Bill Davis
There's another Big Bill on the New Mexico political playing field. He's Big Bill Davis, who has been on the sidelines since an unsuccessful run for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate in 2000. But now he's coming back to take on fellow Republican Tim Cummins for the ABQ NE Heights Bernalillo County Commission seat. And Davis has come back in a fighting mood. He charges incumbent Cummins with failing to hold the line on property tax increases and for not holding contractors feet to the fire for big cost overruns at the new city-county jail and new courthouse."I will be tight-fisted with taxpayers money. Tim simply hasn't done the job," Davis told me in a talk from his ABQ law office.

Cummins is going to have his hands full with this Republican Big Bill. He took another jab at the commissioner for endorsing Democrat Marty Chavez when the ABQ mayor ran for Guv in 98.' Davis says if he gets on the commission Republicans will get the "real thing."

Davis is for real, too real for some in the GOP who rejected him when he ran for the U.S. House in 98' and U.S. Senate in 2000. Prior to that he served two separate four year terms in the state senate where he was a master of the filibuster and took on Senator Manny a time or two. But Davis' conservative approach and hard-line anti-abortion position raised hackles in his swing district and he was ousted from the seat in 92' by liberal Democrat Ann Riley. (He came back for another term in 97'.)

But Davis isn't worried about past defeats. "I don't look at it as a win-loss record. I look at it as doing service for the community." Serving on the commission would certainly be that for Davis. He has a highly successful law practice and is not in need of a job. He also has appeal to military families in the Heights. He was a combat pilot in Vietnam and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. He still lives a bit on the wild side, taking to the open roads on occasion on his big Harley.

Cummins has played ball with the Democrats and has paid the price. He was ousted from the ABQ city council when then State GOP Party Chair John Dendahl targeted him because of his Chavez endorsement and support of a tax increase. But Cummins, like Davis, has shown a lot of spunk in the political arena, making this campaign for county commission a race to watch.

PEARCE ASKS FOR TWO MORE

NM freshman Republican Congressman Steve Pearce made the rounds this week asking voters in his southern NM district to make him a sophomore. Pearce will be unopposed in the GOP primary. Two Democrats Gary king and Jeff Steinborn will vie for the Dem nomination to face-off with Pearce of Hobbs in November. The Ruidoso News has our Pearce report

LET'S TALK POLITICS--ON THE RADIO and TV

There will be more New Mexico politics for you this weekend when you turn to 770 KKOB-AM Radio in ABQ from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. as I sit in with host Greg Payne and top NM lobbyist Scott Scanland to talk about the upcoming legislative session and all the many other happenings we have been talking about here on "New Mexico Politics With Joe Monahan." The broadcast is two hours so there's plenty of time to call in. Please join us. Also, at 5 p.m. on KKOB presidential contender Howard Dean is scheduled to be interviewed live by Richard Eeds. Brings back memories. My first presidential interview was back in 1975 when I interviewed Jimmy Carter for half an hour for KUNM-FM at UNM. I conducted the interview at a hotel near the airport. Carter was more than generous with this time. It was months before the Iowa caucuses and he was no where in the running. But the rest, as they say, is history. Monday, the day of the Iowa caucuses, I will talk politics with veteran anchorman and political junkie Dick Knipfing on KRQE-TV, channel 13 at 4: 20 p.m. We'll discuss the very latest from Iowa plus the local scene as well, so be sure to join us.

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What a vacuum there has been in NM politics this past year with hardly any political figures of prominence daring to go public against Big Bill in any noticeable way. It was surely one of the crowning achievements of his first year. But it's a new year, and as we reported earlier (see Jan. 6 below) Attorney General Patsy Madrid is ready to establish herself as critic-in chief of the Guv.

And here she goes. First, she panned Big Bill's prez caucus plan. And now......

Tuesday night she ripped into the Big Guy on statewide TV for what she called a big mistake when he signed poorly written DWI legislation. This week the state Court of Appeals overturned the Richardson DWI measure, and that has Patsy yelling loudly: "I told you so." She says she warned the Guv's office of the problem and was ignored. Richardson, enraged at Madrid's impudence, hits hard in a news release: "I was flabbergasted at the comments of the AG. Not only did she advise me to sign the bill, but my office never received a formal request from her to correct the law in last year's special session." The release claims Big Bill signed the DWI bill on advise from Madrid's own lawyers, and that now, in the face of the court loss, she is, "looking to place blame."

