Adrian Hedden
El Rito Media
achedden@currentargus.com

Nella Domenici attacked Martin Heinrich as an “extreme, radical progressive” during their Monday night debate in Albuquerque and Heinrich fired back, dismissing Domenici as a multimillionaire who’s out of touch with New Mexico’s needs.

With the Nov. 5 general election just three weeks away, the first televised debate in the U.S. Senate race pitting Democratic incumbent Heinrich against Republican nominee Domenici was hosted by TV station KOAT, radio station KKOB and the Albuquerque Journal.

The candidates are scheduled for another debate later this month sponsored by the Congregation Albert Brotherhood.

Heinrich is serving his second six-year term in the Senate after previously serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and as a member of the Albuquerque City Council. Domenici, daughter of the late Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM), is a businesswoman making her first run for elective office.

The hour-long debate saw moderators grill the candidates with questions touching on a wide range of issues, including public safety, immigration, crime, and energy. On abortion, Heinrich said the recent Supreme Court decision to allow states to ban abortion put the nation in “chaos” while Domenici said the issue could be addressed by preventing unplanned pregnancies.

Heinrich and Domenici were given 90 seconds each for opening statements and 90 seconds to answer each question, with 30 seconds for rebuttals when moderators deemed a personal attack was made.

Heinrich touted his record on sponsoring legislation to increase funds for border security technology, along with investments he secured for local law enforcement agencies as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Domenici said she supported building a wall at the U.S. southern border and that stronger prevention was needed to stop fentanyl and other deadly drugs from “pouring into our country.”

Domenici was given the first word and said New Mexico “was in crisis,” partially blaming Heinrich’s more than 20 years in public office. She said the state was No. 1 in crime and No. 1 in doctors leaving New Mexico. She said the state was No. 49 in child well-being.

“That’s your report card. That’s an F,” Domenici said as she turned toward her opponent during the opening remarks. “Martin is a radical progressive. New Mexico needs a new leader; it needs an independent leader like me.”

Heinrich said his father was a lineman, and that he knows well the “struggles working class families face.” He touted his work in the Senate to lower prescription drug prices and also to preserve the right to vote, the right to clean air and water, and the right “for kids to feel safe” in school.

He criticized Domenici, the former chief financial officer at investment firm Bridgewater Associates, for not being transparent on key issues and for being out of touch with New Mexicans.

“Meanwhile, my opponent, a multimillionaire, believes she can buy this election,” Heinrich said. “We know next to nothing about some of the most important issues and where she stands on them.”

In response to a question on how the Senate can address rising consumer prices, Heinrich said inflation worsened during the COVID-19 health crisis that began in 2020 but has declined steadily thanks to policies such as the Inflation Reduction Act that he supported in Congress.

“We’ve been able to manage inflation back down,” Heinrich said.

But Domenici blamed high prices on what she called “excessive spending” by Democrats and the Biden administration. She said the economy was also impacted because “we have not leveraged our oil and gas resources.”

New Mexico is second in the U.S. in oil production, behind only Permian Basin neighbor Texas. The Permian Basin is the nation’s busiest oilfield.

Domenici said Heinrich wants to derail the industry that the Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico says brought the state about $15 billion in revenue over the last year.

“Martin Heinrich is the biggest threat we have to the oil and gas industry in this state. He wants to destroy the oil and gas industry in our state,” Domenici said. “Everyone wants diversity, but we should have a robust oil and gas industry, not just supporting our jobs and education but also America’s goal of being the leader of the free world.”

Heinrich argued that the Permian Basin and New Mexico’s oil and gas industry continued to see “record production” even with more stringent environmental regulations recently enacted at the state and federal levels. He said New Mexico and the U.S. should embrace renewable energy while also increasing transmission developments to bring more of that power to market.

All of this creates more jobs, Heinrich said, and can work alongside fossil fuels while insulating the economy from future declines in oil and gas prices.

“It is not exactly a burden to drill for oil and gas in New Mexico,” Heinrich said. “That is why we have record production levels. I am committed to make decisions that are consistent with our climate.”

Domenici confirmed during the debate that she planned to vote for former-President Donald Trump in the upcoming election, after frequently declining to endorse the GOP nominee since the race began. Heinrich endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris after President Joe Biden opted to not seek a second term earlier this year.

Adrian Hedden can be reached at 734-972-6855, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on the social media platform X.