. " Because Marco understands our unique cultures and interests and is a man of principle and conviction, I know he will serve us well in Congress."

Still no word on whether St. Pete will go for Rep. Heather Wilson or Steve Pearce in the Republican primary to replace him, although there still is speculation he'll go for Wilson, just days before the election. Domenici, however, has said he'll hold off until after the election. . .

Mexico to accept U.S. cattle again

2008-05-08T17:15:51Z

O.K., so this probably isn't really what most people are focusing on during election season. But it's big news, too.

Gov. Bill Richardson, on a trip to Mexico, announced that our neighbors to the south will again accept U.S. cattle. Mexico had shut the border to beef and beef product imports from the United States in the wake of the 2003 mad cow disease scare.

Cattle started crossing last night under an agreement with U.S. officials and the Mexican equivalent of the USDA.

“While we had to endure long and frustrating delays, I am pleased that New Mexico’s livestock industry will resume trade with Mexico,” Richardson said in a statement. “This is good news for our livestock industry and for our economy, which was unfairly impacted by concerns about unsafe beef.”

Since the ban, Richardson and New Mexico agriculture secretary Miley Gonzalez have started several programs to better track cows and improve cooperation with Mexican cattle officials aimed at stopping the spread of mad cow disease.

Cattle cross the border at Santa Teresa, through a livestock inspection facility that straddles the border. I spent a day there on assignment way back when, and it's quite the place. Weak and sick cattle on their way into the United States are weeded out, including with paint guns, before they can cross. Other cattle are checked for disease, and then dunked in a giant vat of insecticide. And I mean giant. It was like a swimming pool, big enough to fit at least two cows at a time.

Richardson is on a two-day trip to Chihuahua and Sonora states. He's already signed several cross-border initiatives and is set to speak later today at the 66th annual U.S.-Mexico Border Health Association Conference and meet with the governor of Sonora state, Eduardo Bours.

Last thoughts from Venezuela

2008-04-29T14:38:25Z

As my trip to Venezuela was winding down, I found this story about President Hugo Chavez's current relations with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. It's in Spanish, but the gist of it is Chavez said he had contacts with the rebel groups holding hostages Gov. Bill Richardson wants to free, but no longer has those ties.

The loss of contact might be in part because the group's number two leader was killed in March during an air strike by the Colombian army, angering Chavez and straining his relationship with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe. Chavez has been seen as a key intermediary with the rebels, and they have released hostages to him in the past.

However, Chavez told the T.V. program Aló presidente that he hopes there are opportunities to reconnect with the rebels to talk specifically about the release of hostages. The FARC have many hostages, including three U.S. citizen military contractors and Ingrid Betancourt, a French Colombian who once ran for president of Colombia.

I have to point out something about that Aló presidente show. It's one I mentioned in one of my stories form Venezuela as a program that a reporter was gushing about and telling me I had to see, because I would still be in the country on Sunday, when it airs. (I missed it.) But it's supposed to be a time when Chavez addresses the nation, often for hours at a time.

That -- and the whole media system in Venezuela -- really struck me as odd. A good deal of the reporters work directly for the government and some even get housing subsidies from the government they cover. There are other reporters, who are known as the opposition media. I didn't see many of them at the official events I attended, however. But in the times I stood around waiting for the press conferences I was covering, I learned a lot by chatting with the other reporters. Mostly, they were fascinated that I don't work for Richardson, that my newspaper is independent, and that I basically can write anything about what Richardson does, even if its not a positive story. They also were impressed that we don't have government rules on the media like they do, including regulations about what time of day dead bodies can be shown on T.V. Others asked about our gas prices and were shocked to learn what we pay at the pump. (One of my taxi drivers said he pays $2.00 to fill his tank.)

Needless to say, the reporters were very friendly and curious about the United States, and in particular about what we think about Chavez. One radio reporter even showed me around Caracas Sunday afternoon, after I filed my last dispatch of the trip.

Long story short, I came to appreciate the freedom of press we have here, although it's at times much maligned both by critics and journalists who feel shut out from information to which we are entitled.

