ALBUQUERQUE — Former Albuquerque City Councilor Martin Heinrich will face Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White in New Mexico's 1st Congressional District, a race that's expected to draw intense attention from the national parties.

Heinrich garnered 43 percent of the vote to defeat three opponents and take the Democratic nomination in the Albuquerque-based district, while White took 82 percent of the vote against his opponent in the Republican primary.

Heinrich stepped up to the podium Tuesday night and told supporters, "We did it."

White declared to his supporters, "I'm ready to shake Washington up."

The Democrats will battle in the Nov. 4 general election to try to wrest the seat from the control of Republicans, who have held the 1st District for 40 years.

Heinrich kept a comfortable lead all evening. With 94 percent of precincts reporting late Tuesday, his closest opponent, former Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron, trailed with 24 percent of the votes. Former Health Secretary Michelle Lujan Grisham was a close third at just over 23 percent, trailed by Albuquerque attorney Robert Pidcock.

"America is only as strong as its middle class," Heinrich said in a brief victory speech.

The nation needs "to make health care work for people, not profits," and must focus on energy independence, he said.

Heinrich spoke of central New Mexico's unique qualities, particularly its preservation of different cultures and open space. He said the 1st District also leads the nation in green building initiatives, which he said translates into jobs.

"If we can make our buildings green ... if we can raise our minimum wage, we can do this across the nation," he said. "We stand on the edge of tomorrow."

One of those voting for Heinrich was Paul Jaramillo, 43, who said he based his vote on the need for change at the local and national level.

"He's a fresh face. He represents change, and that's important," Jaramillo said.

Gov. Bill Richardson named Heinrich, then president of the Albuquerque City Council, as state natural resources trustee in February 2006. Heinrich took an unpaid leave in April 2007 to ponder the 1st District race, then announced his candidacy the next month, before incumbent Republican Heather Wilson decided to run for U.S. Senate rather than seek re-election.

Heinrich owned a public affairs consulting business before becoming trustee.

He was the big spender in the primary, spending more than his three Democratic opponents combined, according to the FEC. His expenditures of nearly $528,000 by mid-May compared to nearly $219,000 for Lujan Grisham, about $33,500 for Pidcock and $15,404 for Vigil-Giron.

White outspent his opponent, state Sen. Joe Carraro, 5-to-1 — $218,236 to $40,820, according to the last reports to the Federal Election Commission before election day.

White, in his victory speech before about 200 supporters, said Americans are tired of excuses.

Washington has not solved the problems of high gas prices, health care and immigration reform, he said.

"We deserve better," he said.

White was Bernalillo County chairman for the Bush-Cheney campaign in 2004 and state chairman last year for Rudy Giuliani's GOP presidential campaign. Nonetheless, he has portrayed himself as an independent voice who would not be afraid to take on his own party when warranted.

He cited his split with former Republican Gov. Gary Johnson, who named White — a former Albuquerque Police Department sergeant — as his secretary of the Department of Public Safety. White later resigned over Johnson's push to legalize drugs, saying the issue was damaging the morale and credibility of officers throughout the state.

White received 85 percent of the votes of the delegates at the state GOP's preprimary nominating convention in March, and the party, in an unusual move, endorsed him. The state's Republican National Committee members asked the national party to treat White as the presumptive nominee because of his overwhelming support at the convention.

Carraro — who made the ballot by filing extra petitions after failing to get enough convention votes — had complained bitterly about the party's endorsement of White and a fundraiser for White last month that featured President Bush.



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