Actually, what she is trying to do is position herself as chief critic of the Guv and not let her archrival and probable future gubernatorial opponent, Light Guv Diane Denish, bask in an always glowing sun. Friends of Patsy say her roundhouse at the Guv was bold and long overdue because he made a mistake due to his hurried style, that the press has more or less rolled over in coverage of the Big Fella, and that some checks and balances on this powerful governor are long overdue. Madrid foes are saying the attack on Bill was politics at its basest and that Patsy is frustrated that the Bill and Diane train is moving smoothly ahead without her on board.

Well, take your pick. But New Mexico politics is returning to "normalcy." Get your thick skins on guys and gals. Year #2 of the Big Bill reign is going to get rough. Patricia Madrid is making sure of that.

SPIKING THE LIQUOR BILL?

Rumors circulating at the top levels of the legislative leadership and GOP circles too is that the Guv may slip a Mickey Finn in the punch bowl when it comes to the state liquor tax. He tried to raise it during the special session, and was turned back by the powerful and effective liquor lobby.

The latest scuttlebutt has it that the Guv could try to have the liquor tax placed in the same package as his widely supported DWI reforms. If you vote against the liquor tax, you have to go home and tell voters why you also voted against DWI reform. Ouch, If you're running for election, as are all 112 members of the legislature. The Guv has to find money somewhere, if he's going to phase-out the food tax. And liquor looks like his chosen vehicle. Will Bill do it? And will lawmakers put up with it? Stay tuned. The 30 day session starts Tuesday.

ZOGBY POLL TO TRACK NM PREZ CONTEST

Everybody join me now in breathing a big sigh of relief. We WILL get a daily tracking poll of the NM Prez race! The Zogby poll, on assignment for MSNBC and Reuters, will track the action here from January 27th until the February 3 caucuses. The first track will be released January 29 with a new one each day. This is great news because the only polling announced so far is from the Journal, which will be doing two polls, but no tracking. The first Journal poll will hit this Sunday. Zogby is an excellent pollster who is known for his rigorous screening of likely voters. So with Zogby and Brian Sanderoff's polls we will have plenty of numbers to keep us deeply engaged in what we hope will be an exciting horse race to come. Of course, you will get all the numbers from those polls right here--plus expert analysis

WANT MORE ON NM POLICY AND POLITICS?

Gene Aldridge of the privately funded NM Independence Research Institute out of Las Cruces has a newsletter that digs deep into New Mexico government from a conservative bent. It's a worthwhile addition to your net surfing. Check Gene out at
Gene Aldridge

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Reliable TV industry sources report that veteran KOAT-TV anchorman and political reporter Craig Nigrelli is getting ready to exit the station, probably at the end of the February ratings sweep period. The popular morning and noontime anchor has held forth since January 2000. His morning slot has commanded high ratings against the perennially popular "Today Show" on KOB-TV. Nigrelli is from upstate New York and our sources said he is looking to relocate back to his old stomping grounds, and not into Bill's stable. A bevy of reporters have joined the Guv in various PR departments, including Nigrelli's old KOAT boss, Pahl Shipley, who is now spilling ink for the Big Fella.

Nigrelli is well-known in the state political community for being one of the few TV reporters to whom the moniker "political reporter" is applied. He has been a major presence on KOAT election coverage and his departure will leave a void in this busy year. No word yet on who will get the anchor slot Nigrelli is vacating. But insiders say the decision is a serious one because the morning news broadcasts here now command larger audiences than either the noon or five p.m. broadcasts. They also attract a younger audience, which is highly valued by advertisers. New Mexico is a top 50 (#49) market in the U.S. which means a considerable amount of national advertising dollars is tied to local news ratings. Craig is on vacation this week and unavailable for a chat.

BRADLEY BENCHES HIMSELF

Former Lt. Governor Walter Bradley, who told me in November he would seek the June GOP nomination for the ABQ Public Regulation Commission (PRC) seat being vacated by Herb Hughes, now tells me "the timing is not right" and he will NOT run, barring "extraordinary circumstances." That sigh of relief you hear is from State Rep. Joe Thompson, who used to work for Walter, and is seeking the same PRC seat Walter was eyeing. But Joe ought not breathe too easy. Hot on his trail is former ABQ City Councilor Hess Ynetma, who IS also going after the $90,000 a year job and has decent name ID in ABQ. Thompson told me he considers himself a "moderate Republican". Hess is more of the populist variety.

