Adams: Long-shot campaign targets rival Wiviott

Steve Terrell | The New Mexican

5/18/2008 - 5/19/08

The subject line of the e-mail sounded interesting: "Wiviott Pledges Not To Take PAC Money, Then Takes PAC Money."

The time stamp of the e-mail was even more interesting: 4:30 a.m.

The message was from Jon Adams, a Santa Fe lawyer who is competing with Wiviott in the Democratic primary. True, there are four other candidates in that 3rd Congressional District primary, but Adams' long-shot campaign seems to be directed solely at Wiviott.

The e-mail said even though Wiviott pledged not to take any money from political action committees, a search of the campaign watchdog Web site OpenSecrets.org showed Wiviott had taken a $50 PAC contribution.

"While the amount is small, $50, it's the principal that matters," Adams wrote. "If you say you aren't going to take PAC money, don't take PAC money."

But searching Wiviott's campaign finance reports on the Federal Election Commission Web site, it turns out the $50 — made to Wiviott's Senate campaign before he switched to running for Congress — was from Greg Solano's lieutenant governor campaign. Wiviott's pledge, as stated on his Web site, is not to take contributions from corporate PACs.

When asked about this in a recent interview, Adams said, "Well, I guess you're a better investigator than me."

Born in Chicago in 1974, his family moved to Los Alamos when Adams was 2 years old. "My first memories are there, " he said in an interview late last year after announcing his 3rd Congressional District candidacy.

After earning his law degree, Adams worked for the Attorney General's Office during the last two years of Patricia Madrid's administration.

He said his proudest case was against a construction company that hadn't paid two workers in six months. "I got an order barring them from doing business with the state," he said in a recent interview.

Before he started his current campaign, Adams was running for the 1st Congressional District seat in Albuquerque.

Adams said he moved to Santa Fe from Albuquerque in November, renting an apartment here on the day that U.S. Rep. Tom Udall announced he would seek the U.S. Senate seat now held by retiring U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici.

He moved his law practice here also, saying his living room is his law office.

The 3rd Congressional District is "my true home," Adams said in a recent interview.

Why the switch? Adams said the Democratic Party's state Central Committee members "seem to want Martin Heinrich" for the Albuquerque seat. Heinrich, a former Albuquerque city councilor, is facing several Democratic primary opponents for the seat now held by U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson, who also is running for Domenici's Senate seat.

One of those other candidates is former Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron. Adams was Vigil-Giron's lawyer in a recent court case in which an opponent sought to get Vigil-Giron thrown off the primary ballot. Adams was successful in keeping her on the ballot.

Adams said Vigil-Giron probably hired him because she was familiar with his work. When he worked for the Attorney General's Office, one of his duties was representing the Secretary of State's Office.

But Adams also had some recent experience in a similar court case — his own effort to get Wiviott thrown off the ballot. A state district judge ruled Adams failed to prove his claim that more than half of Wiviott's nominating petition signatures were invalid.

When Adams first began running in this district, he was somewhat critical of another candidate, Public Regulation Commissioner Ben Ray Luján.

Referring to Lujan's father, House Speaker Ben Luján, Adams said in December, "I have heard that the speaker will throw his weight around to get Ben Ray Luján the nomination. But I haven't seen it that much." Adams predicted "there could be a backlash against Ben Ray Luján."

But in the weeks that followed, Adams began devoting virtually all of his barbs against Wiviott. He sued to keep Wiviott off the ballot then blasted Wiviott for filing a motion to dismiss. "Moreover, he knows I am out of town visiting my mother who is waiting for a heart transplant, and for him to file this surprise motion with more false and misleading accusations at this time really shows a lack of regard for human decency," Adams wrote in an early March news release.

When Wiviott held campaign events that involved food, Adams lambasted the events as "bribery dinners."

Meanwhile, any criticism of Luján from Adams evaporated. At a candidate forum for the local chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees in April, Adams told the union, "I think there are two candidates in this race who would be really, really good for labor. I think myself and Ben Ray Luján have done the most for labor issues."

The union, later that night, endorsed Luján.

Adams denied having any deal or understanding with Luján to focus his attacks on Wiviott, who is the only other Anglo in the race. "There's no agreement, no conspiracy," he said.

Adams acknowledged he and his primary opponents have similar stances on most issues.

"It's really about who do you trust," he said.

JON ADAMS

Age: 33

Education: Bachelor of Law, Columbia University

Career experience: Practiced law, two years with state attorney general, four years with a private practice.

Political experience: Worked for Democratic congressional candidates including Tom Udall and Richard Romero.

Personal: Single, no children

Arrests: None

Web site: www.jonadamsforcongress.com