The Race is On

Sam Bregman

There's just one month before the state Democratic Party's Central Committee chooses a new party chairman to replace outgoing Chairman Javier Gonzales.

Albuquerque lawyer Sam Bregman, who made a strong bid to unseat Gonzales two years ago, appears to be the front runner.

A former state vice chairman, and former Albuquerque city councilor, Bregman has gotten lots of endorsements. Just this morning the Bregman camp announced that Las Cruces Sen. Bill Soules had signed on. Earlier this week Bregman won the support of Sens. Phil Griego of San Jose and Carlos Sisneros of Questa.

Roxanne Lara

But Bregman is getting a spirited challenge from Roxanne "Rocky" Lara, a former Eddy County Commission member.

She's a newcomer to the state political scene. But she made a surprisingly good showing a couple of weeks ago with Santa Fe County Dems. (How many Santa Fe members of the state Central Committee elected from Santa Fe seems to be in dispute. Lara claims she got about 75 percent. Bregman says he got more than 50 percent. I guess we'll know for sure when the Central Committee meets in Las Cruces on April 27.

For several months before he announced he was running for chairman, Bregman had been the subject of speculation that he might run for governor next year. He said when he entered the chairmanship contest that he wouldn't. Just to be sure I asked him again yesterday. Nothing's changed.

My story about the chairmanship race is in this morning's New Mexican. CLICK HERE.