Domenici’s Retirement Leaves another Western Seat Vacant

By Emily Esterson, 10-04-07

Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) is expected to announce his retirement today in a press conference in Albuquerque.

Recently, Domenici’s health has been questionable. News accounts say he’s suffering from a “progressive brain disease.” The senior senator is the state’s longest serving, and holds the senior Republican position on the Energy and Natural Resources and Appropriations committees. This year hasn’t been so good to the senator: he, along with heir-apparent congresswoman Heather Wilson was said to have pressured former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias to bring indictments in a politically charged corruption investigation of local Democrats ahead of last year’s election.

To be fair, Domenici has been a tireless, if conservative, advocate for New Mexico. His influence has supported the national laboratories, which employ 22,000 New Mexicans, the FLETC training center in Roswell (which revitalized that tired community), and the maintenance and expansion of several of New Mexico’s highways. Funding Domenici procured allowed the state to turn Highway 550 which runs from Albuquerque to Farmington and arguably the most dangerous, into a four lane road, while also finishing the four-lane project of Highway 285 in Southern New Mexico. He helped push through the new border crossing in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, which eased traffic in El Paso. He has been a strong advocate of mental health parity in medical coverage.

Yet, he’s also been a staunch supporter of the war in Iraq. He supported drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He sided with the oil companies in the state’s fight to save Otero Mesa from drilling.

Domenici’s senate seat was considered locked in the past--but now it’s wide open: Possible contenders include current congress members Tom Udall (D), Heather Wilson (R) and Steve Pearce (R); Santa Fe business man Don Wiviott has already said he plans to run for the spot. Patricia Madrid, former New Mexico Attorney General who ran a not-so-close-race against Heather Wilson (R-NM) last election cycle, is another possible contender. Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez, who was rumored to be seeking the Governor’s chair despite powerful competition from current Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, is also said to be interested in the job. And of course, there’s Bill, “I am not running for anything but president” Richardson.

Domenici’s retirement adds an interesting dimension to the western political landscape: With Wayne Allard (R-Colo.) already announcing retirement and Larry Craig’s (R-Idaho) future unknown, that leaves three western republican seats in Senate that could swing to the left. New Mexico has typically been a “pink” state--where it’s really impossible to guess whether the state will be blue or red. Bush won New Mexico by only a squeak in 2004, and he lost it in 2000.  The question is, will those seats turn blue in the next election?