How does a candidate for Congress spend his time? It's nothing glamorous, that's for sure. Take State Senator Richard Romero, seeking the Democratic nomination to run against Republican Rep. Heather Wilson in 04'. Richard, who is favored over two opponents to win the right to take on Heather for a second time, tells friends he is "working the phones six hours a day." That means asking people for money. And no wonder. It takes a couple of million just to get in the congressional game. The candidate will do six hours a day of cash calling until mid-December. Romero is giving up his Downtown/Barelas/North Valley senate seat to make the bid. And that brings us to liberal Democrat Jerry Ortiz y Pino who was first to announce for the Romero seat (via this web site) and is also busy chasing campaign cash.

A well-run senate campaign can cost upwards of $50,000. Friends say Jerry raised $4,000 of it at a weekend announcement party held at his downtown home. A couple of hundred relatives and supporters passed the hat for the candidate who is running as a "progressive." To that end, he has hired Eli Lee and his Soltari consulting firm which is coming off of a couple of wins in the recent ABQ election, including defeat of the street bonds and the election of Martin Heinrich to the city council. As it happens, Heinrich was in attendance at the Pino party as was Bobbie Baca, wife of former ABQ Mayor Baca who Ortiz once worked under. Romero was also on hand, but is staying neutral. Remember, the winner of the June Democratic primary for Romero's seat is just about guaranteed election to the state senate since the area is heavily Dem. Former state rep. and city councilor Adele Baca Hundley is another possible candidate for the seat, along with several others.

CLERK CEBALLOS
Considering the election problems of recent years, being a county clerk in New Mexico might not be the most popular profession, but Dona Ana County has no shortage of applicants for the positon. Clerk Ruben Ceballos was recently found guily of five criminal counts of violating the state election code and will be removed next month. Meanwhile, Dona Ana County Commission Chair Paul Curry reports receving over a dozen calls for the job while at lunch in Cruces the other day. The new clerk gets $50,000 a year and will be appointed by the commission. To qualify for the job you just have to be 18 years old and a U.S. citizen. Nice work, if you can get it.

And, from the NM Secretary of State, who oversees elections, we get this novel proposal: keep all the results secret until they are all counted! The Journal's Loie Fecteau has a report for us from the City Different. http://abqjournal.com/news/state/114173nm11-25-03.htm

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2003
Not for reproduction without permission of the author