New Mex’s Choice, Progressive or DCCC?

LiberalResistance.net got its start in the great state of New Mexico, so we keep an eye on New Mexican politics when we can. And, right now, things are about to get interesting in our old home. New Mexico has a Senate seat coming open soon, and the choice looks to be either a Progressive Democrat, or a candidate that used to head the DCCC–which most assuredly isn’t progressive.

Ryan Grim has an excellent article on this over on The Intercept site, Democrats Have an Open Senate Seat in New Mexico. Will They Elect a Progressive, or the Former Head of the DCCC? He notes, “The party establishment has already unified behind Ben Ray Luján, a New Mexico congressman, to fill the seat being vacated by Democratic Sen. Tom Udall, who is retiring. Luján — who is assistant House speaker, a close ally of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee last cycle — was quickly endorsed by Pelosi after announcing his bid in April. In an unusual move, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, rather than letting the primary play out, endorsed him as well.”

But, over on the other side of the Democratic spectrum, we have Maggie Toulouse Oliver, “… a 43-year-old single mom whose children were on Medicaid when they were younger, began her career with the League of Conservation Voters and was elected secretary of state in 2014. An outspoken progressive, she backs a Green New Deal, Medicare for All, wants to abolish the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency; as secretary of state, she enacted automatic voter registration and same-day registration.” She has already gotten some significant endorsements, notably from the the Working Families Party. 

We’ll support whatever Democrat wins the primaries, but, frankly, we would like to see a more progressive senator in Washington. And, even more, we’d like to see the DCCC stop trying to pick candidates without input from the voters.