Walter is now an assistant land commissioner under Pat Lyons. But Bradley said he was under no pressure not to run. He did not rule out a future run for governor (he ran in 02') and he also said a federal post in D.C. is also a possibility. Bradley is a "go to" guy for the GOP. If there is a high office that needs filling in the near future, he will be a player. But right now the game is in time-out and Bradley is going to have watch from the sidelines.

JOURNAL PREZ POLL THIS SUNDAY

Word is that the first NM prez poll is underway this week and will be released Sunday. I wouldn't be surprised if it mimics the national polls with Dean and Clark on top. Any other result would be a boost for the rest of the field. I am also curious about Edwards' numbers. He is second behind Dean in NM fundraising. Will that translate into support? The geographic breakdown will be something to watch too. How is Dean playing in the conservative south and eastside? And, any Kucinich movement in the liberal north to bite into Dean?

The Iowa caucuses will be held Monday and they are sure to shape momentum in the weeks ahead. The Journal will do a second poll before the February 3 NM contest. By the way, the very latest numbers show about 10,000 Dems requesting absentee ballots for the event.

For my out-of-state and overseas readers, don't worry. I will file a special report on the numbers with my analysis, as well as that of Journal pollster Brian Sanderoff, on Sunday morning.

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SPEAKER LUJAN
Like father like son. Ben Ray Lujan, son of State House Speaker Ben Lujan, confirms to "New Mexico Politcs With Joe Monahan" that he will seek the Public Regulation Commission (PRC) seat being vacated by Jerome Block. The young Lujan currently works as an administrator at the state Department of Cultural Affairs. Prior to that, he was a Deputy State Treasurer. One thing that stands out on his resume is his internship with then Congressman Bill Richardson, now Big Bill. Of course, the Guv will stay neutral in the Democratic primary. Of course.

Ben Jr. has politics in his blood. He was born on Election Night 1972, as his dad was reelected to the Santa Fe County Commission. He told me he has "hung around the legislature" since he was a little boy, learning the ways of La Politica from his father, who is now a Zen master of the game, even bailing out Big Bill from a couple of legislative errors in the recent special session.

Whoever gets the Dem nomination is the odds on favorite for victory in the heavily Democratic district in November. No GOP candidates are in yet. Also, the new commissioner can be assured of a big paycheck. The job pays $90,000 a year plus $300,000 for staff. The campaign for the seat will cost about $100,000, and with Speaker Dad's connections that puts young Ben on the
inside track.

The job is a powerful one, regulating the major utilities of the state. But it has been a disaster politically since it was established in the late 90's, marked by continual infighting, backstabbing and political 'movidas' being the rule of the day. But talk of abolishing it has gone no where.

The race for the Democratic nomination for this PRC seat, which sprawls across northern NM and into Bernalillo County's Westside, could also feature former State Senator Art Rodarte of Espanola and ABQ City Councilor Miguel Gomez. Former State Rep. Bob Perls of Corrales has already announced. A split of the Hispanic vote could toss the nomination to Perls. But get this. Ben Ray says the Hispanic contenders will be meeting soon and deciding if just one of them should run! And, of course, that one, would be Ben Ray. Hey, you learn some things hanging out with the Speaker.

GOP WARRIORS SMOKE PEACE PIPE
ZANGARA
Peace is at hand. Bernalillo County Republican Party Chairman Ken Zangara will take charge of the President's reelection campaign in New Mexico. (Our exclusive report from yesterday is just below) It's a compromise deal that is aimed at settling the infighting between current State GOP Chair Ramsay Gorham and ousted chair John Dendahl. The dispute has dragged on for months dividing the party and endangering NM's five precious electoral votes for Bush.

Zangara, a Dodge dealer and an ally of Gorham, is a compromise who is acceptable to both sides in the dispute. Because there is thousands of dollars in campaign contracts to be handed out the fight has been spirited. Zangara will now hire an executive director for the Victory Committee. A leading candidate was said to be PR man Doug Turner, who was closely associated with former Governor Gary Johnson and runs an ad agency here. But insiders are now saying the post could go to an out-of-state Bush operative.

A source told me: "The White House knows Ken. They can work with him and he can bring both sides together." Zangara raised over $100,000 for Bush in 2000. And he is aiming to personally raise $250,000 this go around. He is also considering a challenge to Dendahlite ringleader Mickey Barnett when Barnett comes up for reelection as GOP National Committeeman.

Because of campaign finance laws there will be another Bush-Cheney outfit in New Mexico. That will be run by a national operative from the Bush campaign. Running a presidential campaign thru a county party is unprecedented. But the county does share headquarters in ABQ with the state party and leaders hope the compromise deal will finally end months of Republican bloodletting.

