Governor's Race in NM 2014

We will be bombarded with emails and phone calls in the upcoming Democratic primary for Governor in New Mexico.  The effort to get nominating signatures is already under way for the candidates who have announced.  If they are smart they will have hired consultants to gather those petitions and check the signatures prior to filing.  Volunteers always try to help, but often they don't get valid voters.

My guess is that only two of the candidates have a shot at this primary victory.  One is Alan Webber, publisher and author, who will run out of Santa Fe.  The other is Lawrence Rael, my former CAO during my Mayor's term and then head of the Middle Rio Grande Council of Governments.  The rest of the candidates include Attorney General Gary King, a good and honest man but seemingly lacking vision and charisma that will electrify the democrats.  The rest are state legislators who are not well known state wide.  That is fatal when you don't have huge amounts of money to spend.

Money.  That is the winning factor in this primary.  Webber has lots of money so we have heard.  It remains to be seen if Rael can raise enough.  Of course, organization is important too and so far it seems Rael is starting up a worthy machine.  I had called Webber a few months ago to sit down and see what he was all about.  He never called to make the appointment which makes me believe his organization wasn't functioning yet, I guess.  Gary King and Rael have called.   King wants money and Rael wants to talk over ideas.

Of course anything can happen.  But I am looking , like many others, for someone who has some vision and track record in making big things happen.  Rael and Webber have that background and I think this battle will come down to them slugging it out to just get on the ballot at the convention and then to win the primary.  I think it will be an interesting race.  Even if I am wrong about all of this!

UPDATE:  Webber's staff said they did try to contact me about a meeting but I can't find the email.