Upgrade the Senate: Send in Martin Heinrich

Martin Heinrich In 2008, Martin Heinrich went from Albuquerque City Council to the U.S. House of Representatives, becoming the first Democrat to win the 1st District seat since it was created in 1969. The district's voters elected him to higher office in part because of his achievements in his four year tenure on the council, achievements which included a 31 percent hike in the minimum wage for workers in the city of Albuquerque. That advocacy for low-wage workers made sense for Heinrich, the son of an electrician and a factory worker who also worked the family farm. Starting from age 12, Martin worked too, bussing tables, washing dishes and bagging groceries.

Heinrich also served as Natural Resources Trustee for the State of New Mexico, and has drawn strong support from environmental groups. That support included an early and big ad buy from the League of Conservation Voters, the Sierra Club, Defenders of Wildlife, the National Wildlife Federation and the Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund. The groups are also behind a smart piece of legislation from Heinrich that would make sure that public lands that are supposed to be open to the public for fishing, hunting, and recreation, but where access is blocked. What's smart about this legislation is that it creates a natural coalition between groups that might not normally work together: the "hook and gun" crowd and environmentalists. Access for hunting and fishing on public lands is a big issue in the West, and one where two often opposing groups find common ground. It's smart coalition building, that broadens Heinrich's appeal across the state.

The other thing that should broaden Heinrich's appeal for progressives is his opponent, Heather Wilson. If you've been around a while, you'll remember that Wilson was Heinrich's NM-01 predecessor. She resigned the seat to run for the Senate seat being vacated by Pete Domenici, but lost her primary. You might also remember Wilson because of her involvement back in the bad old days with the Bush administration, Alberto Gonzales, and the prosecutor purge. Former New Mexico U.S. Attorney David Iglesias, a Republican and one of the eight fired prosecutors in the purge, has consistently alleged that Wilson pressured him to take action on a political corruption case that Wilson was using as political fodder against her opponent Patricia Madrid. When Iglesias pushed back, Wilson pushed Gonzales to fire Iglesias, which he did. Wilson continues to deny the allegations, but even Karl Rove has confirmed them. This incident helped Wilson become one of the most corrupt members of the 110th Congress, as compiled by the nonpartisan Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW).

If you've been keeping up on the War on Voting, you'll also remember that a person associated with her campaign was caught trying to manufacture evidence of voter fraud. The husband of one of Wilson's senior campaign aides registered the family dog to vote in order "to expose the problems with the registration system," proving once again that voter registration fraud pretty much only exists when Republican operatives commit it to prove it exists. That's the Heather Wilson ethos. So is going negative in the campaign, right out of the gate.

Heinrich has maintained a five-point lead in PPP's polling of the race over the last three months, holding at 48-43. And Wilson has a growing problem of disapproval. "Where she had a net -5 favorability spread before (40-45), that is now -11 (38-49)." Her early launch into negative campaigning isn't likely to help her close that favorability spread.

This race is certainly winnable. Tom Udall carried it 61-39 in the 2008 Senate race, and Barack Obama won it 57-43. Martin Heinrich is in a strong position to help keep New Mexico blue in 2012. And to help Upgrade the Senate by adding another voice for filibuster reform, for protecting Social Security and Medicare, for comprehensive immigration reform, and for workers' rights.

Please give $3 to Martin Heinrich on ActBlue. Let's make the Senate better.

Answers to the Orange to Blue candidate questionnaire are below the fold.