Denish campaign war chest already tops $1 million

By Steve Terrell | The New Mexican

11/6/2007

Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, who is running for governor in 2010, has more than $1 million in her campaign treasury, having raised more than $220,000 between July and the end of September.

This is according to a campaign finance report Denish's political office voluntarily released Tuesday.

Although state law does not require a report to be filed until May, Denish political director Steve Fitzer said Denish believes candidates should have to file reports more frequently. "We're going to do it quarterly," he said.

More frequent campaign finance reports are part of a reform package being recommended by an ethics task force appointed by the governor. The state Legislature is expected to consider several ethics and election-related bills in next year's session.

Denish's only competition so far in the 2010 governor's election is Grant County Democratic chairman Carlos Provencio, 53, of Bayard, who announced last week he would run.

According to the report, Denish's largest contributor in the period covered by Tuesday's report was the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association. The organization gave two contributions totaling $6,500.

Several gave Denish $5,000 checks. One was from Albuquerque insurance examiner Nestor Romero and his wife, Angela. Nestor Romero made news when an October 2005 Legislative Finance Committee audit reported a firm he owned had performed 87 percent of recent insurance examinations and had been paid more than $10 million since 2003.

Another $5,000 Denish contributor was State Investment Council member Paul Blanchard, owner of the Downs of Albuquerque and a major contributor to Gov. Bill Richardson.

Others who gave Denish $5,000 were Rio Rancho real estate man Dick Elkins; Corrales real estate agent Scott Jace Norman; and The Northern Trust Company of Chicago.

Other Denish contributors included Conoco Phillips oil company, $3,000; The Boeing Corp., an aviation company, 3,000; Sutin, Thayer & Brown law firm, $3,000; Presbyterian Health Plan, $2,500; Albuquerque developer Steve Johnson, $2,500; Deputy Secretary of Economic Development Deborah Fleischaker, $2,500; Indian Pueblo Marketing Inc. of Albuquerque, $2,500; rancher A.E. Thomas of Albuquerque, $2,500; Meyners & Co. accounting firm, $2,500; and Merck and Co., a pharmaceutical company, $2,300.