Update: The Albuquerque Journal is now reporting that Udall will not run for the open senate seat. And so ends one of the shorter draft efforts in recent memory...and we had such a great slogan picked out in "More and Better Udalls."

Bumped from the diaries -- Jonathan... According to the Albuquerque Journal, Udall is apparently "seriously considering" a run for Senate. Let's help him make that decision a bit easier by sending $5 contributions his way today.

I'm a young person from New Mexico and I go to school in Washington DC. I'm surrounded by elected officials seemingly everywhere I go, even at school. With all of those interactions, I can say that Congressman Udall is one of the most impressive public servants I've ever met.

It's been years that I've been prodding him to run for Senate, even before he had his seat on Appropriations and before Senator Pete Domenici announced his retirement. With the Democrats taking the House back, Congressman Udall's new committee assignments and power to affect real positive change forced me to let go of the dream.

But now we're back at it - trying to Draft Tom Udall For Senate. In some ways, it seems like he's destined for this opportunity; he's from a long lineage of incredible public servants and has money in the bank at exactly the right time. Tom Udall is mostly progressive and is especially strong on the environment and the Iraq War; he most recently voted against supplemental lacking a timetable for withdrawal.

The most important part of this debate hasn't been talked about to much length: why we cannot let Heather Wilson win this seat.

Adam Conner and Jonathan Singer have made the case for Representative Udall's qualifications and ability to wage and win a statewide campaign. I'll say a bit more.

The importance of this seat cannot be overstated. More hangs in the balance than how many seats Democrats will hold after election day, November 2008. Instead, I pose to you that the next Senator from New Mexico will likely hold office for decades, much like Domenici who was first elected 35 years ago in 1972.

That's why it's so important that we keep this seat out of the hands of Heather Wilson. Democrats need a heavy weight like Tom Udall to run for this office, not a compromise candidate (See: "A Denish Deal?") or a political rookie.

Heather Wilson, the presumptive Republican nominee, beat seasoned politico Patricia Madrid for the 1st District seat last season by about 900 votes. In the past 5 elections, she's beaten 4 different opponents, making her a serious contender and a veteran campaigner.

But the reality about Wilson is striking. Besides her conservative voting record, she's been involved in a number of questionable events.

First, Wilson sat on the committee charged with overseeing congressional pages in the House of Representatives in 2001 and knew that Pages were being warned about Mark Foley's sexual advances. Still, she did nothing. Perhaps worse was her position on the issue when it became public: "Toleration of inappropriate behavior is almost as bad as the behavior itself." That was said by the same Heather Wilson who knew about, and tolerated Mark Foley's conduct.

More recently, Wilson was named as one of two legislators who pressured US Attorney David Iglesias to indict New Mexico Democrats before the 2006 election that she barely won. The other legislator? Retiring Senator Pete Dominici whose seat she now seeks. Due partly to her misconduct in this situation, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington named her one of the 22 Most Corrupt Members of Congress.

Already, Republicans are running scared. Let's Draft Tom Udall to take this Senate seat back for Democrats!

Congressman Tom Udall is the logical choice to run for the open Senate Seat. Popular Governor Bill Richardson continues to do well in Iowa and New Hampshire and has affirmed that he will continue his Presidential campaign. Mayor Martin Chavez may also run, but was defeated at the polls this past Tuesday in Albuquerque City elections and is unpopular with Progressives.

Former Attorney General Patricia Madrid and Heather Wilson's immediate past challenger, lost the race in New Mexico's 1st District in a tidalwave year for Democrats. Her famous gaffe at a small debate in the closing days of the campaign was fully exploited by Republicans. What's more, in a year when Senator Bingaman (D) won reelection 71%-29%, Governor Bill Richardson won the state with 69%, the largest margin of victory for any Governor in state history, and Democrats won four out of fice of the other statewide offices, Patricia Madrid still managed to lose in the 1st District.

Join the movement to Draft Tom Udall for Senate! Contribute $5 and let's send the Congressman a message that he's our choice for Senate! See his biography below.

Participate in the movement and check out the following links:

Contribute at our Act Blue Page

See DraftUdall.Com

Join the Facebook Group

See Congressman Tom Udall's Biography after the jump....

There's more...

New Mexico Dems have been waiting for someone to step up to the plate to take on Sen. Pete Domenici.  Tom Udall's name has been bandied about, as has Rick Homans.  But a blast from the recent past may beat them all to the punch -- Patricia Madrid.

According to an inside source, the former New Mexico Attorney General is considering a run against Sen. Pete Domenici.  In her last run for office, she fell to Rep. Heather Wilson by less than 900 votes.

So why would Madrid be considering a run for Senate?  There are actually some very real reasons why it would be worthwhile.  

Read the reasons under the fold.  Crossposted at New Mexico FBIHOP, Daily Kos and Swing State Project.

There's more...

Cross posted at the Madrid for Congress blog...

In this morning's ABQJournal, Wilson said:

"The intelligence that caused me to vote in favor of authorizing the use of force was not Saddam's nuclear program, but his biological program," Wilson said in the written statement this week.

That's a lie. On March 8, 2003, on the eve of war, Wilson told the Albuquerque Tribune that it wasn't just biological weapons - that it was also Saddam's chemical weapons and his desire to obtain nuclear weapons that caused her to vote in favor of going to war with Iraq. Wilson:

"For me," (Wilson) said, "the action against Iraq has to do with chemical and biological weapons and Saddam Hussein's desire to get nuclear weapons. We can't let him have those weapons."

Rep. Wilson, it's time to be honest with New Mexicans. You've supported Bush's war from the beginning. You've never asked the tough questions about what got us into the war in Iraq. And, now, you're continuing to flip flop on why you voted for this disastrous war in the first place. Rep. Wilson, New Mexicans deserve the truth - and, it's time you gave it to them.

There's more...

I don't think that I can quite believe that the news is this good -- a Reuters poll has Patricia Madrid up ten points on Heather Wilson.

They have a little snippet in the Washington Post.

NEW MEXICO 1 - Five-term Republican Rep. Heather Wilson trails Democrat Patricia Madrid 50-40 percent in this Albuquerque-based swing district.

That's all it says on the race, but out of the 15 races polled, Democrats lead in 11 of them.

Crossposted at New Mexico FBIHOP

There's more...

Cross posted at the Madrid for Congress blog and Daily Kos...

The latest ABQJournal poll is in and it shows a dead heat!

Research & Polling. September 25-28. MoE 5% (August 24-31)

Patricia Madrid (D) 44 (42)
Heather Wilson (R) 44 (45)

There's more...