Republican Nella Domenici finally filled in one of the biggest blanks in this year's race for the US Senate. She announced in the final moments of an hour-long televised debate with Sen. Martin Heinrich that she will be casting her vote for president for Donald Trump. (Full debate here.)

That will be greeted with shrugged shoulders elsewhere, but it took Nella the better part of the year to arrive at her come-to-Donald moment and it took Heinrich's prodding to get her there. When asked by him for her presidential choice she surprised viewers with this:

My decision on the presidential election is a focus on policy. I could never vote for Kamala Harris. I also agree with many of the policies of Donald Trump. I will be voting for our nominee.

Domenici could have made the announcement without any prodding earlier in the debate but by waiting for Heinrich to ask, she was able to give a muted endorsement of Trump. 

Still, Heinrich's camp was delighted to point it out to a state that is poised to deliver a solid win to Kamala Harris, declaring: 

After dodging questions her entire campaign, New Mexico GOP Senate candidate Nella Domenici finally admitted she supports former President and convicted felon Donald Trump. 

The endorsement could impact the race but not the outcome. Domenici's polling has been below 40 percent in the public surveys, well below base Republican performance. The Trump endorsement should help her with GOP enthusiasm even as it further alienates Democrats.  

The endorsement also puts Domenici on the right side if she loses to Heinrich and then runs for the GOP nomination for Governor in 2026, a race that Democrat Heinrich is thought to be entertaining.

Prior to her Trump comment, the other moment of the debate that stood out for Domenici was when she raised her voice a bit at Heinrich, calling him "sexist and insulting" for saying she would follow the orders of a Republican Senate Majority Leader and support a national abortion ban: 

That is the most sexist comment you could ever hear from a Untied States Senator. I'm a very successful professional, educated woman and I will not be told by any Senator. . . what to vote on or how to vote on it. And for Martin Heinrich to think I am a weak woman who will take orders from a man and not stick to my own values, that's a sexist, insulting, demeaning remark. 

Domenici repeated her stance that she would not be voting for a national abortion ban but again refused to answer how she would vote on a Senate bill that would make it a right for a woman to have an abortion. Heinrich pointed out that she had called such a bill "a sham" and said her answer was a "nonanswer."

Heinrich kept his head down and took notes as Nella delivered her blast. Showing no emotion has almost become a caricature of Heinrich but his years in the Senate have improved his debating ability considerably. 

Heinrich also did not flinch when the candidates were asked about late-term abortions in the state, insuring that pro-choice voters have no second thoughts:

I support allowing the women in this country to make their  health care decisions. . . I don't think there is any moment when a politician is going to make a better decision than the woman. 

Slam. Dunk. 

And that made us wonder yet again what would this campaign look like if at the beginning Nella Domenici became that rarest speeches of all--a pro-choice Republican woman. 

We'll never know. 

DEBATING DRUGS

Nella did some clean-up work when Heinrich repeated his TV ad message that when she was CFO of the Bridgewater hedge fund it invested millions in Chinese companies responsible for fentanyl coming into the US:

When I was at Bridgewater, I was CFO. I had absolutely nothing to do with any stock investments anywhere in the world. (Heinrich) is trying to distract from his own failed record. 

For his part, Heinrich did not take after any of Nella's ads against him because, frankly, none have penetrated his armor. 

Both candidates offered solutions to the fentanyl crisis with Domenici supporting a border wall and Heinrich saying he has funded more equipment to sniff out smugglers, saying that 80 percent of the fentanyl coming in to the US is carried by Americans.

LIGHT SIDE 

Nella showed an empathetic side when Heinrich lost his train of thought and struggled to recall the word voucher when the discussion tuned to school vouchers. She turned to him and helpfully said "voucher." 

During the debate Nella had to ask that several of the questions be repeated because she was having difficulty hearing them, so her offer of assistance to Heinrich struck a cord when she could have just let him hang there. 

Summing up the debate: It took Martin Heinrich less than 30 seconds into the broadcast to mention "the right to choose." Any questions?

DOWNTOWN DOZING

The ABQ City Council just can't get it together when it comes to stopping people from sleeping on downtown streets. A piece of messy legislation that came in four parts led to an 8-1 vote against halting the downtown public dozing and other measures to make the area more hospitable. 

That led to this from reader Larry Anderson:

The vote against doing something about crime and homelessness went down 8-1. The council is only interested in their own tribe/club and not their broader constituency. One refuses doing anything about abandoned properties, another one or two are part of the Homeless Industrial Complex. Still another believes the government should be of the Police, by the Police, for the Police and more Police. There are others. They are powerful little tribes/clubs and most Citizens aren't members.

It was downtown Councilor Joaquin Baca who sponsored the losing legislation which makes you wonder how a bright fella like him could not have known it wasn't going anywhere

Did misplaced progressive outrage over banning the downtown sleep overs make Baca reticent to sponsor legislation that would have a chance of passing? 

Will he try again with more coherent legislation that bans the sleepers? 

Or will the city put out mattresses in front of the Man's Hat Shop to make the nappers more comfortable? 

SHE SAYS SHE'S HOT

(Austria, Journal)

She turns 65 October 24 but our peripatetic Governor isn't slowing down. She's running down the campaign trail, proclaiming herself a"hottie for Harris," while sporting a hot pink suit that is sure to turn opposition Republicans red with rage.

"Dammit, Joe, she's flashing us!"

Safely re-elected and hopeful for a spot in a Harris administration should the VP win, MLG could have a whale of a political hangover the day after the election if Harris flops. For now, its adrenaline, caffeine, hot pink and maybe even some pole dancing before this crazy campaign is put to bed.

THE BOTTOM LINES

In a first draft Monday we identified former state Rep. Dona Irwin as a Republican. She was a conservative Democrat who died recently at 93.

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.