More Local

• ABQTrib.com to remain available
• Former Marine to serve two years in jail for killing Albuquerque robber
• Wilson-Pearce battle for U.S. Senate exemplifies party's disparity

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 [?]

WASHINGTON — In the race for New Mexico's open U.S. Senate seat, Rep. Tom Udall has raised more than his two Republican Campaign finance reports filed Thursday show that in the months following the Oct. 4 announcement by Sen. Pete Domenici that he would not seek re-election, Udall, a Santa Fe Democrat, raised a little over $1 million.

In that same period, from October to December, U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson of Albuquerque raised $524,241 while Rep. Steve Pearce of Hobbs brought in $425,847.

All three representatives transferred their built-up House campaign funds to the Senate race. But Wilson and Pearce will have to spend their cash on hand — just over $1 million for Wilson and $819,000 for Pearce — on the June 3 Republican primary while Udall can build on his kitty of $1.7 million for the general election.

And thanks to the decision of Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez to drop out of the race, Udall also is collecting money for left-leaning political action committees — $195,600 in the fourth quarter.

Pearce on Thursday did pick up the endorsement of the conservative Club for Economic Growth, but most interest groups are reluctant to take sides before a primary.

While Wilson declared for the Senate within two days of Domenici's announcement, Pearce did not announce until mid-November and Udall not until late November, meaning late starts on fund-raising for most of their would-be successors.

In the race to replace Wilson, Democrat Martin Heinrich leads all candidates, ending 2007 with $277,146.

The Albuquerque city councilor received 1,386 contributions of $250 or less, which his campaign manager, Jon Blair, said indicated a wide base of support.

Heinrich's closest competition for the Democratic nomination, former state health secretary Michelle Lujan Grisham, reported raising $95,791, while the Republican front-runner, Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White, reported $172,558.

White and Grisham began their campaigns after Wilson declared she would run for the Senate.

Three other U.S. House candidates jump-started their campaigns with personal loans.

Democrat Don Wiviott, a Santa Fe developer, lent his campaign $325,000 to try to succeed Udall in Congressional District 2, which represents Rio Rancho and northern New Mexico. Democrat Ben Ray Lujan, chairman of the Public Regulation Commission, lent his campaign $50,000 for the same seat.

Both had substantial fund-raising leads over their Democratic opponents, attorney Jon Adams, who had $15,370 in cash on hand at year's end, and state Sen. Harry Montoya, who had $4,556.

In the Republican primary race for the southern New Mexico district currently held by Pearce, rancher Aubrey Dunn lent his campaign $300,000 and had $275,416 at year's end.

But Ed Tinsley, former chairman of the National Restaurant Association, topped the GOP cash chase with $283,890 on Jan 1.

Hobbs oil company executive Harry Teague led the Democratic candidates seeking to replace Pearce with $362,735. Nine employees of Teague's company gave the maximum contribution of $2,300, as did Lt. Gov. Diane Denish.

Do¤a Ana County Commissioner Bill McCamley reported $212,000 in cash at year's end. Al Kissling, the 2006 Democratic nominee, was far behind with $6,935.

Candidates who announced too late to raise any money in 2007 will file their first reports April 15.

Meanwhile, Gov. Bill Richardson filed a report indicating that he spent more than $23 million on his doomed quest for the presidency. That included more than $5 million from New Mexicans.

Richardson reported that by Dec. 31 he had spent more than $21.4 million on his Democratic presidential race and had $1.8 million left. He may have used up that surplus in Iowa and New Hampshire because he recently sent out a plea for contributions to erase an unspecified debt.

The complete costs of his campaign will not be known until the campaign files a termination report.