Many GOP legislators backing Martinez
Susana Martinez
Analyst says endorsements help Las Cruces-based gubernatorial candidate gain credibility
Republican gubernatorial candidate Susana Martinez has been racking up endorsements from state legislators.
To date, she has the public backing of 25 percent of current Republican state senators and representatives – 10 of 40. With the exception of Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones obviously backing herself in the gubernatorial race, no other candidate in the Republican primary has the endorsements of any current state legislator.
What does it say that so many of the Republican lawmakers – elected officials who will be working closely with the next governor – are all getting behind the same gubernatorial candidate? Not necessarily anything, according to one of Martinez’s opponents, Doug Turner.
“I realize I’m a different sort of candidate with a different sort of campaign, but I really believe that it’s about the people of this state, not the political powers that be,” he said. “… I have the same number of legislators endorsing me that Gary Johnson had in 1994 – zero.”
Johnson went on to win the governor’s race that year and re-election four years later.
But political analyst and pollster Brian Sanderoff said the endorsements probably help Martinez, the district attorney in the one county in the state that’s outside the Albuquerque media market – Doña Ana County.
“I think those endorsements are more valuable to a lesser-known candidate like Susana Martinez because it gives her that credibility, to demonstrate that she’s a player,” he said.
Martinez’s supporters
The 10 who have endorsed Martinez are:
• Rep. Zachary Cook of Ruidoso.
• Sen. Dianna Duran of Tularosa.
• Rep. Nora Espinoza of Roswell.
• Rep. Keith Gardner of Roswell, who is the minority whip.
• Rep. William Gray of Artesia.
• Sen. Steven Neville of Aztec.
• Rep. Dennis Roch of Tucumcari.
• Sen. Sander Rue of Albuquerque.
• Sen. John Ryan of Albuquerque.
• Sen. William Sharer of Farmington.
Sanderoff noted that the group is geographically diverse, but many of them are ideologically driven, so it makes sense that they’d get behind Martinez’s tough, anti-corruption campaign.
Gardner said there’s a more practical reason he’s backing Martinez. Making clear that he is only speaking for himself – and not as the House minority whip – Gardner said he believes Martinez is the candidate who can win in November.
Asked if endorsements make a difference, Gardner said, “I don’t know how much they help but I know they don’t hurt.”
“Most people don’t do that lightly. They don’t do it without thoughtful consideration, because frankly once you do that you’re married to that campaign,” he said. “We’ve got a corrupt state, and the only way we fix it is if we make a change in the executive branch, and that’s why I was willing to jump in.”
Arnold-Jones hasn’t asked
Gardner also noted that Arnold-Jones, who he called a “hardworking member of the House of Representatives,” hasn’t been asking for endorsements from her colleagues.
Arnold-Jones said that’s because she thinks it’s “entirely inappropriate to ask for a public endorsement leading up to and during a legislative session.”
“As a member of the Republican House Caucus, I have a commitment to the members of the caucus, and to my constituents, to make sure my actions and decisions are thoughtful, in the best interest of the caucus, my district and the state,” she said.
Arnold-Jones said she’s “gratified” that former Rep. Murray Ryan has endorsed her candidacy and said “there are others,” but right now, “I must focus on my duties as the representative, House District 24. My constituents, the caucus and the state deserve nothing less.”
House Minority Leader Tom Taylor, R-Farmington, said GOP legislators have “generally” followed people directly involved in the state and county Republican Party organizations in not endorsing candidates in primaries in the past.
“This time it’s sort of different, and there is no rule against that,” he said. “They’re free to decide whether they want to give that support.”
Taylor said it’s important, from his perspective, “that you allow the primary process to go on and the influence on that being the voters.” That’s why he hasn’t endorsed any candidate in a Republican primary.
Getting on the ballot
The main focus of candidates right now is securing the necessary support at the upcoming preprimary convention to appear on the ballot in June. That requires the votes of 20 percent of delegates. Those who fail in that task must gather a large number of signatures if they still want to appear on the ballot, but they also lose credibility among many party activists because they failed the organizational test of winning enough delegates’ support.
Sanderoff said securing that 20 percent at the preprimary convention is “a real organizational task that takes a lot of effort, and it can be done successfully with or without legislators.”
But he believes Martinez’s legislative endorsements will help her be taken more seriously by those delegates. It sounds as though that’s exactly what Martinez is planning.
