Free Republic

Gov. Bill Richardson took his lumps during New Mexico's gubernatorial campaign and said Thursday he wished he'd had the opportunity to punch back. Two days after Republican Susana Martinez won a decisive victory to become the state's first elected female governor, the two-term Democratic officeholder voiced frustration at having his policies repeatedly -- and forcefully -- targeted by Martinez's campaign. "My only regret is that I wasn't able to defend myself and the accomplishments of my administration in so many areas," Richardson said after a news conference in Santa Fe. Richardson, who cited teacher salary increases, a decrease in DWI...

Three weeks after Rasmussen gave Republican Susana Martinez a nine point lead over Diane Denish, the current Democratic Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico, the Albuquerque Journal has Martinez up by ten points, with just 48 hours until the polls open all across the once Democratic leaning State. Albuquerque Journal Survey of 1,003 Likely Voters: Susana Martinez (R) - 52% Diane Denish (D) - 42% Undecided/Not sure - 6% Martinez is the first Hispanic Woman to receive the Gubernatorial Nomination of either major Party in this Country, but you wouldn't know it by looking close at the data within the aforementioned...

The Richardson administration, apparently tired of all those pesky questions about the governor's political appointees, recently refused to release an up-to-date list of the employees, their salaries and titles. It had provided such lists on numerous occasions over Gov. Bill Richardson's nearly eight years in office. I asked the administration last month for a list of the appointees to state jobs. Instead, the Department of Finance and Administration gave me an "organizational list" for all of the nearly 24,000 state workers, including career employees. Buried in those 1,500 pages is the information on the appointees, formally known as exempt employees....

Republican prosecutor Susana Martinez again moves to a 10-point lead over Democratic Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish in the race to be New Mexico’s next governor. The latest Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Voters shows Martinez picking up 52% of the vote in the second straight survey this month, while Denish draws support from 42%. Two percent (2%) like some other candidate, and four percent (4%) are undecided. These numbers move the race from Leans Republican to Solid Republican in the Rasmussen Reports Election 2010 Gubernatorial Scorecard. The survey of 750 Likely Voters in New Mexico was conducted on...

The combination of cronyism, corruption and profligate spending in recent years has left New Mexico mired in serious problems ranging from budget to education to security of state pension funds as we prepare to go to the polls. It is time for a clear change of direction in New Mexico, and Susana Martinez, the Republican candidate for governor, is the right person at the right time to deliver it. With a background as district attorney in Las Cruces, Martinez is a Santa Fe outsider equipped with the skills to cut through Roundhouse fog and effectively communicate her positions. These are...

One thing is for certain after last night's televised gubernatorial debate: you wouldn't want to be in a foxhole with either Susana Martinez or Diane Denish. In one of the nastiest Guv TV confrontations we can recall, Republican Martinez and Democrat Denish fired salvo after salvo at one another Sunday night. It reached a crescendo when Denish turned directly toward Martinez on the KOAT-TV stage and told the Dona Ana County District Attorney "you are a liar." She was referring to a Martinez TV ad that was found to contain "falsehoods" by an independent fact-check group. Denish had a point,...

"I did not have sex with that woman...." "We need Charlie (Rangel) to go back to Washington..." "Besides being a native Texan, there's a reason (Susana Martinez) got all that money from those people that are interested in your water: They want to drain the Rio Grande and the Pecos." These are all statements uttered by former President William Jefferson Clinton — with number three coming while stumping in Española on Thursday for gubernatorial candidate Diane Denish. And the veracity of the first two is useful in determining how much credibility to give the third. After a controversial and ill-advised...

In an election for New Mexico Governor today, 10/15/10, Republican Susana Martinez defeats Democrat Diane Denish 54% to 42%, according to this latest exclusive KOB-TV poll conducted by SurveyUSA. Martinez' advantage is even stronger among voters who tell SurveyUSA they have already returned a ballot.

Republican Susana Martinez now leads Democratic Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish by nine points in New Mexico’s gubernatorial election. The latest Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Voters shows Martinez, a county prosecutor, picking up 52% of the vote, her best showing in the ocntest to date. Denish draws support from 43%. One percent (1%) prefer some other candidate, while four percent (4%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.) This race remains Leans Republican in the Rasmussen Reports Election 2010 Gubernatorial Scorecard. Late last month, Martinez held a similar 51% to 41% lead over Denish. Though the...

Republican Susana Martinez now leads Democratic Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish by nine points in New Mexico’s gubernatorial election. The latest Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Voters shows Martinez, a county prosecutor, picking up 52% of the vote, her best showing in the ocntest to date. Denish draws support from 43%. One percent (1%) prefer some other candidate, while four percent (4%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

It's been four years, and like most forms of public transportation, the rail runner isn't paying for itself. The train cost 22-million dollars to operate last fiscal year, and five million of that came from the state. So what will the next governor do about the rail runner? News 13 asked both candidates that question. Republican Governor Candidate Susana Martinez said, “We have to do an economic analysis to see how much is the public willing to pump in to that transportation? Or can we change it in a way that makes it worthwhile?” Democrat Diane Denish sent News 13...

So what, exactly, is a "Tejana," and why is Diane Denish's campaign using the term to attack Susana Martinez? The answers depend on whom you ask. A new commercial in the campaign television wars has Denish's campaign labeling Martinez as a "Tejana" who is "bought and paid for by a Texas billionaire." "We know that Susana Martinez is from Texas ... Susana es una Tejana," says Denish's lieutenant governor running mate, Brian Colón — who was born in New York but moved to New Mexico with his family as an infant. Martinez was born in El Paso and lived there...

Republican Susana Martinez now has a 10-point lead over Democratic Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish, moving the New Mexico governor’s race from a Toss-Up to Leans GOP in the Rasmussen Reports Election 2010 Gubernatorial Scorecard. The latest telephone survey of Likely Voters in New Mexico shows Martinez, a county prosecutor, receiving 51% support, while Denish picks up 41% of the vote when leaners are included. Three percent (3%) favors another candidate, and five percent (5%) are undecided.

SANTA FE - Democratic gubernatorial candidate Diane Denish holds a 7-to-1 advantage in campaign cash over Republican Susana Martinez as the general election race for governor gets underway in New Mexico, according to financial reports filed Thursday.

Democrat Diane Denish is taking the offensive in her campaign for governor with a television ad criticizing GOP nominee Susana Martinez's record as a prosecutor.