Monday Monster Blog: Flood Of Easter Week Political News; Moores is GOP Congress Nominee; Dems May Take 2 Days To Pick Theirs, Search For Pot Deal On Eve Of Special Session, Santa Fe Mayor Race Gets New Entrant And Haaland Hits DC Rough Patch

Mark Moores is the decided underdog to win the vacant ABQ congressional seat in the June 1 special election, but he's already completed his main assignment. He's kept what's left of the NM GOP from falling into the hands of firebrand radio talk host Eddy Aragon and his anti-establishment following. 

ABQ State Senator Moores was nominated Saturday by 121 members of the GOP Central Committee from the ABQ district to replace former Dem Rep. Deb Haaland who is now Sec. of Interior. He secured 49 votes or 40 percent of the vote to Aragon's 34 votes or 28 percent. Elisa Martinez managed 17 percent and the rest of the field trailed. 

Moores jumped in the race less than two weeks before the meeting and as Aragon was hammering GOP Chairman Steve Pearce and drawing cheers from the Trump wing. Aragon's nomination would have been a disaster for Pearce and the establishment. The serious threat appeared to force their hand and they recruited Moores to save the day who saw a way to get Aragon out and get the nomination that will increase his name ID going forward.

Aragon's voting strength showed the divisions in the state's minority party continue to run deep. 

So now what? Moores, who is of Hispanic heritage on his mother's side, says he's already raised $250,000 (from the oil boys and "personal friends"). Will national R's target a long shot and come with a money boost? 

Moores and GOP Chairman Steve Pearce say this is a great time to explain "Republican values" but the district last year voted for Joe Biden 60 to 37, a 23 point win that was the largest ever Dem presidential victory in the ABQ district. Even Moores had a rough go of it, fending off a Dem challenger for his senate seat by the thin margin of 53-47. 

The R's signaled in the aftermath of Moores' nomination that they want to run against MLG and score her for closing down much of the state during the pandemic, especially the schools.

Aragon and Pearce

But in politics timing is everything and when May rolls around and the campaign reaches its peak so will the vaccine shots be at their peak along with more reopenings. The anti-MLG play will help consolidate R's for Moores, but that gets him nowhere near the win. He needs an across the aisle message and in the current GOP that is simply not tolerated. For example, he's already dodging questions on whether he would have supported the $1.9 trillion Covid relief package or the certification of Biden as president.

Of course, there will also be a Dem candidate on the field nominated by Central Committee members this week. Their candidate will be sure to plant the feet of Moores firmly in Trump territory and try to nationalize the election. 

The Dem challenge is to get the vote out in an off year special election when the party in power (the Dems) tends to have a tougher time. But a tougher time in this now deep blue district would be a nine or ten point win instead of something bigger.

That's why the Dem vote Tuesday is so critical. Whoever is nominated is very likely to be the next congresswoman for quite a while. Emotions are running high on the eve of that vote with murmurs that the nominee will be seriously challenged in a Dem primary in 2022 but that's a pipe dream. When's the last time that happened?

But for the ruling R's some emotionalism has been drained out of their party--namely the insurgency of Eddy Aragon. For the beleaguered GOP, with not a single statewide office to their name and towering deficits in both chambers of the legislature, that little win may have to suffice. 

We have much more today on this unusually busy week in state politics. . . .

DEM PATIENCE ALERT

There's a good chance that the Democratic nominee for the vacant congressional district will not be known Tuesday when about 200 Central Committee members begin to vote. We say "begin" because if no candidate receives 50 percent of the vote in the eight person field on the first ballot Tuesday there will be a runoff election. However, that wouldn't take place until Wednesday:

 The smallest number of top vote-getter candidates whose percentages of the vote add up to at least 50% + 1 will proceed to a runoff the next day at 7:00 A.M.

Tuesday's email voting will begin at 7 a.m. and conclude at 7 p.m. The party expects to have a vote count around 9 p.m. We will then know if someone pulled off a surprise and got 50 percent--or more likely--who the candidates will be in the Wednesday runoff. 

Meantime the three top contenders in the eight way race for the nomination have been raising money in anticipation of a victory and an upcoming campaign.

Attorney Randi McGinn leads the pack, reporting $215,000 in contributions, mostly from fellow lawyers.

State Sen. Antoinette Sedillo Lopez reports raising $67,000.

State Rep. Melanie Stansbury reports raising $53,000, including cash from five lobbyists who gave during the recent legislative prohibited period. Normally such contributions aren't permitted but there is a loophole that says donations to a legislator seeking federal office are permissible while the legislative prohibition period is in place. Her campaign says the lobbyist donations make up only 2 percent of what she has raised.

All the Dem candidates took part in a virtual forum Sunday. Video is here. 

THE CONSERVATIVE PROBLEM

The problem for the conservatives in the ABQ congressional race is that they have too many candidates. Republican Moores will be joined by Libertarian Party nominee Chris Manning and probably independent and former Republican Aubrey Dunn, Jr. That's a lot of potential vote splitting that could make Moores' job that much tougher. 

