Here’s the first installment of two interviews I recently conducted with New Mexico’s two U.S. Senate candidates for KNME.

The GOP candidate, Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, is an early riser. Even before this 8 a.m. interview got going, the GOP Senate candidate had already squeezed in two other press interviews.

And sleepy he was not. Eager to answer any and all questions, Pearce cited “just vast differences between Tom and myself,” referring to his Democratic opponent and fellow U.S. Rep. Tom Udall. Pearce makes those differences clear on issues such as taxes, spending and energy. He even gets deep on the issue of offshore oil drilling. That is, Pearce argued that public subsidies are indeed in order for incentivizing the development of “ultra deep” offshore oil wells.

Two other points worth mentioning.

One, while it’s well known that Pearce is a political conservative. You’d think the Hobbs oil industry businessman would be presenting his more moderate side these days. At least I did.

Not Pearce.

From the interview: “I represent the conservative values of New Mexico. We may be Democrats, Republicans or Independents, but we generally don’t view life the same way they do in San Francisco or New York City. Rural areas have their own challenges, and mostly the conservative voice will be the right voice for New Mexico.”

Pearce goes on to argue then even voters who don’t agree with him on issues, should still vote for him.

“New Mexico has always divided its vote. Sen [Pete] Domenici is a conservative. And then [Sen.] Jeff Bingaman , a liberal. So for over 30 years, New Mexico has stayed with that same split voice.”

At least in this one area, Pearce is unequivicobly in favor of the status quo, so that we’ll have “a nice steady voice in Washington.”