Tuesday, April 26, 2022GOP Pushes Out CRT Event As Dow Pounds Away On Issue; Upcoming Seminar Sponsored By Dow Supporter, Plus: State Treasurer Money Race Updated No sooner had we blogged Monday of the momentum GOP Guv candidate and state Rep. Rebecca Dow is deriving from her TV ad criticizing Critical Race Theory (CRT) then this promotion from the state Republican party shows up touting a seminar on the hot button issue.The May 12 event featuring former Vanderbilt University professor Carol Swain plays right into the hands of Dow, intentionally or not. The event is being presented by New Mexico Alive!, a group that concentrates on social issues of particular interest to Republicans. The session is being sponsored by TLC plumbing. TLC is owned by major Republican donor Dale Armstrong, husband of state GOP Rep. Gail Armstrong. Dow lists the couple as endorsers of her candidacy on her web site. Rep. Armstrong represents District 49, a Socorro and Catron county district where she grew up. She was first elected in 2016. The Armstrongs have a ranch in the district. Dow also represents a rural area--Grant, Hidalgo and Sierra counties--and was also first elected to the House in 2016. CRT is a hardcore conservative Republican value but Mark Ronchetti, Dow's chief rival for the Guv nomination in the five way race, has so far steered clear of the potentially divisive general election issue. Dow has filled the void. The state party's long-standing split is fully intact, with the faction including GOP Chairman Steve Pearce not in the Ronchetti corner and supporters of former Gov. Susana Martinez backing him. Moderate Dem political consultant Sisto Abeyta says he believes Dow has cemented her southern rural base with her TV messaging on border security and now has hopped on the CRT wagon and is driving into Ronchetti's ABQ area base: This issue may have its broadest appeal in the conservative south but it also can motivate votes here in the metro. Look at what happened in the November ABQ School Board election when three business backed candidates won--not those endorsed by the teacher unions. That doesn't happen every day and in that Virginia governor election last November CRT had great appeal in the suburbs. The Republican won the state, a point to remember when looking at the Bernalillo, Sandoval and Valencia county Republican vote. TREASURER TREASURE CHEST  The first batch of campaign money numbers reported here in the race for the Dem nomination for state treasurer were actually from last October. Here are the fresh ones covering the six months from early October to April 4. Laura Montoya, who won the Dem preprimary convention, is also winning the money race over opponent Hearter Benavidez. Montoya, a former Sandoval county treasurer, reports raising $51,000 in the period and having $49,000 in cash on April 4. The IBEW union gave Montoya $2,000. Former Attorney General Gary King donated $600. Benavidez, who has worked on programs under current Treasurer Tim Eichenberg and is a former Valencia County magistrate judge, reports raising $17,000 and having $24,000 in cash. Among her donors was her father-in-law, former state Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez and his wife who gave $700 and former Lt. Governor Diane Denish who donated $250. If the Dem nominee wins the treasurer's post in November she will be the first female treasurer in state history. THE ONLINE CAMPAIGN Reader Janet Blair writes: Joe, the League of Women Voters of New Mexico is working on its first statewide online voter guide, VOTE411. We are contacting all statewide candidates including all legislative hopefuls. Could you urge candidates respond to our questionnaire and get their information out to voters? We know candidates get lots of questionnaires, but we are hoping a nudge might encourage them to answer our questions and help us educate voters. Candidates wishing to be included in the League's voter guide can email Janet at jkblair@swcp.com. This is the home of New Mexico politics. E-mail your news and comments. (newsguy@yahoo.com) Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here.   (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2022 |
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