Valdez Drops out of Senate Race

 Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Andres Valdez has dropped his longshot candidacy and now is supporting state Auditor Hector Balderas for the position.

Here's part of his statement Valdez, a longtime Albuquerque activist, just emailed me.

I have been in talks with Hector Balderas the other Hispanic Candidate for U.S. Senate running in a largely Hispanic state, New Mexico, and as in a relay race I have passed over a baton of issues over to candidate Hector Balderas since which he has agreed to embrace. The issues are economic democracy, land grants, addressing police brutality as human and civil rights, corporate accountability by eliminating corporate loopholes and other measures and regarding immigration supports the Dream Act. We continue talks over other issues and look forward to a progressive from New Mexico in the U.S. Senate

This leaves Balderas and U.S. Rep. Martin  Heinrich in the Democratic primary.

Former U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson and Las Cruces businessman Greg Sowards are running in the Republican primary.