MLG passing out the pork

MLG is not going to win Curry or Chaves counties. That's pretty much a given but by the time her summer of pork is over she may have quieted some of the opposition in those rural GOP counties and others.

The Guv is now busy traveling to outlying locales to announce a myriad of public works projects made possible by some of the fattest surpluses in state history that include a $824 million capital outlay bill approved at the last session of the legislature as well as over $3.5 billion in federal infrastructure funds that are coming into the state over the next five years. 

That's a lot of bacon greasing the '22 campaign trail.

The impact of those dollars is far greater in smaller communities than the ABQ metro and MLG's visits doling out the largesse are being celebrated with positive small town press and accolades from locals who previously scorned her for what they saw as her overbearing management of the Covid crisis.

But Covid is in the rearview mirror and in Clovis and Portales they're looking forward to finally getting the Ute water pipeline project moving more swiftly. During a Clovis stop MLG announced $30 million in state money for the long-planned pipeline that would bring water from the Ute Reservoir north of those communities into the small towns and cities of eastern New Mexico. 

The project has been on the books since 2009 but lacked funding. Ironically it was the Covid crisis that gave Clovis and vicinity their water break. The infrastructure bill to prop up the forlorn economy meant $160 million in federal funding for Ute with the help of Sen. Lujan and Rep. Leger Fernandez. MLG joined the party and now the locals say the water could flow by 2029, in time to avoid a water crisis as the local acquifer begins to run dry. 

(The Guv also announced $2.1 million to build a new Clovis senior citizen center.)

MLG lost Curry County in 2018 to Steve Pearce by 70 to 30 percent with 10,213 votes cast. GOP Guv contender Mark Ronchetti aims to do the same or more but MLG hopes her Christmas in July present will cool tempers and trim those margins.

In economically hard hit Socorro County, it was $10 million announced by MLG for the first in a series of electric vehicle charging stations along I-25 and another $38 million in federal money for such stations every 50 miles along NM's interstates.

MLG won Socorro County 57 to 43 with 6,260 votes cast. Can the Dems get the locals charged up enough to top that margin in '22?

In Belen in Valencia County MLG announced $1.3 million for the Eagle Park Veteran’s Memorial, as well as an addition of a dog park, splash pad and other improvements. She carried Valencia 52 to 48 four years ago but it's more red today. Over 24,000 votes were cast there in '18 so this is a prize that both sides badly want. 

In Roswell it was $1.7 million in funding MLG announced to repair a bridge damaged in recent flooding. Chaves is a tough nut to crack for a Democrat--Pearce carried it 68 to 32--but new Roswell Dem Mayor Tim Jennings did his best to soften the shell, praising MLG for the bridge help. 

And so it goes in the summer of pork on the Dem campaign trail. Oscar Mayer would be proud. 

FOLLOWING THE MONEY (CONT.)

Rep. Matthews

We told you Monday about the pretty good fund-raising run the Dems are having in the ABQ NE Heights seat held by Dem Rep. Pam Herndon (District 28) who is being challenged by the GOP's Nicole Chavez. Well, the Dems are also having a pretty good go of it in another critical ABQ House contest. 

That would be in NE District 27 that includes a number of affluent neighborhoods and is currently held by Dem Rep. Marian Matthews.

Republicans say they can flip what was long a Republican leaning district and they have fielded Bob Godshall to do the heavy lifting. But Godshall, who is retired from the feds Dept. of Homeland Security, could not do the trick when he ran against Matthews in 2020 and in '22 it's looking iffy again. (Godshall lost 51 to 49 in '20)

Campaign reports for June show Matthews, a retired attorney, with $90,000 in cash in hand compared to Godshall's $5,000. That doesn't sound like a fair fight and if it continues through the summer this won't be any fight at all come November. 

The GOP believes if a national red wave comes our way this district is ripe to go back into their column, but out of the starting gate it's Matthews setting the pace--and riding a money wave. 

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