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N.M. governor vows to support Salazar
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Race
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| Contributor | User 13 |
| Last Edited | User 13 Mar 15, 2004 10:35am |
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| Category | Endorsement |
| Media | Newspaper - Denver Post |
| News Date | Monday, March 15, 2004 06:00:00 AM UTC0:0 |
| Description | New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, the nation's highest-ranking elected Hispanic official, threw his support Saturday behind Attorney General Ken Salazar - and Colorado Hispanics - vowing to funnel money into the state to increase Hispanic voter registration and turnout.
"As of today, Colorado will get financial support to turn out more Hispanics in November," Richardson said in an interview.
The governor, who is also chairman of the Democratic National Convention, was the keynote speaker at the Colorado Democrats' annual Jefferson Jackson dinner.
The emergence of Salazar as the Democrats' highest profile candidate for U.S. Senate is a "thunderbolt" not only for the state but also for the nation, Richardson said.
"Colorado is now targeted as a possible pickup state for the Democrats in the presidential election," Richardson said.
Richardson's political action committee, dubbed Moving America Forward, was recently created to boost Hispanic participation in the November presidential election, as well as in other high-stakes races in Nevada, Arizona, Florida and New Mexico. Colorado is now added to that list.
The PAC has collected roughly $1 million. Richardson said he expects it to net another $2 million during the election cycle.
The New Mexico governor said President Bush picked up about 35 percent of the Hispanic vote nationally in the 2000 election.
"If he gets 40 percent, it could be decisive," he said. Therefore, the goal of the PAC is to keep the Hispanic vote for Bush under 35 percent and increase Hispanic turnout for the Democrats.
Richardson, a former member of Congress and a one-time U.S. secretary of energy, has been included on a short list of vice-presidential candidates that presumptive Democratic nominee John Kerry is considering.
Sitting back in an overstuffed chair in his hotel room, white smoke rising from his cigar, Richardson said he was flattered by being mentioned.
"But I have the best job I've ever had," he said a |
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