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Jeff Bingaman (D, NM) cuts and runs.

By: Moe Lane (Diary)  |  February 18th, 2011 at 02:00 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Five terms is apparently enough *.  Frankly, it’s more than enough for a lot of Senators out there, but that’s just my opinion.

Contra Chris Cizzilla , though, Obama’s 15 point victory in 2008 is not the only thing to consider about New Mexico: it’s that in 2010 the GOP took the governorship and lieutenant governorship, flipped a House seat, and came pretty close to getting another one (the state legislature was a wash).  New Mexico is a swing state, and if recent history is any predictor it’s busy swinging back the other way right now.

Mind you, this is good news for Tom Udall, who won’t be up for re-election until 2014; and by then the pendulum may have swung back yet again.  In the meantime, we’ll have to see who gets bitten by the Senatorial bug…

Moe Lane (crosspost )

PS: I should also note that, Senator Murray to the contrary, the Democrats were not sanguine about keeping this seat earlier in the month ; also, the bench is thinner than it looks.  DSCC recruitment of House members for Senate seats didn’t work all that well for the Democrats in 2010.  Then again, very little else did, either.

Not four, contra the Fix.

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  • http://redmeatconservative.blogspot.com/ dhorowitz3

    seems to be their number one prospect. He almost lost his central NM district last November. If he vacates his seat to run for senate, we would have a reasonable chance of picking off his House seat.

  • http://barnettlaw.org Frozen_Man

    but a very beatable one. He barely kept his house seat last year. It might be a good opportunity to pick up his old seat and to get Bingaman’s seat too.

  • red_oakster

    We could use some additional alternatives. These two, whatever their considerable merits, have been around the track a bunch of times.

  • http://www.800cart.com Ron Robinson

    …yesterday and they told me that their ward caucuses where they begin GOP officer selection for the next 2 years were attended by something like 4X the normal number they expect.

    That means that 4X the previous numbers are interested in the governance of their party and presumably will be available as volunteers in upcoming elections.

    If the Dems saw a similar decline in their ward caucuses, it could explain his early decision not to run again.

    It’s always fun to watch when the Ds have a primary.

  • http://thesandsinstitute.org Vassar Bushmills

    …You will see this with the cut-and-run Dems, and some GOP as well…for they reflect what we see in WISC with the teachers riots, people who got into the game FOR THE MONEY AND THE BENNIES only,
    (I apologize for writing like Jaded) and nothing else. When the game goes south, according to their “rules” they get up, suck up the bennies and open a consultancy or just retire to the ranch in Brasil, Teachers can’t do that, but it’s close.

    Bingaman is a rank-and-file leech, only at the higher end of the politico-economic spectrum… He is a bureaucrat-factotum, was never a citizen legislator, or much of any other kind of citizen.

    A new kind will replace him

  • IJB

    It’s true that they didn’t make up any ground in the NM State Senate, and it’s true they didn’t take control of the NM State House, but they claim closer to doing that (gain of 8 state house seats) then they have probably done in a while.

    So I don’t agree with your characterization that the NM legislature elections were a “wash”.

  • junkbondtrader41

    New Mexico is not Alabam. New Mexico is not Alabama … Over and over.

    Can we please have a reasonable consensus candidate. A solid State Senator, or someone who’s run statewide, with a GOOD if not impeccable record. No more Bucks or O’Donnells with zero resume and name recognition and tons of flakey quotes, who can be turned into a funhouse mirror reflection of conservatism. Please.

  • http://moelane.com/ Moe Lane

    Gained some in the one, lost some in the other, I will cheerfully defer to people who are more on the scene. :)

  • http://www.redstateeclectic.com enrique

    He was elected and reelected and was a real fiscal conservative slashing the state budget and number of workers within the state. I think he’s sort of running for president but I doubt he will gain much traction. However, he has proven mettle in the Enchantment State with hundreds of vetos and has been successful.

  • robbyahm

    Gary Johnson, former governor, ran statewide twice, 2nd time by close to 10%, obviously he would be a great candidate to field and provide Rand with another flank on the far right. there’s plenty i dont agree with him but he should be a good candidate.

    Heather Wilson, former 1st cong. representative, though she did run for the senate in 2008 she lost to Pearce in the primary, well Pearce is now back in the house as of 2010 so Wilson can give it a second shot if she wants. FYI she is probably a political moderate from my understanding but maybe someone can correct that.

    last but not least, check for -> Jane E Powdrell-Culbert, just a though.

  • proudgop

    Still wondering if Kohl runs in WI and if Nelson in NE bails

    Ensign hopefully calls it quits for us

    I hope Pearce does not run. Wilson would be good candidate

    Republicans gained Gov ( Martinez isn’t running) but what about new LT Gov Sanchez? Sec of State Dianna Durran

  • freemanja1991

    I think we need to end congressional pensions. The real benefits start when they leave congress and get the more lucrative jobs and don’t need the pensions.

  • freemanja1991

    NM Republicans knocked out a sitting Dem SoS.
    And the reason there were no gains in the state senate is because no seats were up for election.

  • freemanja1991

    For the most part. But not about Buck.

  • freemanja1991

    Former governors and Businessmen we need people who have had to work with balanced budgets.

  • itrytobenice

    She came pretty close to knocking off Rep. [short, fat, crooked guy whose name I can't recall] in 2010 in a *very* strongly D district. I know it’s a big stretch to go straight to the Senate, but she seemed like a pretty strong candidate, looking from a distance.

  • proudgop

    she ran in Arizona nt

  • Scope

    maybe she will run for Kyl’s seat.

  • itrytobenice

    I miss my mind the most. ;-)