A view of reporters outside the Venezuelan presidential palace waiting for a press conference with Gov. Bill Richardson.

Richardson leaves happy

2008-04-27T12:37:09Z

Now that he got a pledge from Venezuela President Hugo Chavez to help him free hostages from rebels in neighboring Colombia, Gov. Bill Richardson can take the next step in negotiating the release of three U.S. citizens.

But the promise didn't come easy, judging from how exhausted Richardson looked when I said goodnight to his entourage last night. They still had two more meetings to go, as well.

If Richardson was bothered he had to wait so long to meet with Chavez (the meeting was bumped back seven hours) he didn't show it. He was a gracious guest in the Venezuelan presidential palace, sipping strong coffee, eating Listerine breath strips and admiring the decor. I admit up front here, I too, was admiring. Picture 30-foot ceilings, all hand decorated in tropical pinks and greens. Picture an ornate chapel, in golds and light green. There was the Simon Bolivar portrait of course, the angel water fountain inside, the hand upholstered chairs. Even the ash trays were gold, embossed with the word Miraflores on them. (That's the name of the presidential compound.)

And while this trip is over, Richardson has more work ahead. It some ways, it's the harder work. He'll negotiate with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia indirectly to persuade them to release the hostages. Keith Stansell, Marc Gonsalves and Tom Howes are military contractors captured by the FARC in 2003. Richardson also wants to see the rebels let go of Ingrid Betancourt, once a presidential candidate and now said to be in very bad health.

The next step could be the hardest, because it's where the real negotiations begin.

Knowing Richardson, he's already planning.

Really not the best photo, but gives you a sense of the presidential palace inside.

Richardson meeting with Chavez delayed

2008-04-26T20:21:51Z

Normally, not a big deal. But when you have 50 reporters hanging around, it gets complicated.

Not sure what the delay is, but the meeting between Gov. Bill Richardson and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has been pushed back by about six hours. The reporters -- from both the pro and anti Chavez media, which is how they have described themselves to me -- seem to have it pretty posh here inside the presidential grounds. I'm talking about a room full of people texting on Blackberries, kicking back on leather couches or sitting in the stadium seating press room. Just outside the door, waiters are serving small sandwiches and neat little pastries. Did I mention the fresh squeezed juice? As a U.S. reporter, this is all a little odd to me, but nice. Something different. The grounds of the White House here, known as Miraflores, strike me as a mix between a military compound and a nice country home in the tropics.

Anyway, Richardson did meet this morning with the foreign affairs minister and the Venezuelan ambassador to the United States. Don't know yet what happened, because I was waiting outside. More info when I get it.

Here's a shot inside the media room. That's a pre-recorded Chavez speech playing in the background

Richardson set to meet with Hugo Chavez

2008-04-26T11:26:57Z

Gov. Bill Richardson's big day is here. But he won't just be meeting with President Hugo Chavez. Turns out the foreign ministry has called and they want a meeting as well. That's a good sign for Richardson, and a big deal both in terms of elevating the issue of the hostages and for Richardson's world stature. He's got a few other meetings scheduled today, including with the Venezuelan ambassador.

The meeting is set for this afternoon. (More on the timing in a minute.) I'm not invited in, of course, but will do my best to bring you what I can find out. Now, the meeting is at 1 p.m. The press conference about the meeting is at noon at Miraflores, essentially the Venezuelan White House. I'm told, however, it won't start until after the meeting. Hmmm. I guess I'll show up as soon as I can to see what happens. I have yet to figure out the timing here in this lush country: the time is one and a half hours ahead of New Mexico. . .

Richardson seems excited. He told me he's got a little scrap of his lucky blue blazer with him. He's worn that blazer in many other international meetings like this one, but had to retire it a few years back, as it was wearing thin.

Venezuela is humid, the complete opposite of home. And green like crazy. An aggressive rubber tree looks like it could break through my hotel room window at any time, it's so strong. First person I met when I got off the plane was a man from here who had lived in Albuquerque, so I feel right at home. (Now where's that green chile ?) Got in late last night, so haven't seen much else so far. It's the rainy season, I learned from the gentleman at the front desk who also gave me a complete forecast. (I think he was keeping me on the line to make sure I was awake.)