“With so much at stake in this election, Republican legislators are coalescing behind the strongest candidate,” Martinez Campaign Manager Adam Deguire said. “While Susana is honored by the endorsements, she understands this will be a tough campaign and looks forward to working with these leaders to build a grassroots effort that will deliver real change in New Mexico this November.”
For someone like Republican gubernatorial candidate Allen Weh, Sanderoff said, legislative endorsements may not be as important because he’s a former state party chairman and is already known by preprimary delegates.
Weh played up the endorsements he’s received – which include two former lawmakers – while saying that New Mexicans “are tired of career politicians and political insiders who have fallen out of touch with everyday people, and that’s why this campaign has picked up so much steam.”
“I’m very proud of the enormous support I’ve received across this state, especially from the veterans who have served our country in the armed forces and our first responders,” Weh said in a prepared statement. “In addition, we’ve now received contributions from nearly 1,000 people who are fully committed to helping me take on and clean up Santa Fe.”
Doug Antoon, coordinator for the campaign of Pete Domenici Jr., said Domenici and Republican state legislators “have very positive and productive relationships,” but securing legislative endorsements “is not the main focus of our campaign.”
“Susana has worked very hard to court GOP legislators, who are all fine men and women,” he said. “…Pete’s main goal is to reach out directly to and communicate with the voters who will elect the Republican nominee at the June 1, primary, and then to all voters to help win the general election on Nov. 2.”
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Heath,
Why aren’t you mentioning that ALL of these legislators are of the Rod Adair/McCleskey wing of the GOP? All of the officials are either lock step with Adair or owe their office to him. Just some basic “asking around’ would have gotten you that information.
Besides, you only seek endorsements when you can’t stand on your own record. If you can’t make the argument for yourself, have someone else make it for you. That’s what these endorsements mean.
Forgetting this key component of the GOP dynamic leaves for a flawed analysis and a skewed view.
jeffnm – did you vote for RJ or any other Republican who voted for any of these budgets? My guess is you did but whatever, since you seem to feel the people in Las Cruces know and Support Martinez perhaps you should go read the comments on the Sun News website because those who know surly don’t want her. Follow this link to read all about it, http://www.lcsun-news.com/ci_14091883?IADID=Search-www.lcsun-news.com-www.lcsun-news.com.
“Well, the rest of the state MIGHT get to know Martinez — if she weren’t running a campaign worthy of a state rep candidate and calling it a Governor’s campaign. She’s raised no money, has no organization and has excited nobody outside the 3 mile radius around her house. My friends in ABQ – GOP activists – say they’ve never heard from her or her campaign. At least Doug Turner has billboards up.
Oohh – raw nerves!
In my view – the two contenders for the R ticket are the two women … the guys will get cut to ribbons by Denish. She’ll bait Weh into saying something bruthish and stupid – won’t be hard, and since the candidate will need to turn D’s to win the vote – he’ll lose. Petey isn’t catching on – the name doesn’t do it and people are angry, not relieved, that he has entered the race. Turner IS a nice guy – smart, good PR guy – not photogenic (needs to dump the billboards) and needs an original line of thought.
Both female candidates are articulate and capable – the difference is that Arnold-Jones has extremely broad legislative experience and knows the issues, she is well respected in the party and legislature – on both sides of the aisle. Martinez has more narrow experience – bustin’ bad guys and while she addresses the issues – she doesn’t know them nor the details behind them. There will be some minor philosophical differences between the two … but I’ll take Arnold-Jones.
That said – the food tax? Removing food from the gross receipts tax was a bad idea – and a classic bait and switch. The argument that the poorest of the poor were harmed by the tax was a lie – if you have food stamps, a tax is not assessed … so instead – they raised gross receipts on everything else … water, electricity, phone service, diapers – you know, silly things that you don’t need … which affected the poorest of the poor … so removing the GRT on food was a feel good thing that folks were duped into supporting as a good thing. While it affected the poor the most – it also affected our villages and small towns who’d based their budgets on the GRT from their grocery stores – the one common dedominator of every town. But – discussions to reinstate the food tax are misguided because they won’t drop GRT on everything else – it’ll just be a big tax hike that really does affect the poor. As for the tax pledge – a dumb phrase – as Transparency said – George HW Bush … I’ll take a person of character with ethical values that we understand over a person with a catchy phrase.
