ALBUQUERQUE — The upcoming departure of U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman from Congress will leave a void of seniority in the congressional delegation and likely a pack of people who want to be the next U.S. senator from New Mexico.

It had no sooner become public Friday that Bingaman in 2012 will not seek a sixth term in the Senate, when the National Republican Senatorial Committee set its sights on the seat, which Democrat Bingaman will have held for 30 years when he retires.

"Like the earlier retirements in North Dakota and Virginia, Senator Bingaman's decision immediately presents another strong pickup opportunity for Senate Republicans," committee Communications Director Brian Walsh said in a statement. Bingaman is one of four incumbent Democrats who has said he won't seek re-election to the Senate.

The speculation immediately began that former U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson will go for the seat. Wilson in January told Roll Call, a Washington D.C publication that covers Congress, that she is considering the Senate, as well as other opportunities. Wilson on Friday declined to comment on her plans.

"This is Senator Bingaman's day. He has served the state for many years and deserves as much," she said in an e-mail.

Meanwhile, Democrats by the dozens sent statements honoring Bingaman and his work. None announced to be seeking the spot.

Democrats "have an incredibly strong bench of candidates to draw from," said party Chairman Javier Gonzales.

Top among those names is former Lt. Gov. Diane Denish. She told The Associated Press she was giving "strong consideration" to running for the post but had no timetable. Denish lost to Susana Martinez in the governor's race last year.

What all that means for New Mexico is another hot congressional race, just three years after U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici retired. It comes at a time when Republicans are hoping to take over the Senate from the Democrats, who barely hung on to power there after last year's election.

And, coupled with Domenici's departure, Bingaman's retirement will represent a loss of seniority for New Mexico in Congress, an institution where time served means clout. Only eight senators have been there longer than Bingaman, who took office in the middle of President Ronald Reagan's first term.

Bingaman, 67, is known as a low-key, behind-the-scenes, moderate Democrat. In his early years in Washington, an Albuquerque-based news magazine ran a photo of him on the cover coupled with the caption, "The Most Boring Man in the U.S. Senate."

He is chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. He also helped craft the giant health care bill of 2009.

For Bingaman, the decision means he'll get through the next 22 months on the job, then move to Santa Fe and figure out exactly what it is he'd like to do in retirement.

'The right time'

Bingaman at a news conference seemed upbeat about the decision, saying it was the right time and that he had given the work his best effort.

In the quiet before the news conference at the Andaluz Hotel downtown, he joked, "It sounds like a wake around here."

Bingaman didn't give a specific reason for wanting to leave Congress, beyond saying it seemed like right time.

"At some point in any one of these jobs, you come to a point where you think you've made your best effort and it's time to move on and allow someone else to serve, and that's the point I've arrived at."

Still, the decision was as tough as the one he made in the early 1980s, when he chose to run for Congress after four years as the state attorney general.

"It's not easy to get elected to the Senate. It's obviously not easy to make the decision to leave the Senate," he said.

When asked what his biggest accomplishment in office was, Bingaman demurred.

"I would like to get further into this final Congress, see what we are able to do and give you a full accounting at that point," he said.

Looking back at his votes over the years, Bingaman described some as fairly contentious and not always the popular thing to do.

"When I voted against us going into the Iraq War, I think that wasn't necessarily a popular vote at that time. Twenty-three of us in the Senate voted not to authorize the president to start that war. I think that was the right vote, but it was not a popular vote."

When asked what votes he would have cast different, Bingaman said he needed some time to think about that.

"I don't want to say for sure on that yet."

Let the buzz begin

Before Bingaman even made his announcement, New Mexico reporters' e-mail inboxes began to fill with statements from political figures from both major parties — from the president of the United States to local leaders — praising Bingaman.

And by Friday evening, one New Mexican employee reported, someone was conducting an automated phone survey asking opinions about potential Democratic candidates.