Here's today's analysis piece looking at what the trip means for the governor. More blog updates today as I can and more stories in the paper tomorrow.

Green Chile Chatter is off to Venezuela

2008-04-25T11:48:38Z

Yep, this roving reporter is on her way to Caracas to cover Gov. Bill Richardson's meeting with President Hugo Chavez to work at getting hostages released from Colombian rebels.

I'm thrilled to be able to cover this historic trip for the New Mexican. It comes at a time when Chavez is marginalized from much of the rest of the world, and not just because we're jealous of his country's incredible oil supply (and cheap gas) . . . It also comes at an important time for Richardson, as he's trying to figure out his place in the world after dropping his presidential bid. He has denied it, but the trip makes a strong case that he can be secretary of state.

My goal is to write as much as I can about what Richardson does on his very short adventure. He is not expecting to secure the release of the hostages on this trip. To be clear, they are in the jungle of Colombia, where he was last month but isn't scheduled to go on this trip. I'm not sure how much access I will have to the Internet, but I'll be filing updates as I can. See The New Mexican for other updates, stories, and (hopefully) photos.

Ciao!

Richardson meets with heartthrob

2008-04-24T23:16:15Z

. . . I mean rock star Juanes.

Unbeknown to one of Juanes' biggest fans (that's me) Gov. Bill Richardson met today with Colombian singer Juanes.

No details of the meeting were released in the announcement from the Governor's Office.

Richardson also met with Columbia (not Colombia) University Professor Aldo Civico. His office said the group talked about the the hostages in Colombia and the prisoner exchange or acuerdo humanitario Richardson is working on. Juanes, touring El Paso and Denver and other regional cities, started a group called Fundacion Mi Sangre that among other things helps eliminate landmines.

Now that boosts the gov's hip factor, I must say...

Primary election gets emergency loan

2008-04-15T22:26:43Z

The state Board of Finance today issued an emergency loan to Secretary of State Mary Herrera's office of up to $595,300 for the June 3 primary election. The money is to cover expenses including election supplies, poll worker and judge training, and voter information cards.

Gov. Bill Richardson's office put out the news about the loan.

"I am keeping my promise to the Secretary of State that we will work with her to ensure that her office has adequate resources and they are prepared to run a smooth primary election," Richardson said in a statement. "The public expects fair and accurate election results in a timely manner - as they should."

Having covered city, county and state elections in New Mexico since 1998, I doubt the extra money is a guarantee of timeliness or accuracy, but it's at least a step in the right direction to have elections funded up front. And, who knows, it might help us avoid the embarassing election nights our state has seen in years past.

Not to be smug or anything -- because I'm truly glad to see the SOS has the money she needs -- but how did we get to this emergency situation? We've all known for months that the June 3rd primary will be June 3rd, right?

Vigil-Giron stays on ballot in CD 1

2008-04-15T17:13:12Z

Former secretary of state Rebecca Vigil-Giron had enough valid signatures to be on the ballot, a judge ruled.

(And thanks here to the AP's Deborah Baker, who sat through the 5.5-hour hearing -- not an easy task)

The ruling means the Democratic primary in the state's 1st Congressional District is a four-way affair. The candidates are Vigil-Giron; former Department of Health secretary Michele Lujan Grisham, whose campaign had worked to toss Vigil-Giron from the ballot; former Albuquerque city councilor Martin Heinrich and Duke City lawyer Robert Pidcock.

The Republicans in the race, you remember, are Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White and State Sen. Joe Carraro.
All are working to replace U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson, who is running for the U.S. Senate.

While that's settled, there's another question brewing for Congressional candidates: who raised how much. Today's the day the FEC makes public those amounts, so stay tuned.

Will Rebecca Vigil-Giron stay on the CD 1 ballot?

2008-04-14T17:58:13Z

Looks like there's a hearing scheduled for this afternoon on that very question. A former state lawmaker and two other Albuquerque women are trying to keep Rebecca Vigil-Giron off the ballot.

I'll have an update after the hearing...

