Oct. 14 – Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich and his Republican challenger, Nella Domenici, clashed over several policy issues Monday in their first televised debate – giving viewers a firsthand look at what is one of the most controversial races in New Mexico has become.
Heinrich, who is seeking a third term, highlighted his efforts to expand health care for veterans, lower prescription drug costs and protect public lands, while criticizing Domenici for what he characterized as her lack of transparency on issues important to voters.
Domenici, meanwhile, described Heinrich as a “radical progressive” who failed New Mexico during his two decades in public office.
“Having grown up the son of a lineman and a factory worker, I know firsthand the issues facing working families. the right to vote, the right to clean air and clean water and the right for our children to simply feel safe at school,” Heinrich said.
“My opponent, a multimillionaire hedge fund manager who has lived on the East Coast for most of the last fifty years, believes she can buy this election with the support of extreme Republicans who want to take away those same rights and freedoms,” he added. .
Although Domenici “has a last name that’s very well known in New Mexico,” Heinrich said, referring to his opponent’s late father, former U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici, “we know next to nothing about some of the key issues and where they stands. them.”
Nella Domenici noted that Heinrich “has been a leader in this state for twenty years” and began investigating his “report.”
“New Mexico is No. 1 in crime, No. 1 in drug use and No. 1 in doctors leaving our state. New Mexico is at the bottom in education, at the bottom in economic development and at the bottom in child well-being,” she said. “US News and World Report, when looking at states holistically, rank us at number 49 – again at the bottom. Martin, that’s your report, and that’s an F.”
Domenici said the state needs an independent leader, not a politician “owned by radical progressive thinking.”
“I want to remind you that I am a Domenici, and Domenici has always put New Mexico first,” she said.
The one-hour debate, pre-recorded and broadcast on KOAT-TV, touched on a variety of topics, from inflation and gun violence to school vouchers and fracking.
But it was abortion rights and border security — issues that Heinrich and Domenici, respectively, have made cornerstones of their campaigns — that sparked the most lively exchanges.
When asked if she would support a bill that would guarantee abortion rights nationally, Domenici reiterated that she would not support a federal ban on abortion.
“I will aggressively focus on unintended pregnancies, birth prevention and pregnancy prevention,” she said.
Heinrich called her response a “non-answer.”
“I can’t tell you what’s going on in my opponent’s mind, but I can tell you the practical impact of electing her to the United States Senate,” he said. “If she is elected to the Senate from New Mexico, Republicans will have the majority, and the first vote she will cast will be a vote for Senate Majority Leader. forcefully push for a national abortion ban.”
Domenici accused Heinrich of making “the most sexist comment” ever made by a U.S. senator.
“If Martin Heinrich thinks I’m a weak woman who takes orders from a man and doesn’t stick to my own values, that’s a sexist, insulting, demeaning comment, and all women who hear that in this state should. angry,” she said. “I know it’s thousands because I heard it loud and clear from them.”
Near the end of the debate, Heinrich put Domenici on the spot and asked whether or not she would support Donald Trump for president in 2024 — a question she dodged.
“I’m going to vote for our nominee,” she said. “The last four years under his leadership have been much, much better than the last four years” under Biden.
The two candidates agreed on little, although bipartisanship was an exception.
“I had a great role model; I had a great teacher,” Domenici said, referring to her father, who built a reputation for working across the aisle during his tenure as New Mexico’s longest-serving U.S. senator.
Heinrich said he has already proven he can work with Republicans.
“Bipartisanship is the way you get things done in Washington, DC, and I have the relationships and track record to prove it,” he said.
Domenici, however, disputed Heinrich’s claim.
“Martin Heinrich is an extreme, radical progressive,” she said. “His footprint in Washington is not the footprint of someone who is moderate, who is bipartisan, who thinks common sense.”
Asked about immigration and whether they would support continued construction of a wall along the US-Mexico border, as well as other security measures, Domenici said “absolutely,” calling the situation at the border a “major crisis.”
“Martin Heinrich specifically had 20 votes in 16 years against securing our border, against making sure that drugs, criminals and weapons don’t come through that border,” she said.
Heinrich called them ‘political show votes’.
“We had a bipartisan border security solution negotiated by one of the most conservative members of the Senate Republican caucus, and everyone in the middle lined up to support that solution,” he said. “Donald Trump canceled that deal. He killed that deal because he wanted a problem, not a solution.”
In response, Domenici said Heinrich failed to mention that five Democrats voted against that bill.
“He also failed to mention that that bill would allow 1.85 million illegal immigrants to flow into our country – a form of amnesty that would set a terrible precedent for people around the world to try to enter this country. she said.
However, Heinrich said it was “by far the tightest, most conservative border security agreement” proposed in the last 25 years.
“It only fell apart because Donald Trump didn’t want success under the Biden administration’s watch,” he said.
In their closing statements, Domenici said New Mexico needs new leadership.
“Our state is failing,” she said. “His report card is an F, and we all live by that report card every day.”
Heinrich said the election is about more than just policy differences.
“My opponent talks a lot about the need for change, but she won’t even tell you where she stands on some of the most critical issues,” he said. “She won’t even tell you what she would do regarding the nation’s right to abortion.”
The friction between the two candidates was visible before the debate even started.
Just after 5 a.m., Heinrich made a joke to Domenici on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“My preparation for the debate starts with breakfast,” said a message on Heinrich’s personal account with photos of elk carne adovada on two eggs and a tortilla.
“What do you think New York Nella starts her day with…eggs and caviar?…maybe a crepe?” wrote Heinrich, whose campaign described Domenici as an “out-of-touch” multimillionaire who has spent little time in New Mexico over the past half-century.
Voter registration records show Domenici has been registered to vote in New Mexico since 2019, while Heinrich has been registered to vote in the state since 1996.
Republicans have called Heinrich a hypocrite for mentioning Domenici, a new third-generation Mexican who claims Heinrich is the real carpetbagger.
Heinrich, who moved to New Mexico after college, has been branded “Maryland Marty” by his detractors. Although he lives in Albuquerque, Heinrich previously owned a home in Maryland. He now has a residence in Washington, DC, which he can use during the Senate session.
Follow Daniel J. Chacón on Twitter @danieljchacon.
