woot! let's bag this Senate seat!

NM-Sen: Race upgraded to "leans Democratic"
by mcjoan
Mon Feb 11, 2008 at 06:23:16 PM PST
One of the marquee Senate races of the year just got better. CQ has moved Tom Udall's bid for the seat Domenici is leaving from "no clear favorite" to "leans Democratic."

A recent survey from New Mexico State University indicated Udall handily led both Reps. Heather A. Wilson and Steve Pearce in a general election match-up. In a one-on-one race with Pearce, Udall would hold a 22-point lead (53 percent to 31 percent, with 16 percent undecided) while he would lead Wilson by 28 points (58 percent to 30 percent, with 13 percent undecided), the poll indicated.

And in what promises to be one of the most expensive races of the 2008 election cycle, Udall raised more money in the fourth quarter of 2007 than Wilson and Pearce combined, even though he did not get into the race until late November. According to the candidates’ year-end reports with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), Udall raised just over $1 million in the fourth quarter while Wilson raised $524,000 and Pearce raised $402,000.

Udall is advantaged by a pitched battle among the Republicans leading to the June 3 primary. Wilson has an advantage in name recognition, since her current House district encompasses the media center of the state, Albuquerque. She also has a fundraising advantage that could make it hard for Pearce to break in to that media hold. Ideologically, Wilson is trying to paint herself as the moderate: "She told students at a forum at Eastern New Mexico University that she defined herself as a "common-sense conservative." Domenici, and all his millions left-over in his campaign coffers, has yet to weigh in with an endorsement.

Thus far, Udall has one declared primary opponet, Leland Lehrman who hasn't yet filed an FEC report, suggesting he hasn't raised the $5,000 required to file. The deadline for filing for the race is tomorrow, and no serious challenge ot Udall in the primary is expected. New Mexico's massive turnout on Super Tuesday (they're still counting provisional ballots) also bodes well for Udall.

And for your political trivia of the day, Udall is one of three cousins running for a Senate seat this cycle. First cousin Mark Udall is running for the open Senate seat in Colorado, and second cousin, Gordon Smith (the black sheep Republican of the family) is defending his Oregon seat.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/2/11/142124/434/1004/454630

Sununu in New Hampshire. This could be a banner year for Dems if we put the right person at the top of the ticket. Oh, by the way, love your avatar. ;)

and having popular dems on the ticket in purple states sure doesn't hurt our eventual nominee. Udall in NM and Warner in VA are a big help. :)