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District 2 political campaigns 'negative and nasty'

“Extremely negative and nasty.”

That’s how political observer Brian Sanderoff describes the battle between former state Rep. Yvette Herrell and oil and gas executive Claire Chase in their bids to become the Republican challenger in the 2nd Congressional District race.

“It seems like they are trying to outdo the other” in portraying their loyalty to President Donald Trump, said Sanderoff, president of the Albuquerque-based firm Research and Polling Inc. “It’s really no surprise, given President Trump’s popularity in the district.”

The Republican nominee will face off against Democratic incumbent Xochitl Torres Small in November.

The 2nd Congressional District includes part of Roosevelt County.

Loyalty to the president became an issue shortly after Breitbart published a story about negative comments Chase made about Trump in the months leading up to the 2016 election, including calling the future president an “a**hole unworthy of the office.” Herrell’s campaign has been reminding voters of the comments in recently launched ads, labeling Chase as “Never Trump.”

Chase’s campaign has run ads claiming Herrell undermined Trump’s campaign and stood against the president. Her campaign has cited Herrell’s attendance at a legislative conference in 2015 in which attendees were asked about supporting Trump, and no one indicated support. The campaign has also pointed out comments made by Herrell on a radio talk show expressing frustration about a lack of leadership under a Republican-controlled Congress during the first years of the Trump administration.

“It’s gotta be tough being exposed as a fraud,” Chase’s campaign manager, Mike Berg, said in a statement to the Albuquerque Journal. “Yvette Herrell is attacking Claire because her weak candidacy, and lies about supporting President Trump are finally being exposed. It’s no surprise, given her record as a career politician who voted for massive tax hikes then used taxpayer funds to line her own pocket and take lavish vacations.”

But Herrell said she supported President Trump since the beginning, “which is why the president’s top allies, like Mark Meadows, Jim Jordan and Mike Huckabee, have endorsed me.”

“I am staying focused on the issues that matter to the people of New Mexico’s Second District such as the critically important energy and ag industries, as well as safely reopening our economy so our small businesses and rural communities can survive,” she said in a statement.

Sanderoff wonders whether the two candidates are missing an opportunity to attack Torres Small or highlight the president’s policies because they are focusing on each other.

He said the third Republican candidate in the field — Las Cruces businessman Chris Mathys — might also benefit from the other candidates’ attacks on each other. But Sanderoff still considers Mathys a long shot, “based on the money he’s raised.”

As for Mathys, he has harsher words for Herrell than for Chase.

“Yvette started the ‘I am a bigger Trump supporter than my opponents’ instead of focusing on the issues,” he said. “At least Claire has been upfront about her support for Sen. Rubio in the Republican primary. Let me be clear — all three of us will support President Trump’s agenda.”

Sanderoff said the negative primary campaign could affect the general election. But he doesn’t believe the tone of the primary is unusual for what looks to be a competitive race for a congressional seat.

 
 
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