Citing strength as senator, Udall says he won’t run for governor in 2018
U.S. Sen. Tom Udall on Wednesday ended speculation that he might run for governor of New Mexico in 2018, clearing the path for other Democrats considering the race to succeed Republican Gov. Susana Martinez, who is barred by the state constitution from seeking a third four-year term.
The 68-year-old senator, who won a second six-year term in 2014, issued a statement saying he could do more good for the state in Washington, D.C., than he could as governor, though he asserted that New Mexico under Martinez has fallen behind on jobs and education and “failed to take full advantage of our abundant natural resources” and potential for developing a renewable energy industry.
“I am very grateful for the support of so many New Mexicans who have personally urged me to run for governor in 2018,” Udall said. “While I firmly believe that I have the backing and the experience to properly address all these issues, I have determined, after consulting with my family, colleagues and constituents, that New Mexico will be better served by my remaining in the United States Senate.”
When Udall said in an election night radio interview last month that he was thinking of running for governor, many thought he would be tough to beat in 2018. The son of the late Interior Secretary Stewart Udall, he has won four statewide races (two for state attorney general in the 1990s and two for U.S. Senate) and maintained high approval ratings in polls. Through all his years in public office there have been no hints of scandal involving Udall.
Udall’s early withdrawal could lead to a crowded field in the 2018 Democratic primary.
Santa Fe businessman Alan Webber told The New Mexican he is seriously considering another bid for the party’s gubernatorial nomination but would have dropped the idea had Udall become a candidate. “Udall would have made a great governor,” he said. Weber, who founded Fast Company magazine, ran for governor in the 2014 Democratic primary.
U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham is considering seeking the governorship in 2018, a spokesman said. The Albuquerque Democrat, who is about to start her third two-year term in Congress, released a statement Wednesday that didn’t mention any plans of her own but praised Udall. “Sen. Udall has always put New Mexico first, and I have no doubt he will continue to do that as our senior senator,” she said. “I look forward to working with him and presenting a united front on behalf of New Mexico’s working families.”
Santa Fe Mayor Javier Gonzales, a former state Democratic Party chairman, said he also is considering running for governor in 2018. “We need leadership that brings us together, that builds collaboration that will move us forward,” he said. “That’s been on my mind more than a campaign, but yes, I’m getting calls of encouragement to give it a serious look, and I’m reflecting on that with family and my friends and the people of Santa Fe.”
A spokeswoman for state Attorney General Hector Balderas said he is among Democratic politicians weighing the idea. Political consultant Caroline Buerkle said Balderas will make his decision in the near future. If he runs for governor, he cannot seek a second term as attorney general in 2018.
On the Republican side, a spokesman for U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce of Hobbs said Wednesday, “Steve is honored by the many calls and recommendations received over the last few months asking him to consider running for Governor in 2018. … Sometime next year Steve will decide what his plans are for the next election cycle, but now he is focused on the important legislative agenda.”
A spokesman for Lt. Gov. John Sanchez, who won the Republican nomination for governor in 2002 but lost to Democrat Bill Richardson, said Wednesday said that Sanchez “has been asked by many New Mexicans — both Republicans and Democrats” to run for governor in 2018, “and he is seriously considering it.” Vincent Torres said, “In the weeks ahead, he plans to discuss this further with his family and supporters, and make a final decision about his future at the appropriate time.”
Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry, who also has been mentioned as a possible Republican hopeful for governor, said in a phone interview, “It’s too early to talk about it.” Although he is not seeking a third term in next year’s municipal elections, he said he wants to concentrate on his current job as mayor of the state’s largest city.
Udall, whose party will remain in the minority in both houses of Congress as a result of last month’s election, in his statement took a shot at Republican President-elect Donald Trump.
“This is not the time to weaken our position in Washington,” he said. “President-elect Trump has proposed policies with respect to health care, constitutional rights, immigration, privatizing public lands, and foreign policy that could be devastating to the citizens of New Mexico. When I was elected to the Senate, I committed to standing up in Washington for New Mexico families to ensure everyone has an opportunity to get ahead and their needs never take a back seat to wealthy special interests. I believe that pledge is even more important now.”
Though Udall is not up for re-election until 2020, part of his statement touted his accomplishments.
“My seniority, my reform agenda and my appointments to the Appropriations Committee, the Indian Affairs Committee, the Commerce Committee, and the Foreign Relations Committee are indispensable to the well-being of the state,” he said. “New Mexico depends significantly more on federal funding than it does on state revenue. Since I have been in the Senate, we have been able to increase funding for the labs, expanded access to public lands, strengthen our military bases, and encourage efforts to grow the state’s private sector.”
The Santa Fe New Mexican is a sister-paper of The Taos News. Contact Steve Terrell at 505-986-3037 or sterrell @sfnewmexican.com.
