Heather Wilson, the Congressional Representative for New Mexico’s First Congressional District, has been making the rounds around the state. Wilson has been making public appearances in, among other places, Las Cruces and Los Alamos; both areas well outside her congressional district.
Joe Monahan draws the obvious conclusion:
Read it under the fold. Crossposted at New Mexico FBIHOP.
She’s recently been in Clovis, Los Alamos and Las Cruces. Now one of the Alligators has an unconfirmed report that ABQ GOP Rep. Heather Wilson has had an appearance slated for Farmington. You know the score, but it bears repeating. Wilson is positioning herself for the US senate seat held by Senator Domenici–just in case. Domenici is indeed running for a seventh term in ’08, but frail health is the opponent that could keep him out of the race. He is 75.
Some Democrats complain that Wilson is in denial after having only won her ’06 reelect by less than 900 votes and that appearing around the state is a sign of arrogance. But with the Dems set to start a heated primary to see who will win the right to challenge her in ’08, Wilson is largely out of their line of fire, giving her the opportunity to roam freely. A US senate opening in NM is a once in a generation event, if that. If Wilson has any ambition for the seat, she must stay positioned, regardless of the current political odds. Ditto for GOP US Rep. Steve Pearce who is doing the same, but further below the radar than the determined congresswoman.
I don’t quite agree with the first sentence of the second paragraph — what Democrats are “complain[ing]” about Wilson being in denial? Of course she is, she is not safe in her own seat, but Democrats will not “complain” about this.
Instead, they will view it as an opportunity to not only pick up a seat in the House, but also a seat in the Senate, if another viable statewide candidate steps in from the Democratic side.
But Wilson wouldn’t even be safe in the Republican primary. She would face stiff competition from the right in Steve Pearce. If Domenici retires (a big “if” at this point), there would be a fierce battle between Wilson and Pearce. And Wilson’s posturing at being a “moderate” (even though she is far from one) will hurt her in a primary.
So Wilson, on her Tour de New Mexico, has to delicately balance between her purported position as a moderate and a position as a hardcore conservative which would help her in a hard-fought primary.
Of course, all this is moot if Domenici steps aside after the primary in favor of Wilson. This wouldn’t be the first time — remember the ol’ Damron-Dendahl switcheroo?
If Domenici retires, there’s a good possibility that Udall in the 3rd district runs in a relatively uncontested primary (Udall is probably the only one who would seriously run for the seat, with Martin Chavez more likely to run for Governor after Richardson and with Patricia Madrid being weakened by her loss to Wilson last year, he is the only logical conclusion).
hey, that’s more realistic than the people who insist that the GOP ticket will be “Paul/Johnson”
Granted, I don’t live in New Mexico, but I’ve heard nothing indicating that Pearce would be interested in running. Can you point me to an article or link that shows an interest from him?