He predicts no more than 3 Democrats in state Senate will lose seats
Democratic state Sen. Phil Griego predicted today that both of his party's Senate leaders will win re-election.
Gov. Susana Martinez, a Republican, is using the money and muscle of her political organizations to try to defeat Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez and Sen. Tim Jennings, the body's president pro tem.
Griego, in a brief interview at the Capitol, said Democrats will lose no more than three seats, and he did not count the leadership among them.
Griego, right, said Sen. John Sapien of Corrales is in a tight race against Republican David Doyle, who is giving up his seat in the state House of Representatives to challenge Sapien.
Even, Griego said he likes Sapien's chances for re-election.
In his view, the other seats Democrats could lose are ones in Albuquerque and Las Cruces.
Sen. Lisa Curtis is an incumbent by appointment in Albuquerque's District 21. Republican Mark Moores is challenging Democrat Curtis, and the voter demographics are in his favor.
In southern New Mexico, Republicans could pick up an open seat, the one being vacated by Democratic Sen. Steve Fischmann, who did not run for re-election.
Democrat William P. Soules and Republican Cathey Jo Alberson are competing to succeed Fischmann in District 37.
Griego, of San Jose, has a race of his own. He is being challenged by Republican Aubrey Dunn, a rancher in the Capitan area.
Dunn, 56, comes from a family with deep ties to the state Legislature. Both his father and grandfather were state senators.
Dunn, right, is running a bare-knuckles campaign against Griego in District 39. On his website, Dunn makes this criticism of his opponent:
"Unlike past representation of District 39, Aubrey will bring honesty and be an ethical leader in the New Mexico Senate."
Griego in 2000 and 2001 was convicted of drunken driving. The second case landed him in jail for three days.
Dunn is well-known in the lower section of District 39, which winds for 210 miles from north to south, nearly to Ruidoso. But Griego probably has an advantage in the northern counties of Santa Fe and San Miguel.
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