Special session, part II

2008-04-11T03:48:14Z

So yea, pretty soon as much as I said here that it looked like Gov. Bill Richardson might be far from calling a special session on health care reform, he comes out today and says he wants to get it done in May. As in next month, not later this summer in August, like he had been saying.

I got this e-mail from spokesman Gilbert Gallegos in the afternoon.

"The Governor has tried to work with Senate leaders to move this issue forward and forge an agreement on health care before a special session. But Senate leaders have only met once, and there has been no progress whatsoever. The Governor will now meet with House leaders, and he is inclined to hold a special session in May."

Hmm.

As I was walking out the door, I got this from Senate leaders, who, contrary to what Richardson said, apparently have been meeting on the health care issue, and want more time.

"Several members of the state Senate have been meeting and will continue to meet in the coming months to help forge an agreement on the difficult question of how best to approach or pay for health care reforms. I expect that groundwork can be completed by the end of the summer and that a special session could convene as early as this fall," Senate Majority Floor Leader Michael Sanchez, D-Belen, said.

Hmmmm.

Soon, I was getting yet another message from Gallegos.

"The Governor remains frustrated by the Senate leadership's cavalier attitude toward coming up with an agreement on universal health care. The Governor is inclined to hold a special session in May - not in the fall -- to deal provide health care to the 400,000 New Mexicans who
don't have access."

At the same time, the governor welcomes the Senate's dedication to the issue, the statement said. Richardson said he'll make a decision about the timing of the session in the next few weeks based on how the Senate negotiations go.

Hmmmmmmmm.

So your guess is as good as mine in terms of when Richardson will actually call the session. Sounds like a battle of wills. Notice that the tone of the statements being bantered about isn't the most cordial. And cordiality will be in demand if anyone expects to get anything done on health care.

Don't forget that lawmakers can't raise campaign cash while in session, so most of the 112 legislators -- all of whose seats are up for election this year -- likely don't have a burning desire to be back in Santa Fe before the June 3 primary.

So how about that special session, anyway?

2008-04-09T17:21:03Z

Seems like just yesterday we were bracing ourselves for the upcoming special session Gov. Bill Richardson promised after his health care plans fizzled in the regular session.

Since then, though, we've heard little, including about the working group that the governor was going to appoint to look at his health care plans a little more closely.

We've also seen little -- actually none -- of that around the state campaigning for health care that Richardson talked about.

We've heard from the governor that the session will come this summer, but that's it. (Keep in mind the Democratic National Convention is in Colorado on Aug. 25-28, too.)

So could Richardson be having second thoughts?

While it's only a small part of the health care picture, the state is facing a Medicaid budget shortfall. (It also is grappling with the rising cost of just about everything out there, but who isn't?) That's sure to play a big role in discussions over whether the state can afford Richardson's plan to cover everyone in the state.

Another part of the equation here is of course the Legislature that Richardson wants back in Santa Fe. The Senate is none too happy that it got its capital outlay axed by the governor. But lest you think the House is glad about the whole situation, it isn't. And with the questions lawmakers say were left unanswered during the regular session, they don't seem willing to come back to town before next year, unless there are big changes in Richardson's plan.

I talk to lobbyists and lawmakers all the time who are wondering if they should put their lives on hold any more waiting around for Richardson to call the next session. Unless there's some action soon, I'd go ahead and book that summer vacation -- before those prices go up any more.

More tv ads on New Mexico horizon

2008-04-08T18:41:56Z

You can usually tell how tight an election is by the number of ads on TV. So far this year, you've probably seen at least one of the presidential campaign ads. You've seen or heard of those that Ben Ray Lujan and Don Wiviott are running. (If not, click here.) Rep. Steve Pearce has them, too.

But now another group is getting in on the TV frenzy: the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund announced it's got ads highlighting what the groups says is the bad environmental records of Pearce and his primary opponent, Rep. Heather Wilson. Those ads are slated to start Wednesday.

The ads so far have been the polished, smooth profile campaign pieces you expect. But don't be shocked to see some negative campaigning before it's all over, and to see some YouTube-style campaign videos out there as well.