Gorham and company were claiming victory over the pact, but the proof, as they say, is in the pudding. Let's see how the spoils from the Republican National Committee and the Bush White House are divvied up, before we say this latest GOP war has ended in
peace.

DEM PREZ RACE; TURNOUT IS THE BIG MYSTERY

Fresh figures from the state Democratic Party show about 8,300 Dems statewide out of a half-million registered have requested absentee ballots for the February 3 caucus. To reach a 10 percent turnout they need about 50,000. Will they make it? This one has the top political pros stumped.

Brian Sanderoff of Research and Polling tells me turnout could go as low as 28,000 or as high as the targeted 50,000. But he is quick to add, "that analysis, plus a dollar, would get you a cup of coffee." Fellow pollster Harry Pavlides pegs turnout anywhere from 35,000 to 50,000. Why the big spread and uncertainty? Because we are in uncharted territory with this being the first-ever NM Prez caucus.

My guess? With the candidates campaigning here in person later in the month, and if events in Iowa and New Hampshire make things interesting, we might get a turnout bump. In a contested campaign my number to watch is 40,000. If someone is running away with it, my target drops to 30,000.

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State GOP chair Ramsay Gorham has apparently put to bed once and for all the speculation about her state senate reelection plans. In a cryptic email to "NM Politics With Joe Monahan," Ramsay says: "Looks like I'm running." She did not elaborate.

Sources close to her told me in November that she probably would NOT seek reelection to the ABQ North Valley seat she has held for eight years, and that Rio Rancho's Judy Vanderstar Russell was a top contender to replace Gorham. But the state chair may feel leaving the senate could make her look a bit timid in the face of the continuing challenge from the forces of former State Chair John Dendahl. Some of her Republican supporters feel she would be better off to take on the state party job full-time and leave the legislative battling to someone else. But Gorham, who engaged in two fierce face-offs for her senate seat with Democrat Janice Paster, is not one to let go easily. And besides, she may feel she's finally getting a handle on the party. The Dendahlites make a lot of noise, but it is Gorham signing off on the contracts and hiring the personnel. And while they have fielded several candidates in the June primary against Gorham allies, they are not heavy hitters.

As for who will run the Bush reelect campaign here, the big point of contention in the state GOP war, I am hearing rumblings of an impending deal, but nothing firm yet. We'll keep you posted.

REAL OLDIES RADIO

Politicos looking for crucial senior citizen votes this election year are bending an ear in the direction of KKJY-AM 1550 radio in ABQ, where one of the last locally owned stations in the big city has made a modest name for itself by broadcasting the hits of the past to seniors of the moment. Don Davis, a veteran radio man, is the only sole proprietor of a radio station in ABQ that gets any meaningful ratings.

He's playing on a stage dominated by radio giants like Citadel and Clear Channel that own hundreds of stations across the nation and at least a half a dozen each in the ABQ market. But Davis, who put "KJOY" on the air almost four years ago, is defying the odds. He's up to four full-time employees and three part-timers. The ratings show him at about 15th in an over saturated market of over 50 signals beamed into the city. It's the 50 plus audience that Don caters to, and with about 30,000 listeners a week he says are tuning in, he may have the station with the highest percentage of definite voters in ABQ radio.

"We actually have tried to skew a little younger this past year. We were losing audience because our programming was a bit too old. We also added hourly news updates. My next goal is to make this a top ten station." Davis told me. A top ten for the 5,000 watt KJOY would be a major coup, but with an aging population, Davis, who says he is successful today because he learned from past "terrible mistakes," may be poised for his own golden age of radio.

TOUGH SESSION AHEAD FOR THE GUV?

Veteran New Mexico newspaperman, and now syndicated columnist, Ned Cantwell, writes in the Carlsbad Current Argus that he sees a rocky legislative session ahead for Big Bill, or as Ned calls him, "The Bill." Here's his take.
Ned Cantwell

122 MILLION AND COUNTING!

A bizarre news release from the state Department of Tourism says 122 million visitors 'passed through" our fair state in 2003. That's right 122 million! Hey, only 175 million or so before the whole country comes here in one year! Tourism departments and convention bureaus are notorious for putting out this kind of stuff. Where do they get the numbers? And what does it have to do with just how the state is doing in getting money out of those tourist pockets? Maybe they have people with clickers at the state borders counting each car. Was it that billboard of Big Bill in New York's Times Square that got all those 'visitors' here? Maybe next time they can break the 122 million down by party registration.

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