Big Bill
There was no high-fives between Big Bill and newly crowned Dem attorney general nominee Gary King Primary Election Night. In fact, those in a position to know report that the Guv's congratulations to Gary at Dem headquarters were cursory and went something like: "Congratulations, Gary. See you on the trail." Likewise, King was not seeking a warm and fuzzy session with the Guv. It's no surprise. One King operative asserted that "the Governor's fingerprints were all over Geno's campaign and we know it." Geno, of course, being Geno Zamora the 36 year old Santa Fe attorney who was making his first run for office but was turned back by a King landslide.

Pointedly, King set up a campaign party Election Night separate from the Democratic Party's at the ABQ Hilton and joined the Dems only to make the TV newscasts. Was King already showing his "independence" from the Big Bill controlled Dems. Or am I reading too much into this?

"Joe, You are getting the point. Gary is a Democrat, but he is going to emphasize his independence in this campaign," relayed our operative who said Zamora was beat, in part, because he became known as "the Governor's boy."

Zamora's negative TV ad featuring Gary and the other AG hopeful, Lem Martinez, did not go down well with the King camp. They see it as unnecessary and say Gary's landslide proves the race was never in play; that Zamora's polls showed it and he should have never pulled the trigger. The Guv has denied any direct involvement in the Zamora effort, but that has been met with guffaws by the Alligators who note the $600,000 war chest the heretofore unknown Zamora was able to amass.

Friction between the King's and the Guv is old news. But the stakes are higher now that a King is a step closer to securing major New Mexican political power for the first time in a dozen years. Still, there could be political upside to the cool relationship between the duo. The R's may find it difficult to accuse Big Bill of trying to control the AG. In fact, he can embrace Gary as part of the Democrats' efforts to enforce high ethical standards and take note of their mutual independence. And Gary can convincingly argue that he will be the independent voice voters want in their AG. The perfect end to this tale is the old saying, "politics makes for strange bedfellows."

THE CONCERNS OF CARRARO

The Gators are also on the loose in the GOP as emotions are stoked by the election returns. ABQ State Senator and unsuccessful GOP U.S. Senate candidate Joe Carraro is reportedly livid at operatives at the NM GOP and particularly its executive director, Marta Kramer. A Carraro campaign insider claims under Kramer's guidance the state party indicated support for the winner, Farmington Doctor Allen McCulloch. They further claim that Carraro had to fight with the state party to get voter information that he was entitled to and only after heavy pressure did Kramer relent.

When McCulloch let fly a mail hit piece against Joe in the final days of the campaign, it generated outrage among Carraro supporters, including ABQ state Senator Kent Cravens and former NM GOP Chair John Lattauzio of Alamogordo who said in a letter to McCulloch: "As a Republican volunteer of more than forty years, I wish to express my distaste and disapproval for your malicious attack on a dedicated public servant, Senator Joe Carraro."

Seems the good doctor and the state party both have work to do to heal the wounds from his recent battle.

BIG BILL TUBE BUY

Sometimes these politicians are too clever by half. Only one day after the June 6 primary Big Bill appeared on NM TV screens last night with his first ad of the 06' campaign. It's a feel-gooder aimed at conservatives about how he has cut taxes and run a tight fiscal ship. Another one is a black and white number featuring still photos of the Guv and addressing education and health care. In the first, he looks relaxed in a blue shirt and voices the spot himself. How much did he buy? Should we even bother to ask? With over $5 million in the bank, Big Bill is about to give new meaning to the word ubiquitous.

WANT A CLOSE ONE?

It doesn't get any closer than it did in Sandoval county Tuesday night where two of the three candidates vying for the probate judgeship there ended up with the exact same number of votes.

Erardo Misquez--817--16.6%, Stevan Jay Schoen--2056--41.7%,
Charles Aguilar--2056--41.7%.

They will cut the cards or flip a coin if it remains tied at the end of a recount. I hope all of the relatives of Schoen and Aguilar voted in this one. Otherwise, there is going to be some pain in the house.

I hope you enjoyed our coverage of Primary 06' on the blog, on TV and radio. I'll be around next week with some special stuff, but not in the breaking news mix as we re-group and prepare for the coming campaigns. Thanks for the company.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2006
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