While it's still about two months from the June primary, the big spending on ads should be your cue to start paying attention to what arguably is New Mexico's hottest election year in decades. You know the tv stations are, because it's earning them big money in some otherwise slim times.

Gov. says he didn't promise not to endorse Obama

2008-04-02T23:07:48Z

Despite what ex-prez Bill Clinton said in this SF Chronicle account, Gov. Bill Richardson said he didn't promise Clinton he wouldn't go for Sen. Barack Obama.

According to the paper, Clinton got upset when a super delegate mentioned she wasn't happy with James Carville's recent suggestion that the governor was like Judas for endorsing Obama. The remark seemed to set Clinton off.

"Five times to my face (Richardson) said that he would never do that," a red-faced, finger-pointing Clinton erupted, the paper reported.

But Richardson on CNN just said that wasn't the case and hasn't even seen Clinton in person five times recently.

"No and the Clintons should get over this. I did this endorsement ten days ago I've tried to stay above it. I feel my loyalty is to the country," he said.

Richardson, who said he at one point was very close to endorsing Hillary Clinton, said he told Bill Clinton after he visited Santa Fe for the Super Bowl that he shouldn't expect an endorsement.

Richardson: Mexican border will continue to be fortified

2008-04-02T16:56:29Z

After a D.C. breakfast meeting this morning with the Mexican ambassador to the United States, Gov. Bill Richardson said he's been assured that the Mexican military won't be backing down from its duties at the U.S.-Mexico border any time soon.

"Our meeting was productive and I am pleased that the Mexican government's commitment to help stem the flow of drugs and violence into New Mexico," Richardson said in a statement. "I praise the Mexican government for their cooperative attitude."

During the meeting with Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan and other officials, Richardson pledged the state under the Merida Initiative would chip in needed hardware and software to combat drug related crime. That initiative is a plan of cooperation between the United States and the governments of Mexico and Central America to combat drug trafficking and other international crime.

The Mexicans sent more than 2,000 troops to the border in recent days, in the wake of drug-related violence, including about 100 who are stationed across the border from Columbus, N.M.

State Police have also been sent to the area for recent operations.

Richardson back from Colombia

2008-03-31T20:23:37Z

When he left the presidential campaign trail, Gov. Bill Richardson said he'd be doing some international missions.

He wasn't kidding.

Richardson is back from a trip to Colombia, where he hopes to rescue three U.S. citizens who've been held hostage since 2003 by member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, aka the FARC.

The families of the hostages are anxious to see what Richardson's foray will bring. I talked to one family a few weeks ago.

The gov probably wouldn't have made the trip if he didn't think he could get something done. But the situation in South America with Colombia and Venezuela is precarious and changing by the minute to say the least.

Meanwhile, President Bush is asking Congress to act quickly on a trade deal with Colombia . . .

No word on Richardson's next trip. He's also said he'll hit the road -- presumably on the domestic side -- for Sen. Barack Obama.

Goodwin out at Tax & Rev; Homans back to state

2008-03-27T19:04:12Z

There's a switcheroo brewing at the Roundhouse, and it means Taxation and Revenue Secretary Jan Goodwin will now be the director of the Educational Retirement Board.

In her stead, Rick Homans (think Economic Development, Spaceport) will return to state government.

The move seems a little out of the blue, but Gov. Bill Richardson signed off on the plan.

"I want to thank Secretary Goodwin for her hard work and her successful efforts to streamline the Taxation and Revenue Department to the benefit of taxpayers," Richardson said in a statement. "Jan helped me design the dozens of tax cuts that resulted in more than $1 billion in tax relief for New Mexicans. Jan also led the effort to collect hundreds of millions of dollars in back taxes from people who are now helping to support funding for our schools and roads."

Homans had been working for this company most recently after leaving the state.

Goodwin is a former director of the state Board of Finance and deputy director of the State Investment Council.

Now she'll oversee a $8.5 billion retirement portfolio at the ERB, the Governor's Office says. The system has more than 68,000 active members and more than 28,000 retirees.

Tax and Revenue for many is an unpopular department; it collects your taxes and makes you pay to register your car or get your license. But it still seems a far more high profile gig for Goodwin than the ERB. . .

