I am seriously bummed, too

Because Steve Pearce raised $142K this quarter, which is an unusually large amount for a guy whose seat is pretty safe. Yeah, he may be a lot more conservative than Heather Wilson, but with her higher aspirations basically shot to peices at this point, he's clearly the heir apparent to Domenici.

If Pajama Pete does retire, it would be a mistake of epic proportions if Udall wasn't ready to hit the ground running. And that would be compounded if he had to face a primed Pearce.

---

by: DavidNYC @ Sun Apr 15, 2007 at 20:56:34 PM UTC

Actually,

I think Pierce would be a terrible candidate because of his extremely conservative voting record that could be torn apart in this swing state, and the fact that Martin Chavez could run and destroy him in albequrem (horriblly mispelled that), and his views and South New Mexico roots meanhe'd pretty much automatically lose Tom Udalls district by at least twelve points. So, against Martin Chavez, or another well known poerful democrat, even an underfunded Udall, he'd get crushed, (compartively) by a 53-47 margin at best, I'm assuming less than Stellar numbers for the Democratic Candidate in NM-01 and NM-03, and like 63 percent for Pearce in his district. To mention he's not exactly a young cookie. He'd be 61 when he was inaugerated.

Call no man happy until he is dead-Aeschylus

---

by: ArkDem the Ragin Cajin @ Mon Apr 16, 2007 at 22:33:17 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

it'd be odd having two udalls in the senate

Call no man happy until he is dead-Aeschylus

---

by: ArkDem the Ragin Cajin @ Mon Apr 16, 2007 at 22:34:32 PM UTC

who were cousins at that

Call no man happy until he is dead-Aeschylus

---

by: ArkDem the Ragin Cajin @ Mon Apr 16, 2007 at 22:34:46 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Three if you count Gordon Smith...

...should he survive next year...

---

by: James L. @ Mon Apr 16, 2007 at 22:38:31 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

also relate to Oregon Senator Gordon Smith

if DeFazio decides not to run he'll likely squeak by closer than the last two times, but survive. If he wins reelection, I think it'd be the first time three cousins, (though second and third cousins I believe), served in the senate together at the same time. Gordon Smith is the only Republican in a southwestern Political Dynasty that is currently Democratic, but began as  Republicans. Their line of descent includes the Mayor of Phoenix from 1936-1938 and a close contedner for the Governoship and Senatorialship of Arizona, John Udall. It includes two chif Justices of the Arizona Supreme Court, Levi Udall and Jesse Udall 1951-1953 and 1957-1959, and 1960-1972 respectively. A tidbit is fir you is that Levi Udall is Gordon Smiths Grandfather, and Mo Udall's father, "I'm a one-eyed Mormon Democrat from conservative Arizona, and you can't have a higher handicap than that." Mo Udall who spent more than 30 years in congress from 1961-1991. His brother, Stuart, also spent six years representing the same district before being selected by Kennedy to be Secretary of the Interior, keeping that position 1961-1969, another notable politician in that family.
John Nicholas Udall, John H. Udall's son, followed in his footsteps and also served as mayor of Phoenix from 1948-1952, except he served as Democrat. He later served on the Maricopa County Superior Court, and lived to the impressive age of 91 eleven months, dying in 2005.

The Udalls are not exactly the Kennedy's, but for Arizona they could be described as such. And now, with two of their grandchildren in the house, and one in the seante, (another one fixing to get there), they undoubtedly have power, not quite as mch as the kennedy's but some.

Call no man happy until he is dead-Aeschylus

---

by: ArkDem the Ragin Cajin @ Mon Apr 16, 2007 at 22:52:43 PM UTC

[ Parent ]