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WASHINGTON — Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez is telling Democratic Party recruiters that he will consider running for the Senate in 2008, but only if incumbent Sen. Pete Domenici does not run.

In an interview Wednesday, Chavez also ruled out a race against Rep. Heather Wilson, an Albuquerque Republican, because he has no interest in serving in the House.

If Domenici, also an Albuquerque Republican, runs next year, Chavez said he will set his sights on another run for mayor in 2009 or the governor's seat in 2010 or leave public service.

Chavez told The Tribune on a trip here that he has talked with J.B. Poersch, the executive director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, about running for the Senate.

He said he told Poersch, "If our senior senator runs I'm going to support him."

Chavez, a Democrat who won his third term as mayor last year in a nonpartisan election, said Domenici "is more my kind of Republican," a moderate who believes in balancing the budget.

"I didn't always agree with him, but, gosh, he is so hard-working and is so accessible. And he knows Albuquerque really well having served on the city commission," said Chavez.

"If he chooses not to run that's an open seat and I'd have to look at it."

Domenici, 74, has said he intends to run for re-election but that has not quelled speculation that he won't, especially since his party lost control pf the Senate in the latest election. Domenici had raised only $264,271 for the 2008 campaign has of Sept. 30, but only 11 of the 32 senators up that year have raised more than $1 million according to Congressional Quarterly. Domenici's office had no comment in response to Chavez's comments Wednesday.

Chavez does have some experience in the Senate. He was an elevator operator there while attending Georgetown University Law School in the 70s and also worked two years in the office of Sen. Joseph Montoya.

At age 54, Chavez has no interest in going to the House of Representatives and waiting 20 years to obtain enough seniority to do anything, all the while constantly raising money for the next election.

"The Senate is a different thing. The Senate is still the most exclusive club in the world. It's still a place where great things happen. It's losing some of its collegiality, but it's not as bad as the House," said Chavez.

State Attorney General Patricia Madrid, who lost to Wilson by 875 votes when the counting finally finished this week, also has talked about a race for senate or governor.

Asked if Madrid is still a viable candidate, Chavez replied, "I don't know, probably, only if it's not against me."

Chavez, who appeared in a campaign ad for Madrid, said she "snatched defeat from the jaws of victory" by not responding effectively to the ads Wilson ran after their debate.

Chavez lost his only statewide race in 1998 when he challenged incumbent Republican Gov. Gary Johnson.

Tim Krebs, an associate professor of political science at the University of New Mexico, said Chavez has the advantage of being mayor of the biggest city in the state.

"People generally think of him as an aggressive and effective advocate for Albuquerque," said Krebs.

Chavez stopped off in Washington for meetings on his way to New York City where he will open NASDAQ trading Friday in recognition of the high rankings the city is getting from many business magazines.

On Saturday, he and several other mayors are being flown to Paris where they will talk to water industry officials about their efforts to manage water. On Wednesday he'll be in London, where Albuquerque's drinking water system is a finalist against Madrid's sewer system for a World Leadership Award in conservation sponsored by a nonprofit British group.

Chavez's national profile could rise next year whether he runs for the Senate or not thanks to the Democratic takeover of Congress. He's in line to become chairman of the National Conference of Democratic Mayors and is a principal on several committees of the U. S. Mayors Conference dealing with water, the environment and energy.

In January, he plans to lead a group of mayors here to talk about global climate change legislation with Sen. Jeff Bingaman, the Silver City Democrat who will replace Domenici as chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

And if Gov. Bill Richardson runs for president, Chavez will be coordinating the efforts of mayors nationally for Richardson.