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With the upcoming retirement of U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici, New Mexico and its center of population in metro Albuquerque might be undergoing its first political realignment in more than 50 years.

The old order was dominated by Republicans who mastered the art of looking like moderates while voting with increasingly right-wing presidents.

The old order started in 1953, when reform-minded Republicans ousted New Deal defender and ex-officio Albuquerque mayor Clyde Tingley from power, charging that patronage and other ills had corrupted local government.

That first coup was cemented by the 1966 election to the City Commission of arch-Republican Pete Domenici, who eventually became ex-officio mayor in 1968.

In 1966, the last Democrat to be elected to the U.S. House was moderate E.S. Johnny Walker. He served one term and was replaced in 1969 by popular Republican Manuel Lujan, who served for 20 years. He was followed by Republican Rep. Steve Schiff and Republican Rep. Heather Wilson, a current candidate for Domenici's seat in the Senate.

Republicans virtually owned metro Albuquerque for nearly 40 years, by moderating hard-right ideology in their campaigns while toeing the party line in their votes.

Congressional elections in metro Albuquerque chewed up and spit out two generations of the best and the brightest in the Democratic Party. And even successful Democratic mayors in Albuquerque have been one-term wonders - except for Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez, who has largely modeled his tenure after that of the late Harry Kinney, a Domenici Republican.

But both parties are weakened this election season. Democrats have unknown or well-worn candidates, because Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson dominates the party. And success has left Republicans without a great candidate pool, either. Republican Sheriff Darren White might be too far-right to beat well-spoken Democrat Martin Heinrich in the race for Wilson's House seat.

In a new alignment, metro Albuquerque might no longer be a seat of statewide power. Northern and southern New Mexico could leapfrog Albuquerque and do ideological battle for years.

Chavez is a case in point. He was trounced when he ran for governor in 1997 against incumbent Republican Gov. Gary Johnson. Southern New Mexico didn't like Chavez, and northern New Mexico didn't, either. The Democratic Chavez was either too much a Republican or not enough.

A Johnny-come-lately environmentalist such as Chavez won't do well in the north, and no matter how business-loving he is, he won't succeed in the Republican south. Winning in Albuquerque won't be enough.

Wilson, who fudged and hedged for years while wooing the broad spectrum of the electorate in U.S. House District 1, is really not pro-Bush enough for many Republicans, including her primary challenger for the GOP Senate nomination, Rep. Steve Pearce - and no Democrat worth the name would send her to the Senate.

Wishy washy doesn't cut it anymore. That's why the Republican power jam in Albuquerque that has influenced New Mexico politics for so long might be over.