State Republicans shunned Bob Schwartz Saturday and made Jim Bibb their sole candidate for the GOP nomination for attorney general. Schwartz will still get on the June 6th primary ballot by submitting additional petition signatures he has already collected, but the landlide victory by Bibb--374 to 60--could very well end any hopes Schwartz has of capturing the nomination.

In the GOP race for U.S. Senate, Farmington urologist Allen McCulloch was awarded the first ballot position at the ABQ pre-primary convention garnering 173 votes. David Pfeffer came in second with 138 and ABQ State Sen. Joe Carraro came in third with 123 votes. The winner in the June 6th primary will take on Dem Senator Bingaman.

In Democratic action, all three candidates for attorney general made the ballot, but Gary King finished third behind Geno Zamora who came in first with 36 percent and Lem Martinez who received aabout 33 percent. King tallied 31 percent. Ray Powell was the big winner at the convention. He beat out fellow Dem Jim Baca in the land commissioner's race getting 74 percent to Baca's 26 percent. Both Jeff Armijo and Tom Buckner made the primary ballot with Armijo coming in first in that state auditor contest.

Bernalillo County Clerk Mary Herrera came in first for the Dems for secretary of state narrowly beating ex-secretary of state Stephanie Gonzales. Shirley Hooper came in third and Lettita montoya failed to get the necessary 20 percent for a ballot position.

More later.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2006
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