Lightning Rod
Several weeks ago State Senator Rod Adair of Roswell told me he is seeking re-election this year, but apparently not all in the GOP are true believers. Several high-level Republican sources confirm that prominent Roswell Attorney Greg Nibert is quietly circulating petitions to seek the Adair seat, just in case the conservative lawmaker decides at the last minute to bow out. Here's how one of the sources puts it:

"The theory that Rod could back out at the last minute and pave the way for (State Rep.) Dan Foley to replace him is alive and well. It may or may not happen, but Nibert takes it seriously enough to circulate petitions and spring them if necessary."

If the Foley theory is true he too would have to be circulating petitions for the senate seat as well as his house seat. I have not had any firm reports on whether he is yet doing that. Last minute switches by legislative candidates is nothing new. A few years ago State Rep. Joe Thompson benefited when at the last minute Kip Nicely stepped down, after tipping off Thompson who was ready to go with petitions. No one else had a chance.

Nibert is not a Dendahlite. He is a power playing attorney with the Hinkle law firm and a former chair of the Chavez County GOP. He has deep ties with the New Mexico oil and gas industry and commands respect in Santa Fe. He did not return a call for comment on his petition gathering activity. It would be interesting to see a Nibert-Foley GOP face-off, but Foley would be hard-pressed to vacate his very safe house seat.
Nibert
Lightning Rod, who was the Lt. Gov. candidate for the GOP in 02,' was a key supporter of ex-state GOP chair John Dendahl who was ousted last year by Ramsay Gorham. Adair, who is a demographer and self-described polling expert, has been kicked off the gravy train since Gorham took over. The conservative lawmaker has blasted this blog and me personally, as well as just about every other source of political news and commentary in the Land of Enchantment. He circulates an occasional newsletter with his hard-right viewpoints. Foley is an understudy of the Dendahlites and, like Adair, is a popular conservative in his neighborhood.

Lightning Rod's temper is known to flare on occasion. His legendary fisticuffs with then House Speaker Raymond Sanchez, was caught on camera in a Capitol hallway. This report will probably elicit another Adair-Foley outcry. So fellas, I want to thank you in advance for the publicity.

SIGNED, SEALED AND DELIVERED

A couple of suprises on petition filing day Tuesday at the Sec. of State's office in Santa Fe. Longtime Green Party member Abe Gutmann phoned in to tell me he filed for the ABQ congressional seat held by Heather Wilson, but if he wins the Green nomination he will turn around and support Wilson's probable Dem opponent State. Sen. Richard Romero! The Green's Jeremy Brown also filed Tuesday for the congressional nod and is not prone to deal with the Dems if he wins. However, Brown says if longshot Miles Nelson beat Romero he would consider doing a coalition with the Dems. All this might be academic. Heather now has a whopping $750k in the bank. Gutmann was censured by the Green's for his past dalliances with the Dems, but it doesn't seem to have changed his mind that the Green Party should not hurt the Dems when they have a liberal or semi-liberal candidate.

GENTLEMEN, (AND MAYBE JUDGE JUDY) GRAB YOUR GAVELS!

Those two high court races we've been tracking for State Court of Appeals and State Supreme Court are now in focus since petitions have been filed. State GOP Director Tom Carroll phones with the news that former State Rep. Paul Barber for Appeals, and Ned Fuller for Supreme Court, received "plenty of signatures" and will be on the June 1st primary ballot. It was a last minute switch for both men. They had been seeking district court judgeships, but went for the higher seats when, according to my sources, they were promised financial support; Fuller in particular. The speculation being the U.S. Chamber of Commerce wants to spend big bucks to beat Dem Supreme Ed Chavez who was just appointed to his seat by Big Bill. More on this in my Feb. 6 report below.

Which bring us to Judge Judy. Those Bernalillo County judgeships Barber and Fuller were going for need fresh GOP contenders. And sources say Metro Court Presiding Judge Judy Nakamura has her eye on one of them. Judy has been in the blog news as a result of Big Bill crossing the aisle and appointing Republican Metro Judge Denise Barela-Shepherd up to district court, leaving Judy's fragile GOP majority for presiding judge in jeopardy. A race for district court would leave that behind her and would also give her a bump up the pay scale and the prestige ladder. Another district court GOP judge hopeful will apparently be veteran ABQ accident lawyer and loyal Repub Kerry Morris. He is said to be circulating petitions and will file for a court seat in mid-March. I will update the Dem contenders in future reports.

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2004
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