EXTRA INNINGS 

The political calendar is jam packed with the race for Congress front and center this week and a special session of the legislature kicking off Tuesday at noon to decide whether recreational marijuana use will be legalized in the state. 

The Governor has gambled by calling a special without a specific deal in hand, after legalization was defeated at the regular 60 day session. Key players have been working on a deal and have another day to bring it off or else the special session could get very sloppy and difficult while lawmakers work under pressure to get something.

Good Friday and Easter Sunday loom as well as the $50,000 a day cost of the special session. Not to mention that the vast majority of New Mexicans are not pot smokers and a special session to them is not so special, or even necessary. 

The criticism is that this is no way to craft major legislation but is being pushed because cannabis backers, including MLG, fear their momentum will dissipate (or already has) and that major campaign contributors are among those holding sway over a deal and want action now. 

Here's info on two top cannabis contributors in the '20 cycle:

. . .The state’s largest cannabis company, the Arizona-based Ultra Health contributed more than $55,000 to New Mexico campaigns during the general election period. Ultra Health’s CEO and president, Duke Rodriguez, a former Human Services secretary during Gov. Gary Johnson’s administration, personally contributed another $3,000. (Ultra Health also donated $25,000 to the Senate Dem Caucus Committee).

 A second major cannabis producer, the Albuquerque-based Purlife — owned by Republican Darren White, another Johnson Cabinet secretary and a former Bernalillo County Sheriff — contributed $25,000 during this period. All of Purlife’s contributions went to the New Mexico Senate Democrats’ political action committee. (Updated figures show PurLife gave $115,000 to NM lawmakers, 30 Dems and 8 R's.).

Raking in a total of $53,000 from cannabis interests during the general election, the Senate Democrats’ PAC received more contributions from this industry than any other PAC. 

 The major candidate recipients of cannabis money during the general election have been Rep. Javier Martinez, D-Albuquerque, and Sen. Cliff Pirtle, R-Roswell. Both legislators reported a $5,000 contribution from Ultra Health. 

Martinez was the main sponsor of the legalization bill that passed the House in 2019 last year (and is the sponsor of the Hosue passed marijuana bill this year). Pirtle was one of three Republican senators who sponsored a legalization bill in 2019 (and is sponsoring another one in the special session).

Most of the money came after the November election but before the recent legislative session. 

White and Rodriguez companies were also contributors to Dem MLG's 2018 Guv campaign.

SANTA FE MAYOR

Vigil Coppler

As expected, Santa Fe City Councilor JoAnne Vigil Coppler, 66, has announced she will run against Mayor Alan Webber in this November's election. The two may be the only major, well-financed candidates. The race featuring an Anglo versus a Hispanic may quickly devolve into combat laced heavily with racial overtones:  

Vigil Coppler pointed to an attempt by a state crew to remove the obelisk on the Santa Fe Plaza at Webber’s request and the city’s removal of a Don Diego de Vargas statue from another downtown park as a flashpoint moment that riled some of her constituents. “In my whole years in public service, and I have had many, I have never seen anything like it,” Vigil Coppler said. “I think Santa Feans who have lived here a long time and others who got here as soon as they could, I think they were astonished. If someone can do that, what else is lurking?”. . . Vigil Coppler said she doesn’t see Santa Fe’s recent cultural clashes as an “us-versus-them” narrative. “I know there has been some talk about that,” Vigil Coppler said. “I grew up here. I was born here. I participated in everything here — I am a former princesa, good heavens.

The pandemic torn apart Santa Fe economy makes the race card play higher in the deck. Try to keep it clean La Princesa and your Honor.

ABQ ELECTION 

The Monster Blog is out of control! Now we’re getting word that two-term Albuquerque Dem City Councilor Diane Gibson will not seek reelection in November. She made the announcement on her Facebook page. Good luck, Diane. 

HAALAND TAKEDOWN 

A brutal DC takedown of New Mexican and new Sec. of Interior Deb Haaland. She's being inaugurated into the hardball ways of the Capitol as this long article hits over a party she planned was cancelled by the White House: 

The White House recently ordered that a 50-person, Southwest-themed indoor party the Interior Department was planning to celebrate Secretary Deb Haaland’s confirmation be canceled after senior

Sec. Haaland

administration officials raised concerns that it could become a superspreader event. Jennifer Van der Heide, the Interior chief of staff, had wanted a reception held for Haaland’s friends and allies and had even sought a catering estimate for New Mexican-style food, but senior Biden administration officials raised red flags about the party, according to two people familiar with the matter. The White House eventually got wind of the planned event, and the Office of Cabinet Affairs ordered it shut down before invitations could be sent out, the people said.

The Politico piece went on for over 1,200 words as the long knives emerged from the basement of Interior to slash at their new boss Haaland and her chief of staff. The power struggle is on and Sec. Haaland is going to have to watch her back--and also her partying. 

So concludes the Monday Monster Blog!

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