There could, once again, be a Domenici roaming the halls of the United States Senate.
Nella Domenici—the daughter of Pete Domenici, the state’s longest serving senator—has announced she will seek the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent Senator Martin Heinrich this year.
She is one of several Republicans vying to represent the party, including former Bernalillo County Sheriff Manuel “Manny” Gonzales, as well as Ben Luna from Alamogordo and John Thomas Roberts from Anthony.
“New Mexico is blessed with abundant natural resources, cultural diversity, rich traditions, hard-working people, and leading national laboratories and military installations,” Domenici wrote on her campaign website. “But sadly, our leaders in Washington and Santa Fe have failed us. The cost of living is up, we have a crime and drug crisis, the border is wide open, and our public education system is leaving our kids behind.”
Domenici, one of eight children, grew up in Albuquerque and graduated from Georgetown Law School and Harvard Business School. She touts her experience serving as the “CFO for one of the world’s largest, most successful investment firms” and said she has worked in various industries including “healthcare, AI, food service, lodging, commercial real estate, mortgage lending, and consumer products.”
Her father, Pete Domenici served in the US Senate from 1972 until 2008, when he decided not to seek re-election due to health problems. The Republican was known for reaching across the aisle to work with Democrats. He died in 2017.
For its part, the Democratic Party of New Mexico released a scathing statement in response to the news that Nella Domenici is running for Senate.
“Between a scandal-plagued Sheriff turned MAGA extremist and an East Coast elitist, New Mexico Republicans’ Senate primary is sure to be brutal,” said Chair Jessica Velasquez. “Party infighting will show how out-of-touch Republicans are with New Mexicans’ values. If Nella Domenici survives the dogfight, her close ties to Wall Street and her work for a mega-hedge fund that laid off American workers while investing in China will all face extensive scrutiny as Republicans’ primary intensifies. Democrats have won every Senate race in New Mexico since 2006, and we are confident Senator Heinrich will be reelected.”
Heinrich has held his seat in the Senate since 2012.
Gonzales, the former BCSO Sheriff, had previously run for mayor of Albuquerque against incumbent Tim Keller. At that time he was a registered Democrat. He switched parties in mid December.
Roberts, of Anthony, unsuccessfully challenged state Sen. Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces, to represent District 31 in 2020. Luna, of Alamogordo, describes himself as “an entrepreneur, independent citizen journalist, and American patriot who aims to return America to the founding principles which created the greatest and freest nation.”