Tuesday, September 14, 2004In Socorro The Doctor May Be Out, An Old Political Hand Is Back on the Scene, Plus: Candidate Web Sites: Send Em' In
Ravi Bhasker
 Sometimes it's just best to stand up and take your medicine. The decision by Socorro mayor and medical doctor Ravi Bhasker to fight his punishment for a DWI rap may be costing him in his race for State Rep in Socorro County against Republican incumbent Don Tripp. The race has drawn statewide attention because of the Bhasker controversy and because it's seen as a swing district.
Bhasker hs a filed a district Court appeal of a ruling by the NM Medical Board that orders him on probation and into a alcohol treatment program. But a deep Dem insider on the ground for us in Socorro says while Ravi is popular, there are cracks in the dam. "Bhasker's got the backing of the former Deaniacs here, because he was a Howard Dean supporter, as well as from an energized Socorro Democratic Party. Still, I think this will be a tough race, and Ravi's DWI doesn't help. Tripp is also personable, and people might vote for him for that reason alone," reports our tapped-in insider. If she's got it right it will be welcome news to the GOP which hopes to pick up a seat or two in the State House this cycle. Losing Tripp could put that goal out of reach. Bhasker might be playing better if he had just admitted a mistake and gone on. We are told he is one of Socorro's most popular mayor's of recent times. BACK ON THE TRAIL Tom Carroll, former executive director of the NM GOP who was thrown to the sharks earlier this year in the intra-party turmoil that wracked the party, has resurfaced in La Politica. Carroll of Santa Fe is back in the Big Duke City heading up the committee to get ABQ's street bond issue passed. They called in Carroll because the hyper-controversial Paseo del Norte Road extension cost the city a big bond package with the voters last year. With an expected big General Election turnout, supporters are more confident this time around. But anti-Paseo opponents are expected to again wage war, thus the Carroll hiring who has a long campaign resume. THE WEB CAMPAIGN  The politicos are coming out in force in all media, including our beloved Web. I said I would start linking to candidate web sites for the junkies who love em'. So send me your candidate web location and I will post it here. If you want more you can contact me about advertising.
We kick things off with Republican Kathy Leyendecker who is challenging State Rep. Al Park in a premier legislative race in the ABQ's SE Heights. We will post web sites from across the state. Email them to me at the link on the top right of this page. Make our site, WWW.JOEMONAHAN.COM one of your favorites and e-mail a link to interested friends. Interested in advertising to NM's large political community? E-mail me from the top right of this page, or call 505-243-4059 for details. (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2004 Not for reproduction without permission of the author |
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