Spoiler alert
Carol Miller shocked the political establishment in 1997 winning 17 percent of the vote and denying the Democrats a win in northern New Mexico. Could she do it again?
SANTA FE -- Meet Carol Miller. Actually, you’ve met her before—in 1997 and 1998—when she ran as a Green Party candidate for New Mexico’s 3rd Congressional District seat.
The Peñasco-area resident is running again this year—this time as an Independent against Democratic nominee and Public Regulation Commissioner Ben Ray Lujan and Republican contractor Dan East. Another Independent candidate, Santa Fe homebuilder Ron Simmons, will also be on the ballot. Can Miller turn her years of experience as an community organizer and public health advocate into a long-shot victory?
A look back to the 1997 special election, when then-Rep. Bill Richardson left office to join the Clinton Administration, shows she can attract votes. In that race, she garnered 17 percent of the vote—pulling votes from Democrats who were less than enthusiastic about their nominee, Eric Serna. Republican Bill Redmond ended up winning the election in a district where Democrats outnumber Republicans nearly 2-to-1.
Could the same thing happen this year? That depends on how Democrats view their nominee, political pollster Brian Sanderoff told the Associated Press:
"Green Party candidates and independent candidates have the potential for double-digit support levels—and thus impact the outcome of elections—in circumstances where the Democratic candidate is seen as substandard," Sanderoff said.
But Sanderoff notes that the Democrat Lujan, son of state House Speaker Ben Lujan, Sr., has built strong party support and landed important endorsements from environmental and labor groups. He won his crowded primary race with 42 percent of the vote.
If the Democratic party likes its candidate, the hill gets steeper for Miller to climb. Despite her strong showing in 1997, she attracted less than 4 percent of the vote the following year, when Rep. Tom Udall entered the picture and sent Redmond packing.
Udall is now leaving his House seat in a bid to replace Pete Domenici in the Senate.
Comments:
Posted 06/27/2008 18:13 with
Spoiler? Hardly! We in northern New Mexico should be so lucky that this effective, ethical person should win this seat. It would put New Mexico’s 3rd Congressional District on the map and result in thoughtful, competent representation for its citizens.
Having worked alongside Carol Miller for almost five years, I can assure voters that she is intelligent (super-sized in that department), concerned about New Mexico issues and knowledgeable about the ins and outs of the DC political system. As an Independent, she will work with legislators on both sides of the aisle to improve her district as well as her country. Her work ethic is staggering in its intensity and she has a very complete comprehension of the issues that face the 3rd District, this State and the Nation.
This is the election to step outside your box and experience new and different representation. Voters in the 3rd District will not be disappointed.