Sen. Howie Morales joins race for NM governor

State Senator Howie Morales

From the Alamogordo Daily News - by Milan Simonich - State Sen. Howie Morales of Silver City entered the race for governor on Wednesday, meaning the Democratic primary election will be at least a three-way competition.
     Morales said he is taking a leave from his job as a hospital administrator so that he can campaign fulltime. He acknowledged that he was entering the race a bit late, but said the seven months between now and the primary election would be ample. At 40, Morales is among the younger state legislators, but he said his campaign for governor was not intended simply to become better known.
     Morales has a Ph.D. in education and spent the first part of his working life as a teacher. He also has been a baseball coach and a Grant County clerk. Morales has been a state senator since 2008, originally appointed to the seat by then-governor Bill Richardson.
     Two other Democrats have been in the governor's race for months. They are state Sen. Linda Lopez of Albuquerque and state Attorney General Gary King. Throughout summer, Morales positioned himself as an alternative for a party unexcited by Lopez or King.
     Morales said he received encouragement from people who could envision the Lopez or King providing tough competition for Martinez in next year's general election. More

Sen. Howie Morales joins race for NM governor

Film office says project permits have doubled

The popular "Breaking Bad" television series that was filmed in Albuquerque may be over, but interest in the city as a filming destination is on the rise. 

The Albuquerque film office says it processed 23 permits for various productions last week, more than double seen in a typical week. 

Mayor Richard Berry says the uptick in interest is evidence of the city's success in creating a film-friendly environment. The permits are used to enable filming in public areas while minimizing their impact on traffic, emergency services and neighborhoods. 

There are currently five large productions in Albuquerque and numerous smaller ones, the city says, including the thriller "Big Sky" starring Kyra Sedgwick, "La Vida Robot" with George Lopez and Jamie Lee Curtis and two network television series, "Night Shift" and "Killer Women."

Film office says project permits have doubled

Clements announces run for Senate

Clements

Dona Ana County Republican Party chairman David Clements has announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Tom Udall. 

Clements, an assistant district attorney in Las Cruces, said in a statement Tuesday that he will focus his candidacy on "advancing free market policies that allow small businesses to create jobs, balancing the federal budget and fighting to preserve the privacy rights of New Mexicans." 

He described himself as a "constitutional conservative and economics enthusiast." Clements said "career politicians" like Udall "have created a culture of dependency in New Mexico." 

Clements is the only declared GOP candidate running for the Senate seat that Udall won in 2008.

Clements announces run for Senate

Gov. and candidates release campaign reports

Gov. Martinez

Republican Gov. Susana Martinez's re-election campaign reports raising $2.1 million during the last six months. 

The campaign released a fundraising summary Tuesday that showed it with a cash balance of nearly $3.3 million as of Oct. 7. The campaign spent about $345,000 from April through earlier this month.

 Candidates for state office and political committees face a deadline Tuesday to submit campaign finance reports to the secretary of state's office. 

No fundraising reports were immediately available for the two Democrats who have announced plans to run for governor — Attorney General Gary King and state Sen. Linda Lopez of Albuquerque. 

Martinez spent almost $7 million in the 2010 primary and general elections. 

Information from the Associated Press. 

Gov. and candidates release campaign reports