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Udall confirms Senate run; Wiviott to seek House seat
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| Contributor | TX DEM |
| Last Edited | TX DEM Nov 11, 2007 01:34pm |
| Category | News |
| News Date | Nov 11, 2007 01:00pm |
| Description | The chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M., confirmed today that the congressman will run for the Senate seat being vacated next year by Pete Domenici.
Meanwhile, Democrats Don Wiviott and Jim Hannan will drop out of the Senate race as a result of Udall’s decision. Wiviott plans to run for the House seat Udall will be vacating.
The confirmation of Udall’s candidacy comes a day after I reported that Udall had told a number of Democratic insiders he’s running for Senate.
“He’s definitely running,” Tom Nagle, Udall’s chief of staff, told the Associated Press today.
Nagle said Udall plans to make a formal announcement during Congress’ Thanksgiving recess.
Udall will face Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chávez and lesser-known Democrat Leland Lehrman in a Senate primary. While Wiviott and Hannan said they’ll leave the race, Lehrman said he won’t back Udall’s candidacy because Udall doesn’t support impeachment proceedings against Vice President Dick Cheney.
“Although his votes on the environment and civil liberties make us all proud, his Washingtonian willingness to avoid tough issues means that he cannot be trusted with the leadership role a U.S. senator must take,” Lehrman said.
Wiviott said Udall is a friend, in addition to being his congressman. He will defer to him in the Senate race, but said he plans, in running for Udall’s House seat, to stay in the fight to end the Iraq war, protect the environment and improve the education system.
“You have to have the courage of your convictions. That’s why I started in this. That’s why I remain in it,” Wiviott said. “I’m committed to either raise or spend whatever it takes to win (the House race).”
Hannan has said for weeks that he wouldn’t run against Udall, and said on Friday that, if Udall was running, he would “immediately withdraw from the race.”
Hannan once worked for the late U.S. Rep. Mo Udall, D-Ariz. and an uncle of Tom |
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