Johnson plans to raise between $4M-$5M. Internal poll currently shows Gary within the margin of error when they ask undecideds who they are leaning toward (39–Heinrich—35–Johnson—Rich—26) 

The DC Alligators think the NM Senate race would become more competitive with Johnson in but don't expect any of the pundit ratings to change unless and until there is polling showing Heinrich more vulnerable. The race is currently rated Solid Dem.

THE POLLING

The public polling is critical. Johnson is already widely known here. He will have to come out of the chute strong or interest will dry up fast.

Johnson has prided himself on not running negative campaigns against opponents. That means a third party PAC or PACS would have to come in to do the dirty work on Heinrich. But they aren't going to come if the race is viewed out of Johnson's reach.

If you haven't seen Johnson on video in a while, here's an interview he did earlier this month. Johnson is still pursuing his love of athletics but at 65 he will have a challenge keeping up with Heinrich in the vim and vigor competition,

GETTING MIGHTY COZY

Apodaca and Pearce

Jeff Apodaca is getting mighty cozy with Republican Guv nominee Steve Pearce. Mighty cozy.

While not endorsing the conservative congressman outright, Apodaca, who lost a sometimes bitter battle to Michelle Lujan Grisham for the Dem Guv nomination in June, walked right up to the endorsement line by saying:

Apodaca didn’t endorse Pearce, and he said he would push both Pearce and the Democratic nominee, Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham, to commit to “investing in New Mexico.” But said he had met with Pearce recently for two hours to talk jobs and the economy, and “I think he has a pretty good plan.”

Apodaca managed only 22 percent of the vote in the primary which also featured State Senator Joe Cervantes who scored 11 percent. Lujan Grisham won in a landslide, garnering 66 percent.

Cervantes has endorsed MLG. To our knowledge Apodaca has not endorsed her.

Apodaca, a onetime media executive and son of former NM Governor Jerry Apodaca, recently signed up as a spokesman for New Mexico Democrats for Democracy, a group with an anti-MLG tilt. It says its mission is to "change New Mexico for the better by supporting candidates instead of parties."

Some of the bad blood between Lujan Grisham and Apodaca may be personal, according to insiders. They say a post-primary meeting between Apodaca and MLG did not go well and Apodaca felt ignored and insulted.

Apodaca's main platform plank during the campaign was to invest hundreds of millions of dollars from the $18 billion Land Grant Permanent Fund into local businesses to spark economic growth. Pearce on Monday pulled a surprise and called Apodaca up to the podium before a group of ABQ business leaders and said as Governor he would expand  the program that invests in local businesses already set up under the smaller Severance Tax Permanent Fund.

Apodaca's political future is uncertain. His poor primary performance gives him little cachet with the nominating wing of the Democratic Party and getting cozy with Pearce is only going to further alienate him from the party. But Pearce is no political dummy and using Apodaca, a prominent male Hispanic Dem as a foil against Lujan Grisham, is an easy play.

Apodaca's critics said on his Facebook page that he was job hunting. 2010 Dem Guv nominee and former Lt. Governor Diane Denish called him a "sore loser."

For Lujan Grisham the problem is not so much that Apodaca is burning her, it raises the question of why she has not been able to make peace with him. That's a skill she will need to employ countless times if she assumes the governorship.

PEARCE TAKES JULY

On our scorecard the month of June went to MLG in the race for Governor but Pearce takes July. Why? Well, it was mainly of her own making, not anything Pearce did.

First there was that MLG interview with the ABQ Journal in which she went over the top in dumping on the progressive wing of her party, even saying that those hostile to the oil and gas industry had "lost their minds."

Second, there is her TV spot on the opioid epidemic that was called out in an AP fact check for stretching the truth on how much the overdose rate was cut during her tenure as secretary of the state health department.

Third, there is the aforementioned Apodoca who is now playing the position of thorn in MLG's side and getting some attention for it.

Now it's on to August.

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2018