Slinging Dirt

Democrats clearly noticed Republican candidate Tom Mullins' recent surprise strong showing in his race against Democratic incumbent Ben Ray Luján in New Mexico's 3rd Congressional District.

A new website launched this week, whoistommullins.com, takes aim at the first-time candidate, a self-proclaimed conservative Christian. The website's header: Tom Mullins' Dark Vision for America, rests atop an ominous video mash-up of Mullins' now famous call for placing land mines on the border (an idea Mullins has since said he does not advocate). A Public Policy Polling poll released last month for The Daily Kos website showed Luján with just a 6 percent lead in the Democrat-heavy district.

Mullins visited SFR last week for a candidate endorsement interview (Luján came in the week before) and left us with a complimentary copy of the Constitution. Mullins also made an author recommendation (Orson Scott Card) to SFR's sci-fi-loving editor and acknowledged it's not the first time his resemblance to Happy Days actor-turned-director Ron Howard has been mentioned.

On the political front, Mullins tells SFR his poll numbers haven't garnered him any financial support from the Republican Party for his race. "Good luck with that," is how he describes the message he's received from the Republican powers that be. SFR's endorsements for the Nov. 2 ballot will be published in our Oct. 27
edition.

Santa Fe Reporter