Eli Senna was a big man with a big heart, his friends and family say. Some might call him a "political animal" who loved the strategizing and the grunt work, as well as the friendships and human contact that come out of a campaign.

Senna, 33, died Monday.

His brother-in-law, Sean Lopez, said the cause of death isn't known. "He'd been ill for about a month," Lopez said. Both Lopez and Sisto Abeyta, a longtime friend and fellow activist in the Young Democrats organization, said Monday that Senna had fallen about three weeks ago. "He was worried that there might be internal bleeding," Abeyta said.

"We talked last night and he told me he was afraid he wouldn't make it. He said, 'Pray for me tonight, bro,' " Abeyta said.

Senna was a 1995 graduate of Santa Fe High School and 2000 graduate of The University of New Mexico, where he earned bachelor's degrees in political science and communications.

He ran for office once himself, campaigning in the 2006 Democratic primary for a magistrate's seat. He lost that race to David Segura, who went on to win the general election.

During that election, Senna told The New Mexican he'd first become involved in campaigning at the age of 10 when he volunteered for a state Senate race.

As a UNM student in 1998, he worked for Democrat Phil Maloof's unsuccessful race for Congress, doing "opposition tracking" on Republican Heather Wilson, who won that election.

In Santa Fe, Senna worked on several local campaigns. "The guy was Santa Fe through and through," said Abeyta, who lives in Albuquerque. "To Eli, it was God, the Democratic Party and Santa Fe County — in that order."

County Commissioner Harry Montoya said Monday, "I probably would never have been a county commissioner if it wasn't for Eli Senna. I loved dealing with Eli. He was very meticulous, real intelligent."

City Councilor Rebecca Wurzberger hired Senna as a consultant for her first campaign. "He was so encouraging," she recalled. "He'd make you go the last two hours when you'd been walking door-to-door for eight hours in February. I remember him bringing me cocoa when I was out campaigning. He was such a gentle and kind person. You don't get a lot of that in politics."

The last campaign Senna was working on was that of Santa Fe School Board President Angélica Ruiz, who is running for county commission. "I referred to him as my coach," she said. "I know my coach is still there for me, on a different level."

Councilor Carmichael Dominguez, who also had hired Senna for campaigns, said Monday that Senna was a close friend. "He cared enough about his community to get involved with candidates and policy makers."

Dominguez's unsuccessful 2004 campaign was Senna's most controversial. Senna and the campaign manager for another council candidate put together a series of last-minute attack ads against incumbent city councilors, attributing the ads to an anonymous group without listing a phone number as required by law, or registering as a campaign organization with the city clerk. That prompted the council to tighten its campaign code the next year. In a 2006 interview, Senna told The New Mexican the move was akin to running a trick play at the end of a football game. "I'm a political strategist. Sure, it made some people mad, but (in campaigns), some people will be happy and some won't."

Besides politics, Lopez said Senna's main joy in life were his four young nieces and nephews.

Senna is survived by his parents, Paul and Noami Senna; sister Melissa Lopez and her husband Sean; and sister Margo Gomez and her husband, John Gomez.

Funeral services are pending, Sean Lopez said.

Contact Steve Terrell at 986-3037 or sterrell@sfnewmexican.com. Read his political blog at roundhouseroundup.com.