They love their politics, they just don't love the Republican candidates for Governor. We'll explain. . .

A who's who of GOP heavy hitters came together this week for a high dollar fund-raiser for Adam Laxalt, son of the late NM US Senator Pete Domenici now running for a Senate seat of his own in Nevada. The minimum donation was $1,000 and up to $5,800, the maximum allowed.  

Pictured left to right are Doug Turner, nationally known public affairs expert who ran for the GOP nomination for Governor in 2010; Adam Laxalt (whose grandfather was the late Nevada Senator Paul Laxalt); Harvey Yates, former NM GOP chairman whose family made a fortune in the oil business; Ryan Cangliosi, another former state GOP chairman but not of a rarefied financial pedigree; Roswell oilman Mark Murphy, whose family, like Yates', has made a fortune in oil and who has been a key political player for years and Ben Spencer, founder of the land developer Titan Development that has made him a millionaire many times over. 

The host committee for the event included George Romanos, Domenici's longtime, loyal chief of staff and Terri and Jack Fortner, living legends in GOP politics in the Four Corners.

The picture is fascinating on several fronts. 

First, all of these men represent the anti-Susana Martinez wing of the state GOP. The pro Martinez  wing is now led by GOP governor candidate Mark Ronchetti and Martinez's consultant Jay McCleskey. 

Second, none of the heavy hitters, of course, has donated to Ronchetti but neither have they given major money to Rebecca Dow, the chief anti-Martinez candidate seeking the Guv nomination against Ronchetti. They have sat on their wallets, opting not to reignite the intraparty warfare that has so bedeviled the GOP and sent it into extinction when it comes to winning statewide office. A showdown will apparently have to wait for another day. 

Don't think these hitters couldn't make a difference. Murphy and his friends were instrumental recently in making Democrat Tim Jennings the mayor of the ruby red city of Roswell. 

The one thing the group does have in common with Ronchetti is an apparent dislike of Donald Trump who was famously anti-Martinez. Dow is an unabashed Trumper. Saint Pete and the GOP heavy hitters are middle of the road guys. Still, many of them donated big bucks to Trump.

The GOP being what it is today Laxalt, 43, who served as Nevada's attorney general, accepted the endorsement of Trump last year as well as that of Florida Gov. Ron Desantis. Like his dad, Adam knows how to cover all the bases. 

Senator Domenici was the longest serving US Senator in NM history ('73-'09) and it was not until 2011 after he left the Senate that he disclosed that he had conceived Adam Laxalt out of wedlock with the lobbyist daughter of Nevada GOP Senator Paul Laxalt. 

Domenici was not a big presence in young Adam's life but if politics is passed along in the DNA, Laxalt got a big dose. 

Laxalt was elected attorney general in 2014. In 2018 he sought the Nevada governorship and lost. In 1970 his father Pete Domenici lost the governorship to Bruce King. In 1972 Pete was elected to the US Senate where son Adam now hopes to follow in his footsteps--if he can get past Dem US Senator Catherine Cortez Masto. It is a very tight race. 

It looks like the GOP heavy hitters pictured here are having grand old time hosting and doling out cash to Laxalt at ABQ's upscale boutique Hotel Parq. If only they could figure out how to do the same for some New Mexico Republicans, New Mexico might someday again become a two party state. 

But congrats on the fundraiser fellas. . . or something. 

(Exclusive photo courtesy of a Senior Alligator who will not be reimbursed if they had to pay Five Grand to get in.)

Sen. Heinrich does a little campaign blogging in his latest fund-raising missive. Take a look:

Okay, not exactly unbiased blogging there but interesting info as the race for the AG nomination between Torrez and Brian Colón has turned hotter than a Tucumcari parking lot in July. 

Of all the oil companies, Chevron is the most active politically in New Mexico. Former NM GOP political consultant Pat Killen is a key player in determining where the cash goes and does so very quietly.

Here's another interesting pic courtesy of the Alligators who are now running frenzied laps on the campaign trail. 

It's MLG attending a fund-raiser for legislative candidates this week with Cherise Quezda pictured in front of her who is running against Eleanor Chavez for the Dem nomination for ABQ westside District 26. 

It may have been a bit awkward as MLG has not endorsed Quezada but did endorse state Rep. Art De La Cruz who along with Quezada was being feted at the fundraiser. De La Cruz has two opponents. 

But green is green and the Guv's presence hyped turnout for the event held at the home of ABQ City Councilor Klarissa Pena. Some of the green generated fell into Quezada's purse--endorsement or no endorsement. 

Yeah, there are some weeks when we really dig this stuff. This has been one of those. See ya back here Monday. 

Reporting from Albuquerque, I am Joe Monahan and this is. . .  

The home of New Mexico politics.