Opponent’s Withdrawal Clears Way to Senate Nomination For Udall

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http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5&docID=news-000002638933

Opponent’s Withdrawal Clears Way to Senate Nomination For Udall
By Marie Horrigan, CQ Staff


Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez’s departure from the race for New Mexico’s Senate seat clears the way to the Democratic nomination for Rep. Tom Udall , but Republicans still face the prospect of a potentially bruising primary between GOP Reps. Heather A. Wilson and Steve Pearce .

Chavez on Friday withdrew from the race and threw his support behind Udall in the contest for the seat of retiring Republican Sen. Pete V. Domenici . Udall initially had said he wasn’t interested in running, but strong pressure from the national Democratic Party A-— especially the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee — caused him to reconsider.

Chavez had pushed back against pressure from Washington to drop from the race, but in his statement Friday said it was critical to the future of the state and the country that a Democrat be elected to the Senate seat.

“A hotly contested primary, as this one certainly could be, would likely dramatically weaken the Democratic nominee and place the general election in jeopardy,” he said in the statement.

Chavez pledged his full support for Udall, and said he wanted to spend his remaining term as mayor of Albuquerque working on “exciting new programs.”

In his own statement Saturday, Udall thanked Chavez for his endorsement. “I am honored by Mayor Martin Chavez’s support and very much appreciate his decision to unite and move forward together to ensure New Mexico sends a Democrat to the United States Senate next November,” he said,

The development is a boost for Democrats in what will be one of the hottest contests of the 2008 election cycle. As of yet, the state’s two other House members remain locked in a primary battle over Domenici’s seat. CQ Politics currently rates the race No Clear Favorite but will continue to monitor developments in the field.

On the Republican side, the June 3 primary will pit Pearce, a staunch conservative, against Wilson who is considered more moderate. A SurveyUSA poll in November conducted for a local television station showed Wilson beating Pearce by 19 points. But Udall had a significant lead over either Republican.