Balderas Into the Senate Scramble

Hector Balderas

Santa Fe New Mexican - Count state Auditor Hector Balderas among the candidates for the U.S. Senate seat that fellow Democrat Jeff Bingaman plans to vacate next year. Balderas filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission and formally will announce his candidacy next week, a source close to Balderas said Thursday. Balderas, 37, will face at least one other candidate in next year's Democratic primary: U.S. Rep Martin Heinrich of Albuquerque. The news of Balderas' FEC filing came shortly after the political committee of the largest public employee union — the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees — voted unanimously to endorse Heinrich. Heinrich recently jumped in the race after Bingaman, a senator since 1983, announced that he won't be seeking re-election next year. Balderas is from the small northeastern New Mexico community of Wagon Mound. A lawyer by profession, he was elected to a state House of Representatives seat in 2004, defeating a Democratic incumbent, Benjie Regensberg. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Balderas Into the Senate Scramble