Tension Rising In New Mexico Congressional Ad Campaigns

Verbal attacks and damaging accusations. With less than three weeks to go, New Mexico’s congressional battle is at the forefront of Southern New Mexico airwaves.

A current ad endorsed by Democrat Harry Teague begins, “You’ve heard Congressman Pearce’s personal attacks on Harry Teague and his family business – the truth – for the last 21 months I haven’t accepted a penny from our company.”

Teague’s opponent, Republican Steve Pearce, runs an ad with this accusation in response, “Harry cut off everyone’s health insurance 4 days before christmas and took a $3-million bonus for himself, what kind of man does that.”

Pearce and Teague both have the same objective in mind – to represent New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District. But tension is rising in their ad campaigns, overtaken by back-and-fourth bickering.

“It’s unfortunate that you know the commercials have digressed the way they did,” Teague said.

But Pearce said he blames Teague for the negative tone.

“It is his team that attacked first,” Pearce said. “We ran a positive ad saying we’re going to create jobs and cut taxes, but once he moved in this direction we said ‘ok, we’ll talk about that if you want to.'”

Pearce held the House of Representatives seat until 2 years ago, when Teague replaced him. But in commercials, Teague refers to Pearce as the “Congressman.”

“There’s no rhyme or reason for that other than, most people because i’ve been back so much and went and visited with them so much, they know me as Harry,” Teague said.

But Pearce said being labeled as a congressman in attack ads is a political ploy against him.

“There’s a tremendous anti-incumbent move,” Pearce said. “Teague is trying to cast himself as not being there and cast us as being there.”

Teague confirmed with ABC-7 he voted against President Obama’s health care bill, but Pearce’s ad attacks how Teague handled coverage for his own employees.

“$3-million for Harry and no health insurance for employees – that tells you right there it’s all about Harry.”

In response to the ad, Teague said, “We made cuts but we kept 200 employees working.”

But Pearce said Teague is trying to overshadow a current issue.

“He’s trying to pass that he hasn’t taken anything in the last 21 months well, what about 22 months,” Pearce said.

Teague said, he voted against the health care bill because he did not think it would bring the cost of health care down.

“The people in my district who don’t have health care is because they can’t afford it,” Teague said.

A message both candidates do approve, is the attention name-calling attracts.

Positive ads focusing on future plans do not get voters talking, Pearce and Teague said.