Patsy Madrid has conceded to Heather Wilson.

Patsy Madrid conceded NM 1 to leather Heather today...she wasn't that great a choice, but I voted for her and called for her, because Heather Wilson is just too patently an enthusiastic Bushevik. She headed the sub-committee that wrote the retroactive dispensation against war crimes and other Bushevik misdemeanors into the Military Commissions Act, iirc.

The margin was fewer than 900 votes, out of 215,000 cast. Madrid was entitled to call for a recount but declined. Which was a lot closer than I thought it would be.

I was realllllly hoping Heather'd go down. She's Papa Pete Domenici's heir apparent. I call her his laptop, though I don't think Pete gets excited unless he's despoiling virgin territories; and Heather's highly developed in that way, I'm thinkin'.

Pete still says he's gonna run again in '08. But I don't think his health's gonna permit it.

In a state-wide race, she'd win big down south (NM 2); as it looks now, she'd tie in her own district (NM 1), and she'd lose--who knows how big?--in the north (NM 3)...

If Pete does retire, I wonder if mebbe Tom Udall (NM 3) would challenge Heather...he's got as safe a seat as one can have, so I dunno if he'd risk it...He'd have built-in name recognition. But he's a DLC Dem, iirc. His environmental reputation is safe; but funnily enough, one doesn't know that much about him: a low-profile guy.

And that's the first foray on New Mexico political punditry to float out on The Pond.