Small globs of BP oil money have washed ashore the metaphorical New Mexico political beach in recent years.

The giant oil company, owner of the deep-water well spreading crude oil in the Gulf of Mexico, has spread a little campaign cash among New Mexico politicians from both major political parties, from the halls of Congress to the state Legislature.

Like other oil companies, BP spends most of its campaign contributions "on politicians from oil-producing states or on big fish," said Dave Levinthal, spokesman for the Washington, D.C-based Center for Responsive Politics, a watchdog group for federal campaign money.

"If you give $1,000 or $2,000 to a candidate, that's not going to go too far in influencing a senator or congressman's vote," Levinthal said in an interview Monday. "But it helps build a relationship if you give year in and year out. It's harder to slam the door in their faces."

New Mexico has had some big fish in Congress. Levinthal pointed out that former U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici, a Republican, is in the Top 20 of all BP campaign fund recipients. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, between the 1990 election (when the group began collecting data) and 2008, the year he left office, Domenici received more than $20,000 from BP and its executives.

U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, a Democrat, has received $14,000 from BP from 1994 through this year. Bingaman serves as chairman of the Senate Energy & Natural Resource Committee, which formerly was chaired by Domenici.

Other members of the New Mexico delegation, past and present, also have received BP contributions. Former U.S. Rep Steve Pearce, a Hobbs Republican, received $10,000, while former Rep. Heather Wilson, an Albuquerque Republican, received $9,500 from the company. U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, a Democrat, has received $1,000 from BP.

Of the House members from the state, all of whom are Democrats, Ben Ray Luján of Santa Fe and Martin Heinrich of Albuquerque have received $1,000 each from BP, while Harry Teague of Hobbs has received $2,000. Teague is facing Pearce in the upcoming general election. Though the company has been generous with Pearce in the past, this year BP has contributed to incumbent Teague but not to Pearce.

BP contributed $1,000 to Gov. Bill Richardson's presidential campaign in 2008 and another $1,250 to Richardson's congressional races in the 1990s.

BP money also has showed up, in smaller amounts, in state races. Richardson got $2,000 from the company in his 2002 gubernatorial campaign, which was about half of what BP spent in the state that year.

According to the National Institute of Money in State Politics, oil and gas interests are one of the biggest players in New Mexico politics at the state level. Nearly 11 percent of the campaign contributions to state campaigns in the last election were from oil and gas — although multinational producers represent only about 1 percent of the total.

BP isn't as big a player in New Mexico politics as other major oil companies. In the 2008 election cycle, when BP spent less than $6,000 for New Mexico campaigns, Conoco-Phillips and its executives contributed more than $75,000 to New Mexico politicians running for state offices. Chevron spent more than $48,000, and Occidental spent nearly $17,000 in 2008.

Although New Mexico's campaign finance laws allow unlimited campaign contributions, BP has not handed out big sums to New Mexico candidates.

Four candidates for state offices have received $1,000 contributions from BP. These are Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, a Democrat, and State Land Commissioner Pat Lyons, a Republican. Both of these contributions were made in the 2006 election cycle when both Denish and Lyons were running for re-election. Lyons also got $500 from BP in 2002. In 1998, BP contributed $1,000 to Republican Gary Johnson's re-election.

Former state Sen. Diane Snyder, R-Albuquerque, received two BP contributions totaling $1,000 between 2004 and 2008, when Snyder was defeated for re-election.

Most of BP's contributions to legislative candidates are in the $250 to $500 range.

Very little BP money has shown up in Northern New Mexico races. Before he became House speaker, state Rep. Ben Luján, D-Nambé, got $400 from the company in 2000, while former Sen. Roman Maes, D-Santa Fe, received $300 that year. Rep. Debbie Rodella, D-Española, received $250 in her 2006 re-election campaign.

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