I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
The memories of a 2006 loss in the 1st Congressional District race were fresh for many Democrats in the room. But all those thoughts were erased when the news swept through the Albuquerque Convention Center Ballroom that Martin Heinrich was the first Democrat to hold the seat since the district’s creation 40 years ago.
Heinrich made one pledge to the crowd in his speech: “I’m going to work for all of you.”
Asked why it was so important to have all three members of Congress (and both senators) from the Democratic Party, Heinrich said it will allow the new freshman members of Congress to work together.
“I think it’s going to be important for us to be able to produce results for the people of New Mexico,” Heinrich told the New Mexico Independent. “We’re now going to have a team of five, two senators, and three congresspeople who are going to be pulling in the same direction.”
Heinrich defeated Darren White. Incumbent Heather Wilson decided to not run again in favor of instead running for the open U.S. Senate seat vacated by Sen. Pete Domenici. Domenici retired because of health reasons.
The race was increasingly negative, with a lot of money and advertisements pouring in from outside groups like Freedom’s Watch on behalf of the Republican Party and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee on the Democratic side.
But Heinrich notes his campaign did not run any negative ads down the stretch.
“We made a very conscious decision at the end to go up completely positive with a vision of the future and close and say, ‘Look, we can do this better. We can have a hopeful vision of the country.’ And people really responded to that.”
Heinrich’s acceptance speech didn’t go off without a hitch. He was forced to stop his speech not because of any technological snafu but because he was upstaged — by the speech of President-elect Barack Obama.
When told by campaign staffers what was going on, Heinrich announced, to wild applause, “We’re all going to watch the next president of the United States, Barack Obama.”
Heinrich also noted the nearly 24-hour, 365-day-a-year campaign for Congress that goes on these days. “The campaign’s never over,” Heinrich joked when asked if he was glad the campaign had finally come to an end. “I’m starting tomorrow morning at 8.”
Earlier in the interview, Heinrich also acknowledged it would be difficult to hold the seat. “I’m humbled by it. I know that this is a tough seat. It’s never gone to a Democrat before and so we’re going to have to get some things done if I want to hold onto it,” Heinrich said. “And I’m looking forward to that challenge and looking forward to getting to work.”