Congressional races don't appear any smaller

2008-03-25T21:43:01Z

You might think candidates who didn't get the needed 20 percent at the pre-primary conventions earlier this month would have given up by now.

Not so.

Several today have filed additional signatures to get on the June 3 ballot, making the races almost as crowded as they were on the day of the pre-primary conventions.

Here's a look at those who filed as of 5 p.m.

In CD 1, (mostly Albuquerque) the Democrats filing today are:

Rebecca Vigil-Giron. She got 11.5 percent in the pre-primary.
Robert Pidcock. He got just more than four percent.
Joe Carraro, a Republican, also filed signatures with the Secretary of State. He got 14.8 percent.

Already on the ballot are Martin Heinrich and Michelle Lujan Grisham, both Democrats, and Darren White, a Republican.

In CD 3 (mostly northern New Mexico) the Democrats who filed today are:
Benny Shendo, Jr. who got about 16 percent at the pre-primary.
Harry Montoya, who got almost 11 percent.
Jon Adams, who got 2.37 percent.
Rudy Martin, who got less than one percent.
Already on the ballot are Democrats Ben Ray Lujan and Don Wiviott. Republicans Marco Gonzales and Dan East also qualified for the ballot.

In CD 2, (southern New Mexico) today's filers are:
Monty Newman and Greg Sowards, both Republicans. They garnered 18.5 and 1.5 percent of the delegate vote respectively.
Already on the ballot are Bill McCamley and Harry Teague, both Democrats.
Republicans on the ballot are Aubrey Dunn, Earl Greer and Ed Tinsley.

The SOS has until next Tuesday to certify the petitions. It's up to another candidate to challenge someone's signatures. Given what is at stake, don't be surprised to see that happen. Candidates have until next Friday to challenge.

Los republicanos hablan espanol

2008-03-25T19:34:25Z

(And, no, my headline can't make a little squiggle above the n in espanol.)

The state Republican Party says it has hired a new Spanish communications director, Ivette Barajas, who comes from the California state Republican Party.

The move is to help reach out to Hispanic voters in the state, the party says. Barajas is the first Spanish communications director for the state party.

"As New Mexico embarks into an historic election season, we are committed to engaging Hispanic voters in a conversation about the future of our state and country," NM GOP executive director Adam Feldman said in a statement. "We are excited to have Ivette on board to lead that conversation and to talk about the Republican Party's commitment to strengthening our nation's moral fabric and family unit, lowering taxes to create jobs and greater opportunity, and standing behind our troops who are valiantly battling terrorists overseas."

While Spanish speakers come in all political parties, it would be interesting to know how many more Spanish-speaker voters are going Republican these days. Now that the bilingual Gov. Bill Richardson has dropped out of the presidential race, Spanish-only voters will have to rely on the teeny tiny bit that the remaining candidates know, or on party spokespeople like Barajas.

It's Obama

2008-03-21T17:53:30Z

Gov. Bill Richardson says he's behind Sen. Barack Obama.

About time.

I don't say about time that he endorse Obama per se, but about time that the gov made up his mind. Any longer and the coy Richardson would have been endorsing on election night, it seems...

The move is a bit of a surprise for some who thought Richardson would go for the family that twice gave him big jobs. But it's not surprising on the other hand, because Obama seems to be the man in the lead now, the man who could potentially give Richardson another big job.

The timing is also a bit weird: Richardson, who likes big media splashes, chose early this morning, when almost no one (journalists, anyway) are working and everyone else has started Easter vacation.

Richardson in an e-mail to supporters said he liked Obama's speech earlier this week.

"As a Hispanic, I was particularly touched by his words. I have been troubled by the demonization of immigrants—specifically Hispanics— by too many in this country," Richardson wrote.

"Hate crimes against Hispanics are rising as a direct result and now, in tough economic times, people look for scapegoats and I fear that people will continue to exploit our racial differences—and place blame on others not like them . We all know the real culprit — the disastrous economic policies of the Bush Administration!"

Richardson praised Obama's ideas that the Democrats -- and the nation -- need to unite.

