Talk about muddying the waters. Claire Chase dived into the race for the GOP southern congressional nomination Tuesday, leaving the distinct but incorrect impression that VP Pence (and maybe Trump) had endorsed her candidacy and thrown Yvette Herrell--her main rival--under the bus.

Chase's 55 second announcement video opens with her praising Trump as a "fearless leader" who "can't do it alone." Later comes the money shot: VP Pence and Chase waving together to a crowd at the Chase family oil business in Artesia which Pence visited earlier this month to tout a free trade agreement. It is a classic campaign endorsement pose, a picture of which we carried on the Aug. 22 blog.

If Pence (or Trump) had officially endorsed Chase, this thing would probably be over before it started. But they haven't. But that Pence visit and the use of the video of him, will keep Yvette, who won the '18 GOP nomination but lost the general election to Dem Xochitl Torres Small, on the defensive. She will be explaining to extremely curious Republicans what we just blogged--that there has been no endorsement. But Pence, a possible future presidential candidate, did wink at Claire, a member of one of the wealthiest families in the state.

In the end the Chase/Pence endorsement game will be seen as smart politics, duplicitous or both.

TAKEAWAY TIME

--Herrell has been endorsed by the conservative House Freedom Caucus. The National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee (NRCCC) recently added her to their prestigious Young Guns list and she will get special support. If the White House came in overtly for Chase they would split the party in half. Herrell rolled out an endorsement from the conservative group FreedomWorks For America as Chase came into the contest.

--Herrell will have to move quickly to make sure the Administration is seen as being on the sidelines or else her money could start drying up. Chase will work to post a big number--perhaps with the help of some family money--when her first FEC report is filed at the end of Sept.

--Chase's campaign messaging is a cut and paste job from the DC GOP playbook. She says she wants to go to Washington to "take on the DC liberals pushing their socialist agenda."

---Chase took a lesson from Dem Rep. Xochitl Torres Small's campaign ad in which she was shown with a gun in an effort to appeal to rural voters. Claire totes a gun and also rides a horse in her video. Maybe Xochitl will get a pony for Christmas.

--Chase calls herself a "businesswoman." Her job is Director of Government Relations for Mack Energy, the oil empire she married into. That is also known as a lobbyist. Here's her lobbying expenditure reports filed with the SOS in Santa Fe. But lobbyist is a dirty word for a candidate so the following caught our notice.

In its first report on the Chase candidacy the AP sent out a morning report that went like this:

Republican oil lobbyist to seek southern New Mexico US House seat 
A Republican oil lobbyist and member of one of New Mexico's wealthiest families has announced she is running for Congress in what is expected to be a closely watched U.S. House race.

In the afternoon a more in-depth report was filed and you got this from the wire service:

GOP Oil Executive to Seek Southern New Mexico US House Seat
An oil company executive announced Tuesday she will seek the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic U.S. Rep. Xochitl Torres Small for the state's southern congressional seat.

So the fight is on to control the narrative about the 36 year old Chase--is she an oil company lobbyist who served four years in the DC "swamp" as a legislative aide to then-Rep. Steve Pearce or a high-minded executive and businesswoman. Herrell should have fun with that one.

THE BOTTOM LINES

Chase, the mother of three year old twin boys, narrated her video and seemed a bit too rehearsed but nothing problematic and the piece was decently produced. Still, a Herrell supporter picked at it, saying Chase was "like a 12 year old girl taking to the camera."

Artesia's Mack C. Chase, the 88 year old Mack Energy founder and Chase family patriarch, is worth anywhere from $700 million to $900 million, according to media reports. Claire is married to his grandson Chance. Forbes lists the older Chase as the richest person in in New Mexico. Claire Chase's father, James Manatt of Roswell, is also in the oil game. Claire Chase has left her position as chairman of the board of the NM Oil and Gas Association.

This is the home of New Mexico politics.

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2019