New Mexico Senator’s Pending Retirement Another Blow to GOP Hopes

New Mexico Senator’s Pending Retirement Another Blow to GOP Hopes
By CQ Staff | 8:21 PM; Oct. 03, 2007 |

By Marie Horrigan and Bob Benenson


The impending retirement announcement Thursday by New Mexico Republican Pete V. Domenici, confirmed Wednesday afternoon by sources close to the long-popular six-term incumbent, will spur a fierce partisan battle for his seat in the 2008 election, one that initially may draw the interest of many of the state’s most prominent politicians.

In the bigger picture, Domenici’s decision not to seek re-election — in a year in which he will turn 76 years old — adds immensely to the headaches of national Republican strategists. Though they need to craft a minimal gain to restore their party to the majority it lost in the 2006 elections, they find themselves playing far more defense than offense at this stage of the 2008 campaign.

Domenici’s reported departure decision brings the number of senators declining to seek re-election to four, and all are Republicans. Democrats will now heavily target New Mexico, overall a partisan swing state, for a takeover bid, as they have the seats left open by retiring Republicans Wayne Allard of Colorado and John W. Warner of Virginia. The Nebraska seat left open by retiring Republican Chuck Hagel also may be subject to a strong Democratic effort, especially if Bob Kerrey, a former senator and governor of the state, commits to the political comeback bid that he is considering.

On top of these difficult contests, the Republicans must help defend four incumbents who are running for re-election next year and face serious Democratic challenges: Norm Coleman of Minnesota, John E. Sununu of New Hampshire, Susan Collins of Maine and Gordon Smith of Oregon. All represent swing states that favored Democrat John Kerry over President George W. Bush in their 2004 election contest.

Against this roster of vulnerable GOP seats are just two contests for Democratic-held seats that CQPolitics.com, at this still-early point in the 2008 election cycle, rates as serious targets for Republican takeover bids — and neither of these appear as ripe as some of the Democrats’ opportunities. Louisiana Democratic Sen. Mary L. Landrieu cannot be considered safe in her conservative-leaning state, but her outspoken efforts to obtain aid for victims of Hurricane Katrina since 2005 provide her with some insulation. South Dakota Sen. Tim Johnson normally would expect a tough fight in his typically GOP-voting state, but his dogged recovery from a near-fatal brain hemorrhage suffered last December has diminished the zeal of many state Republicans to challenge him.

The Republicans thus face a “so near, but yet so far” conundrum. The Democrats hold their current majority with effective control of 51 seats (including the chamber’s two independents), so Republicans could regain a majority with just a two-seat net gain. But the current political landscape gives Democrats more reasons to hope for expanding their majority than Republicans do for overturning it.

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http://www.cqpolitics.com/2007/10/new_mexico_senators_pending_re.html

I hope by now David has re-registered as a Dem. It would be great to have him in the Senate to head up the continuing investigations of the Gonzo Injustice Department.

Here's hoping a strong Dem will run for the seat.