"His words are those of a courageous, thoughtful and inspiring leader, who understands that a house divided against itself cannot stand. And, after nearly eight years of George W. Bush, we desperately need such a leader," Richardson wrote.

Richardson planned to appear with Obama at a campaign speech in Portland, Ore. today.

The question now becomes one of what job Richardson wants in an Obama administration, should he get the nomination.

Any thoughts out there?

Candidates file fast and furious

2008-03-18T17:27:52Z

(scroll down to the bottom for the most recent posting)

Yep, it's that time of year already: candidates for state House and Senate must file their papers today.
You can check here for the latest from the Secretary of State's Office of who is running for what. Be warned: some of the listings have the candidates' info, but not the district (of the Senate, for example) that the candidate is seeking. Not very helpful, of course, especially when there are no phone numbers listed, either. But at least the SOS is posting the candidates online these days. . .

Several primaries promise to be interesting, and top among them is the Downtown Albuquerque/South Valley race, where it's former Albuquerque city councilor Eric Griego vs. Sen. James Taylor.

More throughout the day as people add their names to the list.

Update 11:47 a.m.

Former state Rep. Bengie Regensberg has just filed against current Rep. Thomas Garcia for the House District 68 in the north, which includes Colfax, Guadalupe, Mora, San Miguel and Taos counties. Garcia replaced Hector Balderas, who replaced Regensberg, a few years back. (In an earlier version of this post, I said Garcia replaced Regensberg, but I almost forget about Balderas' term in between...thanks to an attentive reader.)

Meanwhile, word on the street is that another Regensberg, Travis, will run against Rep. Richard Vigil in District 70, but there's no filing on that yet.

Update 12 :29 p.m.

I just got word from candidate John Blair, a Democrat who is seeking the Senate seat now held by Albuquerque Republican Sen. Diane Snyder, that he's collected 2,000 signatures to get on the ballot.
He said he only needed 69 signatures, but got 2,000 anyway. In a statement, he said he walked 125 miles to get all those people to sign his petition. That's one good reason to run for office. . .
Blair is a former Sen. Jeff Bingaman aide who has worked for Balderas as well as state Supreme Court Justice Ed Chavez.

Update 2:00 pm

Looks like the north is a hot bet of politics this primary season. Sen. Carlos Cisneros has two primary challengers, Archie Velarde and Erminio Martinez. The seat includes parts of Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Santa Fe and Taos counties.

Another interesting race in Santa Fe will be for Rep. Peter Wirth's House seat. Wirth hopes to jump over to the Senate seat that Sen. John Grubesic is leaving behind. So far, water attorney Brian Egolf has filed for Wirth's seat, and two others have said they are interested in the spot.

Update 2:30

Meanwhile, back in the Duke City, Sen. John Ryan has drawn three opponents -- two Democrats and one Republican like him. The first thing that comes to mind is that his opponents didn't like his pro-stem cell bill this session. That's just one of those issues that gets people riled up. . . The Democrats are Joel Davis and Victor Raigoza. The Republican is Robert "Kevin" Sikes.

There is also a primary shaping up in the Senate District 23, where two Republicans so far have signed on to replace Sen. Joe Carraro, who is running for U.S. House. The Rs are Sander Rue and David Pyne.

In Sen. Linda Lopez' seat, another Democrat, Michael Padilla, has filed as a candidate, as has Lopez.

On the House side of things, Albuquerque Rep. Dan Silva has a primary challenger, Eleanor Chavez. Rep. Miguel Garcia also has a primary election challenger, someone named Jerry Sanchez.

Update to the entry on John Blair running against Diane Snyder: another Democrat, Tim Eichenberg, is also running in that district, number 15.

Not too far away, in Senate District 17, Sen. Shannon Robinson has a primary opponent as well. He's Tim Keller.

By the way, you can get Bernalillo County area candidates here. Candidates in multi-county districts file with the Secretary of State's Office, while candidates in single-county districts file with their county clerks.

Update 3:10

O.K., still on the Albuquerque track here, the candidate with my favorite name so far is a Republican running against Rep. Al Park. It's Rhead A. Story. Can you see the campaign signs?

