Legislators Raking In Cash For '24 Election; Six Senators And Eight House Members Already Have Over Six Figures In Cash On Hand; We Dig Into The Latest Campaign Reports And The Politics Behind Them

Rep. Lundstrom

State legislators are all up for election next year and they are busy positioning themselves financially. Most incumbents appear to be raising sufficient funds, according to the latest campaign finance reports filed with the Secretary of State. 

The reports cover the period from April 4 to October 2. (All candidate reports here.)

Taking at look at the 70 member state House, the heaviest hitter is one its most recent political losers. 

Gallup area Dem Rep. Patty Lundstrom was dealt a devastating blow when new House Speaker Javier Martinez removed her from her powerful position as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. That hasn't stopped her from amassing a small fortune for the '24 cycle. 

Lundstrom has the most cash on hand of any state representative, reporting $282,000. She is already passing out some of that loot to fellow conservative/moderate Dems, some of whom have also been at odds with the new progressive House leadership. 

Reps Ambrose Castellano, Cynthia Borrego, Harry Garcia, Joseph Sanchez and Willie Madrid each received $5,000 from Lundstrom's campaign kitty. 

Her donations included Chevron with $5,500; Conoco Phillips $2,000; Devon Energy $5,200 and BNSF Railway $5,000.

In 2022 Lundstrom gave money and support to Democrats who were challenging progressive Dems in the primary. But just about all her picks lost. 

There are no signs yet that Lundstrom is again going to try the same tactic in '24, but there is talk that progressives might field a primary challenger against her if only to get her to use her cash to defend herself rather than expanding her influence in the House. 

GALLEGOS RINGS REGISTER

Gallegos and Scanland

Another recent House leadership loser is fighting to remain relevant and has backed it up with cash on hand of $192,000, second only to Lundstrom. Las Cruces area state Rep. Doreen Gallegos was House Majority Whip until the progressives came along and put freshman Santa Fe Rep. Reena Szczepanski in her place. 

Gallegos, first elected in 2012, is the spouse of Santa Fe lobbying powerhouse Scott Scanland so there are plenty of connections to tap. Among her donations: $5,000 from Conoco Phillips; $2,000 from El Paso Electric and $5,200 from Devon Energy. Scanland's fellow lobbyists JD Bullington, Daniel Najar and John Thompson all came with contributions of over $1,000. 

Of note is a $1,000 contribution from Gallegos to Speaker Martinez's campaign as well as a $10,000 donation to the House Democratic Campaign Committee. 

Gallegos, who has a safe Dem seat, may be on the outside looking in at the progressives but her campaign cash will give her a voice in races she chooses to get involved in--and the Speaker's attention.

Other state reps who have campaign cash over six figures include Rep. Gail Armstrong with $150,000. Her husband is TLC plumbing magnate Dale Armstrong. 

Big oil came for her with $13,000 of the $115,000 she raised during the reporting period. 

Armstrong donated $5,500 to former State Rep. Rebecca Dow who left the House to run for Governor. However, today Dow is expected to announce her candidacy for District 38, her old House seat now held by Dem Rep. Tara Jaramillo. 

New House Appropriations Committee Chairman Nathan Small reported $115,000 in cash; new House Minority Leader Ryan Lane also had $115,000 and former House Minority Leader Jim Townsend, now running for a southern state senate seat, had $138,000 as of October 2.

Rep. Christine Chandler of Los Alamos, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, reported $101,000 in cash but back in March she donated $93,000 of her own funds to her campaign. 

SENATE ACTION

Sen. Diamond Brantley

GOP Sen. Crystal Diamond (now Diamond Brantley from marriage) came with a bit of a jaw-dropper report of $216,000 in cash on hand as of October 2. That was the highest among the 42 senators.

The amount had the Alligators and insiders speculating that she may be eyeing a future run for statewide office. (She's from a ranching family. Land Commissioner in '26?). 

In the meantime she will seek re-election to Senate District 35 in the SW where she is not expected to face major opposition. 

As for contributions, Chevron is everywhere. They came with $5,500; Conoco Phillips gave $1,500. Another oil regular, Devon Energy, was good for $5,200.  

Fellow rancher Bill King, whose Democratic father was Governor Bruce King, gave $2,500. Hmm. 

Diamond Brantley also had many smaller donations under $200. 

On the spending side she gave $10,000 to a PAC called PAC 22 1690 in Belen. 

Las Cruces area state Senator and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Joe Cervantes, was second highest in the Senate for cash on hand, reporting $158,000. But he is still carrying a campaign debt of $1.051 million, most of which is personal money he loaned to his 2018 Dem gubernatorial primary campaign that he lost to MLG. The Senator hails from a wealthy agricultural family in the Mesilla Valley and is also a successful trial attorney. 

NM Gas Company donated $5,500; various family enterprises donated about $11,500 and marijuana business Pur-Life gave $1,000, even though Cervantes was not a supporter of pot legalization. 

ABQ Dem Senator Antonio "Moe" Maestas was #3 with cash on hand of $125,000. And he will likely need every penny as progressives target him in the westside ABQ Senate district he was appointed to earlier this year and he will seek election to in '24.

Maestas was a popular member of the state House before going to the Senate. His spouse is well-know lobbyist Vanessa Alarid, who represents numerous business clients and progressives have turned on him, although they have not yet put up a primary opponent. 

However in this reporting period, it was not big business that made up Maestas' cash. It was a $98,000 transfer of funds from his state House campaign account. 

Meanwhile reliable giver Chevron gave $5,500 and Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth welcomed Moe to the club with a $2,500 contribution. 

PROLIFIC PADILLA

ABQ Dem District 14 Senator and Majority Whip Michael Padilla is not expected to have any stiff challenges in '24 but he continues to be a prolific fundraiser, reporting $117,000 in cash on hand to land at the #4 cash position among senators.

Padilla, a call center specialist, was helped by a $10,000 donation from Dr. Srinivas Mukkamala who serves as chief product officer of Ivanti:

Ivanti makes the Everywhere Workplace possible. In the Everywhere Workplace, employees use myriad devices to access IT applications and data over various networks to stay productive.

Senate Minority Leader Greg Baca topped out at $116,000 in cash, much of which he will distribute to the campaigns of fellow GOP Senators. 

ABQ Dem Senator Daniel Ivey-Soto, who is receiving a stiff primary challenge from a progressive, now reports $11l,000 in cash. That is up only $8,000 from the  $103,000 in the previous six month report, perhaps showing the harassment allegations he is fighting are already having an impact on his campaign. 

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2023