With the primary "nearly a month away and absentee voting set to begin" 5/6, Reps. Steve Pearce (R-02) and Heather Wilson (R-01) "have accelerated the pace of their campaigns -- hitting each other on the airwaves in a battle that is growing increasingly negative in tone." Though GOPers following the primary "continue to rate it a tossup, Wilson appears to have won the battle for campaign cash and for support on Capitol Hill." She has received $95K in Hill donations -- mostly from about 25 leadership PACs. Among the contributions were $5K each from PACs run by Sens. Kit Bond (R-MO) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), $5K from House Min. Leader John Boehner's (R-OH) PAC, and $3.5K from NRCC chair Tom Cole's (R-OK) PAC.
"Pearce has received just one donation from a Member, according to available records" $1K from Rep. Michael Turner (R-OH), although he also donated $1K to Wilson. However, Pearce has been the recipient of at least $120K from Club for Growth members, "and the group intends to step up its activity in this race in the coming weeks, although it declined to specify its plans." Pearce "has also been heartily supported by the energy industry, a key player" in NM's economy. Energy industry PACs accounted for nearly all of the $66K in PAC donations to the Pearce camp (Drucker, Roll Call, 4/30). Wilson also got $5K from PACs belonging to Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and $2.5K from Sen. Dick Lugar's (R-IN). Pearce received $5K from Sen. Saxby Chambliss' (R-GA) PAC.
Meanwhile, "Indian tribes with gambling operations" and labor union PACs "were leading sources of campaign money" for Rep. Tom Udall's (D-03) camp during the 1stQ. He also received $39.9K from the DSCC and PAC money from several Sens (Massey, AP, 4/29).
But Does Pearce Have The Early Edge Locally?
Pearce has set up a GOTV org called Pearce Partners in every county and has complemented his TV ad campaign with three separate direct-mail hits. Pearce spokesperson Brian Phillips: "In Albuquerque and the northern district, the Republicans up there have never had a chance to vote for a real Republican in the House. They have someone who genuinely represents their ideas now. We're hearing they appreciate that they have a choice in this race."
"Wilson's strategy is more localized. She has moved to poison Pearce by pointing out very specific votes he's cast in the House and painting them as highly detrimental" to NM. "Just as Wilson disputes Pearce's charge that she is not a conservative, Pearce rejects Wilson's accusation that his vote for a bill to realign military bases -- and against bills to fund the departments of Energy and Homeland Security -- were bad for the state."
Since some early internal GOP polling showed Wilson behind Pearce, and with Pearce's victory at the NM GOP pre-primary nominating convo, "it has been assumed that Wilson is trailing in this race and needs to close strong to pull it out." On 4/29, Wilson's camp "didn't dispute this line of thinking. But closing strong has been Wilson's forte," and her manager is Christopher Collins, who ran the GOP's statewide field program in '02. All of Wilson's campaigns have had a reputation for successful GOTV efforts. "That could be key in an election" where up to 50% of the votes could be cast in early voting, which begins 5/17, or by mail. Wilson spokesperons Whitney Cheshire: "Everybody always knew this was going to be a tough race. It will be a close race, and it will come down to the wire in June. The advertising in this campaign is really just beginning. As Republican primary voters become familiar with Steve Pearce's voting record, they're realizing he's not the match for them" (Roll Call, 4/30).
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