Last week the Draft Congressman Tom Udall for New Mexico Senate effort hit the Capitol Hill press, landing a story in The Hill newspaper. Today, the effort makes its way onto page A2 of The Washington Post. Chris Cillizza and Shailagh Murray have the story, which includes the insinuation that Udall is rethinking not to run.

Rep. Tom Udall (D-N.M.), who has quashed talk that he would run for the seat being vacated by Sen. Pete V. Domenici (R-N.M.), is coming under increasing pressure to reconsider that decision as Democrats have yet to come up with a candidate that can bring the party together.

A Web site ( http://www.draftudall.com) has cropped up aimed at persuading Udall to rethink his candidacy, and political Washington and the liberal blogosphere are stoking the effort. Udall has held northern New Mexico's 3rd District seat since 1998 and has stockpiled an impressive cash reserve, $802,000, that could be directly transferred to a Senate bid. He carries a potent last name in Democratic politics: His father, Stewart L. Udall, represented Arizona in Congress and was secretary of the interior; uncle Morris K. Udall was another Arizona congressman and a presidential candidate; and cousin Mark Udall is a congressman from Colorado who also happens to be running for Senate in 2008.

Asked about the possibility, Udall spokeswoman Marissa Padilla said that "nothing has changed, and Tom Udall is not reconsidering."

Words matter in politics. The fact that Udall is not currently reconsidering the race does not mean he won't do just that in the coming weeks. Democratic insiders acknowledge as much in not-for-attribution conversations with The Sunday Fix.

Electoral politics is riddled with examples of candidates who ruled themselves out only to rule themselves in weeks or even months later. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), then in the House, ruled out a run against Sen. Mike DeWine (R) in August 2005 only to reconsider and jump into the race a month or so later. Brown went on to defeat DeWine -- an example, perhaps, that Democrats can use to tempt Udall. [emphasis added]

With polling showing Udall as strong as just about any Senate candidate in the country, it would be understandable were he to indeed be considering a Senate run. After all, not many candidates or potential candidates can come into a race boasting 18-point leads over not one but two Republican Congressmen -- all while sporting a strongly progressive voting record.

So if you'd like to help try to convince Udall to get in the race for the United States Senate in New Mexico, join in the effort today by making a small contribution to his campaign account (from which he could draw in a Senate election) and heading over to the Draft Udall website to sign a petition.

Draft Udall on Act Blue
DraftUdall.com