Glad these discussions are happening … the toughest job in the political realm isn’t being a candidate or holding an office – it is being a citizen. We need more good citizens who deal with the issues and don’t fall prey to the emotion and whim of campaign strategists. Keep it coming.
If Arnold-Jones thinks voting with the Democrats to support the Richardson budgets — FOUR TIMES — was the right thing to do, then she should have the courage to campaign on that. Or, she should admit that she made a mistake — FOUR TIMES.
She is doing neither. Instead, she is holding rallies at the capitol claiming to be opposed to the very wasteful spending she voted for. And she is supposed to be the candidate of honesty and courage?
Susana Martinez is a much more credible and authentic candidate and it’s not surprising that the Republican legislators are lining up behind her. It’s also why she has won election in a very Democratic County. People in Las Cruces know her and support her and the more the rest of New Mexico gets to know her, the more support she will enjoy.
Hey Jeff… you gotta remember a couple things. This IS New Mexico. Not Washington, DC. The Republicans have been a minority here for at least 70 years. The Allen Weh, take a baseball bat and clean house approach to Santa Fe will NOT win friends and influence people… this will remain a majority Democrat state. And power will swing back eventually… it always does.
It would be wonderful if all governing had to do with is just saying no to the party in power. Gary Johnson left the state in the black by just saying no… but he didn’t contribute a whole lot to getting anything done or moving this state forward did he?
Taking a no new taxes pledge is roughly akin to saying you will never go swimming… and then one day when you see a child drowning in a pond… do you keep your promise or break it? On the surface, those kinds of pledges seem easy to do. But the second you have to break them, you are accused of all sorts of bad things… just ask George Herbert Walker Bush.
So, lighten up a bit… channel your anger at the way things are against the people who are the problem by electing someone with the experience and built in ethical standing and ability to reach across the divide to get things done that we truly need. Elect Janice Arnold-Jones!
That Rio Grande Forum did shine some light on Janice Arnold-Jones and after watching that forum I don’t understand how anyone concerned about fiscal restraint could support her.
Arnold-Jones refused to take the “No New Taxes” pledge, said the food tax was the “fairest” tax and removing it caused problems, and admitted to “slipping” a couple times by raising fees while in the legislatures. That’s not a surprise to those of us who follow the legislature, as Arnold-Jones voted for 4 of Richardson’s budgets that grew government by 50% and created this budget crisis.
You’re right — talk is cheap.
Thumbs down to Susana Martinez being the anti-corruption candidate. Talk is cheap, so what has she done anyway?
State Representative Janice Arnold-Jones owns the open government / transparency issue in this state which is the underpinnings of the corruption problem. Arnold-Jones is the one who single handedly embarrassed the legislature into reform.
And, Arnold-Jones has been nominated for the William Dixon award for open and transparent government sponsored by the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government in this very news blog by Mr. Haussamen.
Susana managed to miss the very first candidate forum as did Allen Weh where Doug Turner and Janice Arnold-Jones appeared in early December sponsored by the Rio Grande Foundation. Why? The interesting thing about that forum (beyond the notable absence of the two) was how often Doug Turner agreed with the form and substance of what Arnold-Jones said.
Turner is a nice guy. Weh is a gruff Marine who cannot reach across the political divide and pretty much offends everyone the second he opens his mouth. Martinez is full of platitudes. Arnold-Jones is the only candidate with any real experience in state government now completing her eight year in the roundhouse as representative from District 24 in Albuquerque.
We absolutely don’t need someone lacking in experience. Arnold-Jones is the only one that has it. She is a fiscal conservative who happens to moderate her behavior well enough to be able to reach across the political divide and get things done in the legislature. A Governor who lacks that experience and those relationships will be no Governor at all. Arnold-Jones rocks!
Susana Martinez is the future of New Mexico. She is one of the people who have shown she can and will get the job done. She is the one person who can clean up this state, along with a strong State Auditor like Errol Chavez, a strong Land Commissioner like Spiro Vassilopoulos and getting rid of the Progressives that are in the legislature. It is time for a real change and that change is in our government,
This is what most Americans want and this is what they will get. It is time to get rid of the politicians that work as Progressives and owe allegiance to the Wilderness alliance and their ideas of what is best for the state and nation. It is a quiet revolution that is gaining speed like a runaway train. It is about time.