Chavez Drops Out Of N.M. Senate Race; Udall Likely Nominee

By Josh Kraushaar

(The Politico)  Albuquerque mayor Martin Chavez (D) announced he is dropping out of the New Mexico Senate race Friday night, allowing Democrats to avoid the likelihood of a hotly-contested and negative primary for the nomination.

His decision all but guarantees Rep. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) will win the Democratic nomination for retiring Sen. Pete Domenici’s (R-N.M.) seat

“While I deeply appreciate all the support I have received, it has become very clear to me that Democrats should not be divided in the upcoming election,” Chavez said in a statement.

“It is crucial to the future of New Mexico and this country that a Democrat become the next U.S. Senator. A hotly contested primary, as this one certainly could be, would likely dramatically weaken the Democratic nominee and place the general election in jeopardy… To that end, I pledge my full support for Tom Udall for U.S. Senate, and I encourage all New Mexicans to support Tom as well.”

Until recently, Chavez had been aggressively attacking Udall for his Congressional record. He told Politico last month that Udall was a “congressman who is not known for having done anything.”

Republicans are facing a competitive primary of their own between Rep. Heather Wilson (R-N.M.) and Steve Pearce (R-N.M.).