Pete Domenici has taken a hit, and any perception of invincibility is long gone. He's getting old, his health is questionable at best, and his lawyering up in the midst of the U.S. Attorney scandals is a clear sign that he knows he did something wrong. He's tired and distracted, and that makes him vulnerable (if he even runs for another term).
New Mexico is a purple state Jeff Bingamen and Bill Richardson thrive in the Senate and in the state capitol. Also, if not for a lackluster campaign, Heather Wilson would not have been re-elected to Congress and will surely be vulnerable as well.
So now it is time to start looking for a challenger to Domenici. Richardson would be my first choice, but I doubt he would sacrifice his presidential ambitions to be a legislator again. Madrid's 2006 campaign makes me hesitate to push for her name on the ballot. So, today I would like to present Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez as a possible challenger.
From
Wikipedia:
From 1993 through 1997 Chávez served as Mayor of Albuquerque in a term that featured a city-wide clean up, lowered crime rates and the construction of the long-sought Montaño Bridge. Chávez also initiated a highly successful water conservation campaign and helped lead the fight to protect Kirtland Air Force Base from closure...
In 2005, Mayor Chávez was the first mayor to be re-elected to consecutive terms since the creation of the strong mayoral form of government in the 1974. His third term has brought continued support of a strong support of public safety. The Mayor sponsored the first municipal form of Kendra's Law, which passed the City Council. Montano was opened to four lanes,and Albuquerque was ranked #1 by Forbes magazine as best place to do business in the Country. The Mayor continues to be a pro-business Democrat, also known as DLC, which Bill Clinton started.
It's not clear whether Chavez is a card-carrying DLC member or if it was just a way to describe his governing style. At the very least, his success on the local level merits consideration for what could be a top-tier race.