As would be the case with any Senate retirement, New Mexico Democrat Tom Udall's announcement on Monday that he would not seek a third term has been greeted with a flood of names of potential successors. That means it's a busy time for our friend the Great Mentioner, who’s been scouring sources high and low. No one’s actually plunged in quite yet, so below we'll tally up all the "maybes" and "nos."
We'll start with the Democrats, who are strongly favored to keep this seat. Note that we regard a candidate as "considering" the race if they or a spokesperson say so on the record; if the information comes from an unnamed source, or if no source is specified, then we regard that candidate as "reportedly considering." Names listed as "mentioned" have appeared in credible media outlets but without information about their potential interest.
Considering
Reportedly Considering
Hasn't Ruled It Out
Mentioned
No
And now for the Republicans:
Considering
- Businessman (and 2018 Senate nominee) Mick Rich
Reportedly Considering
Hasn't Ruled It Out
- Former Rep. (and 2018 governor candidate) Steve Pearce (no direct quote)
Mentioned
And finally, there's former Gov. Gary Johnson, who served two terms as a Republican in the 1990s and early 2000s, was the Libertarian nominee for president in both 2012 and 2016, and captured 15 percent of the vote running for Senate under the Libertarian banner last year. That experience might finally have larned him something, because this time, whatever party he’s a member of these days, he's a no. Stick with us in the days and weeks ahead for further details about all of these candidates, and more.