More Local Politics

• Red lights, cameras, action: Albuquerque program back on, but so is feud
• New Mexico hopefuls for U.S. Senate tout experience at debate
• Reports: Personal funds help some New Mexico congressional candidates

MOST RECENT TRIB STORIES

• ABQTrib.com to remain available
  08:48 a.m., February 25, 2008
• Congressman is indicted
  08:37 a.m., February 23, 2008
• Series of attacks target Green Zone
  08:36 a.m., February 23, 2008
• Iran is defying U.N., agency says
  08:35 a.m., February 23, 2008
• Waterboarding approval probed
  08:34 a.m., February 23, 2008

TRIB IN THE BLOGOSPHERE*

• Ty Murray Invitational thrills fans in Albuquerque
• Is Rome Burning?
• Ominous Skies
• The Road to Invalidation
• Albuquerque company participates in “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”

*Note: The Tribune does not create and is not responsible for the blogosphere's headlines and stories. These links to blogs talking about ABQTrib.com are automatically generated. Use them at your own risk.

STORY TOOLS

• E-mail story
• Comments
• iPod friendly
• Printer friendly

SHARE THIS STORY [?]

As he prepared to run for the state's 1st Congressional District, Democrat Martin Heinrich gathered the usual pre-primary supplies: support from family and friends, campaign workers, an office.

He also got a key tool that's so far has proven invaluable - a huge cell phone plan.

"I've got a bazillion minutes," he said. "Right from the start, we got a huge cell phone plan."

Good thing. Heinrich said he spends at least 25 hours a week raising money, much of it over the phone. His cell phone.

"Unfortunately, it's the biggest chunk of what I do as a candidate," said Heinrich, a former Albuquerque city councilor.

He's not alone. Other Democrats in the race for the seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson say fund-raising is a major time consumer.

One reason: Gov. Bill Richardson's try for the presidency is gobbling up plenty of New Mexico dollars. And now, the tumult in statewide politics - triggered by Sen. Pete Domenici's decision to leave office after 2008 - means there are four Democrats who need cash for the 1st Congressional District race and the June 3 primary.

Among them is Michelle Lujan Grisham.

"With the number of other people that keep getting into this seat and other seats, the climate is harder than it would normally be because you have so many folks out there. But I'm not discouraged at all," said the former state Department of Health secretary.

As the competition mounts - other Democrats could still announce they want the seat, too - Grisham said she's tapping into some donors who haven't given before.

Grisham said she's also spending "175 percent" of her time in search of the cash that will help her get her name out there.

"I need to spend nearly full time fund-raising and putting a field team together," she said. She hadn't filed a campaign report with the Federal Election Commission as of Thursday.

Still, Heinrich said running in an open seat has made raising money easier than it was when he was running against Wilson, the incumbent since 1998 and a proven campaign winner. He has $214,322, according to his most recent campaign report.

"It's actually gotten easier in the last couple of weeks," he said.

"People who had watched the seat and watched Heather hang on were sitting on the sidelines," Heinrich continued. "They are now more actively engaged and helping me raise funds."

With more interest and more money has come more candidates.

Albuquerque lawyer Jon Adams, a Democrat, said he raised about $20,000 in five hours. He has just more than $14,000 cash on hand, according to his most recent report with the Federal Election Commission.

In the next few weeks, he said he plans to loan his campaign between $100,000 and $200,000. Adams, who worked for former state Sen. Richard Romero during his race against Wilson in 2002, said he's focusing on getting out and talking to voters at this point in the campaign.

"A lot of people are finding this early in the game for the non-presidential races that a lot of money isn't as easy (to raise) as it is further on," he said.

But not all the candidates are so focused on raising money. Jason Call, a Highland High School teacher, said he won't take money from unions, businesses or political action committees for his campaign.

Despite that, he's raised about $1,000, he said.

"It's enough for me for what I'm doing right now," he said. His campaign is "Internet- and grassroots-driven, by word of mouth, through activists," he said.

"The point is, I want to show I can be viable and not have to go around soliciting large donations," Call said.