Albuquerque mayor to run for N.M. Senate

Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez (D) will enter the U.S. Senate race in New Mexico, Chavez told the Hill on Monday.

{mosads}Chavez stated that he has scheduled a press conference on Tuesday at 11 a.m. Mountain Standard Time at Eclipse Aviation in Albuquerque to officially announce the bid.

The mayor will be making his second statewide bid in a decade; he lost the general election race for governor in 1998. He has served a total of 10 years as mayor during two nonconsecutive stints.

Presidential contender Gov. Bill Richardson (D), who was the preferred candidate of many Democrats, and Rep. Tom Udall (D) have said they will not run for the seat.

Lt. Gov. Diane Denish (D), who was Chavez’s running mate in 1998, has not said whether she will run. Chavez suggested the field might be clear for him, though, at least as far as major candidates go.

“Diane has to speak for herself,” Chavez said. “I don’t anticipate her getting in, but she has to speak for herself.”

Businessman Don Wiviott has already entered the race and contributed $400,000 of his own money before June 30.

On the Republican side, Rep. Heather Wilson (R) entered the race in Friday, one day after her mentor, Sen. Pete Domenici (R), announced he would retire at the end of the current term.

Another Republican, oil executive Spiro Vassilopoulos, has also entered the race, according to local news reports.