Update 3:45

Don't believe everything you see on the Secretary of State's Web site, if you are looking at it. I could be wrong, but I don't think Sens. Lynda Lovejoy and John Pinto are running against each other, unless one of them moved, because they live in different districts. Still, the Web site lists them both as Democrats in Senate District 3. And I'm not sure what to make of a third candidate listed in that race, Phil Grego. (Presumably Sen. Phil Griego, who lives in a whole other district.)

Also, I don't think Rep. Eric Youngberg is "non-partisan" as the Web site says. He's a Republican, the last I checked but maybe I'll call him now just to be sure. . .

Update: Yes indeed, Youngberg is still a Republican, I just confirmed.

Update 5:10

Back to Santa Fe races for a moment, Steve Terrell reports from the SF County Clerk's Office that Democrat Leticia Montoya has filed against Democrat Rep. Peter Wirth. Both are running for the Senate seat held by John Grubesic. You might remember Leticia from her previous runs for office, including for secretary of state, when she had those tv commericals that singsonged "Leticia! Leticia! MontoooooooooooYA, New Mexico's choice for secretary fo state!" Of course us reporters couldn't get that one out of our heads...

Sen. Nancy Rodriguez also has a primary opponent. Debbie Irene Salazar is running against her, according to county documents.

House Speaker Ben Lujan is unopposed, as are Reps. Lucky Varela and Jim Trujillo.

All seemed cheery just now at the Secretary of State's Office. I saw a lot of new faces signing up as candidates, which should make for some interesting races out there. Glad to see so many newcomers.

Now, let's go a little farther north, to the Vegas area. I said earlier that former state Rep. Bengie Regensberg is running for his old seat. There's a Travis Regensberg, who I believe is his brother, running against Rep. Richard Vigil's seat. Vigil also filed for re-election, as did one other Democrat, Naomi Montoya, and a Republican, of all things. The district is heavily Democratic.

History buffs correct me if I'm wrong here, but I'm thinking that this could be the first time two brothers have served in the Legislature together, should they win.

Update 8:50 a.m.

Thanks to the aforementioned history buffs, I can now remember of course that former House Speaker Raymond Sanchez did serve at the same time as Sen. Michael Sanchez, although they were in different chambers.

Republican Party voting results

2008-03-16T00:27:58Z

From today's pre-primary convention:

U.S. Senate

Rep. Steve Pearce – 236 votes; 54.51%
Rep. Heather Wilson – 197 votes; 45.49%

CD 1
Sheriff Darren White – 138 votes; 85.2%
Sen. Joe Carraro – 24 votes; 14.8%

CD 2
Aubrey Dunn – 40 votes; 29.6%
Earl Greer – 33 votes; 24.4%
Ed Tinsley – 33 votes; 24.4%
Monty Newman – 25 votes; 18.5%
Terry Marquardt – 2 votes; 1.5%
Greg Sowards – 2 votes; 1.5%

CD 3
Marco Gonzales – 91 votes; 67.9%
Dan East – 43 votes; 32.1%

Democratic Party voting results

2008-03-15T21:26:45Z

From today's state pre-primary convention:

(Will have Republicans as soon as I get them.)

CD 1 --
Robert Pidcock 25 votes, 4.16 %
Martin Heinrich 339 votes, 56.41 %
Rebecca Vigil-Giron 67 votes, 11.15 %
Jessica Wolfe said she's withdrawing from the race to run against Sen. Kent Cravens in the general election.
Michelle Lujan Grisham 170 votes, 28.29

CD 2 --
Al Kissing 57 votes, 13.41 %
Bill McCamley 207 votes, 48.71 %
Frank McKinnon 6 votes, 1.41 %
Harry Teague 155 votes, 36.47 %

CD 3 --
Benny Shendo, Jr. 111 votes, 16.4. %
Don Wiviott 200 votes, 29.6 %
Jon Adams 16 votes, 2.37 %
Ben Ray Lujan, Jr. 271 votes, 40.21 %
Harry Montoya 74 votes, 10.98 %
Rudy Martin 2 votes, .30 %

Senate
Tom Udall 100 percent