ALBUQUERQUE — A bumper sticker that reads "For Pete's Sake, Vote Pearce for Senate" has been spotted in Albuquerque. Steve Pearce's opponent, Heather Wilson, invokes U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici's name in news releases and interviews.

The longtime New Mexico senator's presence is keenly felt by the two Republican representatives who hope to succeed him, despite the absence of an endorsement or even much comment from the man who has held the seat since 1973.

Political observers say that, should it be forthcoming, a Domenici endorsement prior to the June 3 primary would give a powerful boost to its recipient. The Republican winner will face off with New Mexico's third congressman, Democrat Tom Udall, who is running unopposed in the primary.

"If ever there were a time when an endorsement would be helpful, it's here," longtime political observer Brian Sanderoff said.

Though Domenici's approval ratings slipped following a scandal involving former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias, they rebounded after he announced his retirement last October, Sanderoff said.

But if there's a Domenici endorsement in the works, no one's talking about it. Domenici spokesman Chris Gallegos declined to comment on the senator's views about the race.

Wilson was first tapped to run for Congress by Domenici and was mentored by him in Washington. But she has been tight-lipped about whether she thinks he will endorse her in the primary race.

"I have talked to Senator Domenici about this race. My conversations with him are private and will remain so," she said. "The decision to publicly endorse a candidate in this race is up to him."

Pearce spokesman Brian Phillips said the campaign had contacted Domenici about whether he would support Pearce, "and he said at that time he wasn't going to make a decision."

"I'm sure Steve Pearce would be perfectly happy if Pete Domenici would just stay out of it," Sanderoff said. "I doubt if he thinks he can get the endorsement, so the best he can do is encourage Pete Domenici to stay out of it."

Even with the lack of an endorsement, Domenici has played a role in the race.

At a recent debate in Los Alamos, home to Los Alamos National Laboratory, lab workers compared the candidates to the retiring senator.

Bart Torres, a Pearce supporter, said he doesn't think Wilson, who serves on the House committees dealing with Energy and Commerce and Intelligence, has done enough for the nuclear weapons lab. The lab is in Udall's congressional district.

"She's been good, but she hasn't been any Pete Domenici," Torres said. "Pete has been specifically involved in just about everything. You can see his footprint all over everything that's happened, specifically at Los Alamos."

But two Wilson supporters disagreed, saying Wilson is smart enough to eventually bring in projects for the lab as a senator. "I think she's going to be a very good replacement for Pete Domenici, who's done very good work here," said Virginia Simmonds, 73, whose husband, Dennis, is a retired computer programmer at the lab.

Bill Naegele of Albuquerque, a Pearce supporter who made the "For Pete's Sake ..." bumper sticker, said his chosen phrase seemed like a "natural."

Pearce "was following in Domenici's footsteps more than Wilson was," Naegele said. "She went so much to the left, I'm just not sure where she's going to end up. He's the more conservative in the race."

For the record, Pearce's spokesman called the bumper sticker "hysterical."

The candidates themselves also have invoked Domenici's name from time to time. Probably the most stark example was a news release sent out by Wilson's campaign last month titled "Pearce Launches Attack on Heather Wilson and Pete Domenici."

The release was in response to a Pearce television advertisement that showed his opposition to the State Children's Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP, which he thinks is socialized medicine. Wilson supported the bill, but the ad did not mention her or Domenici.

Wilson said Domenici also worked to pass an improved so-called SCHIP bill last year.

"What bothers me most as a loyal Republican is that Congressman Pearce isn't just attacking me in his first advertisement. He's launched his campaign with an ad criticizing Senator Pete Domenici as well," she said.

The Pearce campaign criticized Wilson for getting into the Senate race shortly after Domenici announced his retirement, rather than waiting, as Pearce did, Phillips said. Pearce's formal announcement came a month after Domenici announced his retirement.

"Pearce said we were going to give Domenici his due and give people time to reflect on his retirement. We were very deferential to Pete Domenici," Phillips said.

For his part, Domenici has kept virtually silent on the Republican primary, except for a conference call with journalists last month in which he said he does not think the primary battle is good for the state Republican Party.

"It's not the greatest thing when you have a party that is in the minority that has to have a primary and spend all their resources in the primary, meaning the general (election) will be less well-funded," Domenici said. "Those problems were both well-known by the candidates. They chose to do it anyway. And they're now involved in the middle of a real fight."