With speculation continuing over the possibility of Democratic heavyweights jumping into the U.S. Senate primary, Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chávez — who has announced he's running for the seat held by the outgoing Sen. Pete Domenici — has lined up some top money-raisers associated with some of those rumored rivals.

Chávez, in a news release sent this week, said his Finance Committee will include Ed Romero, a former ambassador to Spain; Jamie Koch, a former state Democratic Party chairman; and racetrack owner Paul Blanchard. A spokesman for Chávez's campaign said Friday that Johnny Cope, a Hobbs businessman and state highway commissioner, also will be a member of the committee.

Romero, who appeared at Chávez's announcement this month, is a longtime supporter of Gov. Bill Richardson.

Koch, who was party chairman the year Richardson was elected, was the business partner of Lt. Gov. Diane Denish's late father, Jack Daniels. He currently is on the committee Denish organized for a 2010 gubernatorial campaign.

Blanchard has been one of Richardson's biggest contributors in his gubernatorial campaigns and serves on the finance committee for Richardson's presidential campaign.

Cope is a longtime Richardson supporter and Denish's high-school friend.

There has been much speculation over both Richardson and Denish jumping into the Senate race. Richardson has repeatedly denied he will run for Senate even if his presidential campaign falters. Chávez has said Richardson has assured him he won't run for Senate. "I talked to the governor yesterday and all is well," Chávez told a reporter Friday.

Denish, at a news conference Thursday, said she would be making an announcement of her plans "sometime in the future."

Koch on Friday said he didn't talk to Denish about him joining the Chávez campaign. He also said he doesn't know her intentions about the Senate seat. Asked what would happen if Denish got onto the Senate race, Koch said, "I'd be helping Marty. In politics, when you make a commitment, you have to honor it."

Meanwhile, one person who was listed as a member of Chávez's finance team, former Santa Fe County Commissioner Javier Gonzales, said his name should not have been listed on the news release.

Chávez "called me a couple of days ago. I told him I'd help him raise money. I help a lot of Democrats raise money. I guess it was a misunderstanding," Gonzales said.

Chávez confirmed Gonzales had told him he couldn't serve on the Chávez finance team.

Gonzales said because of his work as a consultant for a variety of national companies, he isn't comfortable being an official part of anyone's campaign.

Among the other Democrats Gonzales has helped is Santa Fe developer Don Wiviott, who also is running for Domenici's seat. In September, Gonzales contributed $250 to Wiviott's campaign.

"I'll continue to help Marty and Don Wiviott," he said. "They're both good candidates."

Contact Steve Terrell at 986-3037 or sterrell@sfnewmexican.com.