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SANTA FE — With the 2008 election year looming, lobbyists and their clients primed the campaign pump last year by handing out nearly $843,000 in political contributions to legislators and other state officials.

Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, who is running for governor in 2010, was one of the top recipients of lobbyists' contributions. She collected about $97,000 for her campaign organization and a political action committee she operates, a review of lobbyist spending reports by the Associated Press shows.

Among the largest donors to Denish was Coast Range Investments, a California company planning a 6,000-acre industrial park and residential development near Belen. A company fund and one of the company's owners contributed $31,280 to Denish, including an in-kind donation of $5,000 for Denish's use of a company plane to fly to California last fall.

A company officer and an investment fund with ties to the California developer was a major contributor to Gov. Bill Richardson's re-election in 2006.

Among the major lobbyist donors were several health care companies. The New Mexico Hospital and Health Systems Association contributed $40,950 in late December to more than 80 legislators, as well as to Denish and Attorney General Gary King. Denish received $5,000 and King got $1,000.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico contributed $25,800 last month to nearly three dozen legislators, Denish and King. Denish received $4,000 and King got $1,000.

Health care is a top issue in the legislative session that convened earlier this month. Richardson wants lawmakers to approve a plan for expanding health care coverage to all New Mexicans.

The political contributions were disclosed by lobbyists in spending reports filed with the Secretary of State's Office earlier this month.

The latest reports covered expenditures from late April through December. During the first four months of 2007, lobbyists made about $23,000 in political contributions, according to previous disclosure reports.

In addition to making campaign contributions, lobbyists and their clients spent at least $658,000 last year on meals, drinks, gifts, entertainment and special events for legislators, the governor, state agency officials and staff. Nearly $127,000 of that was spent from late April through December.

Among the spending disclosed in the latest lobbying reports:

• A dinner on a cruise ship in Boston harbor for New Mexico legislators, staff and their family members who attended a meeting of the National Conference of State Legislatures. The event cost about $21,000, according to a lobbyist who helped organize it. About two dozen lobbyists and companies split the cost. Thirty-four legislators were among the more than 100 people who attended the two-hour cruise and dinner.

• At least $3,000 for a Christmas reception at the governor's mansion for Richardson's staff and guests. Among those paying the tab was Public Service Company of New Mexico, the state's largest electric utility, which provided $2,000 for the event last month. A PNM lobbyist, Ernest C'deBaca, said the Governor's Office solicited a donation from the company to help pay for the reception.

* A dinner for 19 legislators attending a meeting of the Council of State Governments-West at Jackson Lake Lodge in Grand Teton National Park. Three lobbyists reported spending at least $2,686 on the dinner in September.

• A dinner for lawmakers attending a conference in Lake Louise, Alberta, last month. Two oil and natural gas industry lobbyists reported spending at least $1,536 on the event. The Energy Council, a legislative organization of energy-producing states, hosted the conference.

• $748 worth of beer supplied for fund-raisers for legislators and Richardson. A beer distributor, Premier Distributing, provided cases of beer for the events, which included campaign fund-raising golf tournaments.