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NOVEMBER 8, 2000

Former US Attorney John Kelly lost his challenge to upseat incumbent Representative Heather Wilson for the 1st Congressional District in New Mexico.

Like Vice President Al Gore, the Democratic Kelly was endorsed by the All Indian Pueblo Council, which represents the state's 19 Pueblos. The endorsement wasn't enough, however, to tip the scales in favor of Kelly, who received 46 percent of the vote to Kelly's 47 percent, with 99 percent of the precincts reporting.

As Attorney General for the state of New Mexico, Kelly had sued New Mexico tribes for their gaming operations. But he told lawmakers last year that compacts the Legislature signed with gaming tribes were unlikely to withstand a court challenge. Current state AG Patricia Madrid has sued the tribes, seeking to close their operations.

Wilson has appeared critical of a settlement over Sandia Pueblo's claim to the western face of the Sandia Mountains. But she has also worked with Senator Pete Domenici (R-N.Mex) to help bring more funding to urban Indians in the state.

Elsewhere in New Mexico, Democrat Jeff Bingaman kept his Senate seat, defeating Republican Bill Redmond 62 percent to 37 percent. Bingaman's bill to award Congressional medals of honor to Navajo Code Talkers is still pending.

Get the latest results:
New Mexico Results (The Washington Post)

Relevant Links:
Rep. Heather Wilson - hillsource.house.gov/wilson/index.asp
Senator Jeff Bingaman - www.senate.gov/~bingaman

Get the Gaming Lawsuit:
State of New Mexico v. Jicarilla Apache Tribe, et al.

Related Stories:
Indian funding signed into law (Tribal Law 10/12)
Urban Indian health care appropriated (The Medicine Wheel 09/22)
Tribe-supported candidate second in poll (The Talking Circle 09/18)
Pueblos endorse Gore, others (The Talking Circle 09/01)
Gaming tribes ask for dismissal (Money Matters 08/15)
State sues tribes (Money Matters 06/14)