Latino To Run For Senate In New Mexico

New Mexico’s State Auditor Hector Balderas is set to run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Jeff Bingaman, reported the Santa Fe New Mexican last week. Balderas filed his paperwork with the Federal Election Commission last week and is set to formally announce his run this week. The only other hat in the ring at this point is Albuquerque Congressman Martin Heinrich. According to the report:

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.

Just two years after that election, the state Democratic Party Central Committee nominated Balderas for the auditor position after the candidate who had won the party’s primary election was forced off the ticket following revelations of alleged sexual misconduct.

Although the office of auditor traditionally has been a low-profile agency, Balderas was aggressive in using the power of subpoena to uncover cases of alleged fraud.

If you recall, we’ve written previously about the great need for more Latino senators, and New Mexico is a particularly good place to start. Since 1 in 6 people in the U.S. are counted as Latinos, it’s important we be represented politically, yet, there are just 2 Latinos (or Hispanics) who currently sit in the U.S. Senate. One, Democrat Bob Menendez of New Jersey, the other, Republican Marco Rubio of Florida.

Hopefully Balderas stands a fighting chance in New Mexico, swings left or right depending on the election year, and while you need the “Latino vote” to win, voters in that state don’t vote based solely on ethnicity. We’ll keep you updated on News Taco.

Follow Sara Inés Calderón on Twitter @SaraChicaD