President Barack Obama, in a statement, said, "From his time in the Army, to his service as New Mexico's attorney general and senior senator, Jeff Bingaman has served this country and the people of New Mexico for more than three decades. He has been a tireless advocate for preserving America's natural resources and promoting a clean energy future. Jeff has gained the respect of his colleagues on both sides of the aisle, in New Mexico and in Washington, and his voice on the floor of the Senate will be missed. Michelle and I offer Jeff our best wishes and deepest appreciation for his lifetime of service."

Bingaman is a popular politician in the state. A recent poll of state voters by the North Carolina-based Public Policy Polling firm showed Bingaman handily beating several possible Republican challengers, including Wilson — although the polling sample included a higher percentage of Democrats than actual state-registration figures reflect.

Two relatively unknown Republicans — Las Cruces businessman Greg Sowards and Bill English of Alamogordo — have already announced they are running for the seat.

It's a sure bet that the national parties will get involved in their respective Senate primaries in New Mexico. In 2007, the national Democrats convinced Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chávez to drop his bid against then U.S. Rep. Tom Udall.

U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce — who defeated Wilson in the 2008 senatorial primary, but went on to lose the general election to Udall — is mentioned by some as a possible contender. But Pearce, who last year won back his seat in the House of Representatives, might not want to give up his probably-safe position again.

"Last I spoke with Congressman Pearce, he was intently focused on his priority of serving the people of New Mexico's second district," a spokesman said Friday.

Although Martinez has received much national attention since her victory last November — with some calling her a rising Republican star — a spokesman on Friday answered, "No," when asked whether Martinez is considering the race. "The governor is focused on turning New Mexico around and has no interest in running," Scott Darnell said.

Former Gov. Gary Johnson, who according to the PPP poll would have been the strongest GOP candidate against Bingaman, said Friday, "No, I am not going to run for Bingaman's seat."

The Democrats have two New Mexico congressmen, both first elected in 2008. Rep. Ben Ray Luján of Santa Fe, through a spokesman, said Friday, "My focus at this time is on representing the people in my district." Attempts to reach Rep. Martin Heinrich on Friday for comments were unsuccessful.

Another possibility is former Gov. Bill Richardson. Despite low poll numbers in the past two years — and the fact that Republicans would be guaranteed to raise the pay-to-play allegations that plagued his second term — Richardson, a former congressman and congressional staffer, is the best-known Democrat in the state. He's a proven fundraiser and an effective campaigner. Asked for comment, a spokeswoman said Friday, "The governor is traveling and unreachable."

The Hill, a Washington-based publication, reported Friday that former Bingaman aide Terry Brunner is considering running for the seat. Brunner is state rural-development director at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

State Auditor Hector Balderas was the first politician on Friday to release a statement praising Bingaman. But an attempt to get a comment as to whether or not Balderas is considering running for Senate was unsuccessful.

For his part, Bingaman gave no hint as to who he might endorse for his seat, if anyone.

"Obviously we've got a lot of capable people in public office today and I think there will be no shortage of people interested in pursuing the job," Bingaman said.

As for his seat remaining in the Democratic column, Bingaman said he'll do all he can to help. That also includes aiding President Obama as he campaigns in the 2012 election.

"I think the Ds will hang on to my seat and I'm going to do all I can, of course, to ensure that this remains a Democratic seat," he said.

Carrying on

Bingaman, who was joined by his wife and son at the news conference, said he has no concrete plans for his days after the Senate, except that he will move to the home he has in Santa Fe.

"I'm not sure what we're going to do. I'm not counting anything in or ruling anything out. I'm hoping to find other challenges to pursue but I haven't settled in on what they are yet," he said.

As for the congressional delegation of which he is the senior member, Bingaman said he's not worried about how New Mexico will fare without him. He said U.S. Sen. Tom Udall has seniority from his time in the House and the administration is committed to key New Mexico items like its national labs.

"I think we have a very capable congressional delegation and I'm confident they can carry on," he said.

Contact Kate Nash at 986-3036 or knash@sfnewmexican.com. Contact Steve Terrell at 986-3037 or sterrell@sfnewmexican.com.