Ethics issue propelled Keller
Even with the endorsement of Governor Bill Richardson—and a $5,000 contribution from the Guv’s war chest—20-year state senate incumbent Shannon Robinson couldn’t fend off a well-organized and well-funded challenge from political newcomer Tim Keller.
Yesterday, Keller beat Robinson 66 percent to 34 percent to earn a seat in the senate representing district 17. There is no Republican challenger running in November.
Keller’s campaign focused hard on ethics and campaign finance reform, two particularly weak points for Robinson, who had been criticized for improperly diverting funds to the UNM club rugby team (which he coaches), and failing to disclose a long list of tangles with the law.
The Albuquerque Journal doggedly followed the flow of money to the rugby team, and also reported that on his campaign questionnaire, Robinson had neglected to disclose “at least 38 misdemeanors or minor violations since 1988.” The list of infractions painted a picture of a lawyer and state senator who broke the law, failed to pay fines, failed to show up in court and then failed to attend classes he was sentenced to attend.
Robinson was also hammered by a recycling bin full of direct mail from a collaboration of progressive groups that included New Mexico Youth Organized, the Southwest Organizing Project and the SAGE Council. The groups sent out what they described as informational, not political, pieces targeting the legislative records of several legislators, including James Taylor and Dan Silva (Taylor lost his race by 24 points; Silva by eight).
The mailers on Robinson noted campaign contributions from health care groups, banks and payday loan groups, liquor and tobacco interests, then highlighted the senator's votes against health care and campaign finance reform.
“It’s apparent that ethics was a big issue in a lot of these races and it looks like people are ready for a change up in Santa Fe,” Keegan King of New Mexico Youth Organized said Wednesday.
Comments:
Posted 06/05/2008 15:18 with
Great article.
I wish that a true accounting of all political contributions can be tracked for all politicians in state, especially the governor’s. I wonder how many current contract holders with the state of New Mexico donated monies to his aborted presidential campaign and the amounts. I wonder as well, if these same companies are continuing to benefit from state contracts now and will in the future.