Tristani Looking At House Race

Television Digest with Consumer Electronics, Sept 6, 1999

FCC Comr. Tristani is seriously considering running for U.S. House seat from Albuquerque area, according to sources in Washington and in N.M. Her campaign, if it takes place, would set up potential telecom spectacular, with FCC commissioner (or ex- commissioner if she resigns first) taking on member of House Telecom Subcommittee. Seat in N.M.'s first congressional district is held by Rep. Wilson (R).

Tristani won't comment on her plans. However, she has made herself visible in N.M., conducting her own listening tour around Albuquerque, speaking with community and political leaders. Sources said that she hasn't made any decisions yet about running. Official filing deadline isn't until Feb. 8 for June 6 Democratic primary.

Tristani has long had interest in electoral politics, winning election to then-State Corp. Commission in 1994. She was considering run for N.M. governorship when picked for FCC, where she has served since Nov. 3, 1997. In recent weeks, she has played highly visible role as lead commissioner on V-chip issues.

Political observers differ on how well she would do in political campaign. John Del Cecato, spokesman for Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), said: "We're happy to have someone of her stature consider the race." Del Cecato said Tristani has "a compelling profile and strong ties to New Mexico." There's some belief in N.M. that DCCC is pushing Tristani to run on theory that it would take woman to make good campaign against woman, Wilson, and that Tristani's Hispanic background also would be advantage. Del Cecato wouldn't confirm any DCCC involvement. Christopher Mann, exec. dir. of N.M. Democratic party, said Tristani visited Albuquerque recently and "was visible in the public eye, meeting with various folks here in a wide number of forums" attended by prominent community and govt. leaders.

While Tristani tries to make up her mind, there already are 2 candidates likely to run in Democratic primary, one ex-state legislator and one ex-candidate who narrowly lost to then-Rep. Steve Schiff (R-N.M.). One candidate already in race is Robert Perls, ex-legislator who wrote bill abolishing State Corp. Commission and Public Service Commission and replacing them with currently elected PUC in more streamlined organization. Perls won state legislature seat in 1992, lost in 1996 in what he considers swing district. Head of his own medical electronics company, Perls already has begun issuing news releases criticizing Wilson. He casts himself as Democrat with wide-ranging appeal, saying in interview that some key staffers came from campaign of Green Party candidate who many believe has cost Democrats elections by siphoning off votes. Other candidates also are considering entry.

Perls said he had heard that Tristani was "seriously looking into" running, but said: "I won't believe she is running until she steps down from the FCC and moves back here." He said it appears "the DCCC is talking to her" and Tristani is getting more attention in Washington than in Albuquerque. Problem, Perls said, is that Washington politicians don't understand dynamics of district. While some believe that woman is needed to take on Wilson, Perls said his polling data show that men run better against women. He said one big campaign issue that could be used against Wilson is to tag her as carpetbagger. Perls said "Gloria can't use that" because "she [Tristani] grew up in Puerto Rico," came to N.M. for law school and practiced only briefly. She also served little time in state govt. before going to FCC, Perls said: "She [Tristani] is seen by many people as not connected to the state, as part of the Beltway at this point. If she wanted to become involved in New Mexico leadership, she should have stayed here and gotten involved in community activities."

Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings show Perls has collected $130,703 through June 30. That's more than other candidate, John Wertheim, who was listed as having $83,970. Attorney Wertheim lost twice to Schiff, although margin of victory shrank from Schiff's 74% of vote in 1994 to 57% in 1996. Schiff died in office, and Wilson won special election and reelection last year. Wertheim said he has advantage over Tristani in having raised funds for congressional campaigns and conducted statewide campaign for President Clinton.

Wertheim said he believes Tristani is reluctant to leave FCC because she moved her family to Washington. While he calls her "an intelligent and good person," he said she would be "not that difficult to defeat in a primary" because of her "limited electoral experience," her lack of fund-raising experience and fact that she "doesn't have a deep base in the Democratic party or in New Mexico." He noted, as did Perls, that Tristani grew up elsewhere and hasn't had much contact with party politics beyond mentioning her grandfather, ex-Sen. Dennis Chavez (D-N.M.).

However, Democratic party's Mann said of Tristani: "She is from New Mexico. She has deep New Mexico roots," noting that her family, particularly Tristani's mother, is involved in community. Mann said: "Gloria's obvious advantage is that she's a woman, which would be helpful in a race against an incumbent Republican woman. She's also Hispanic in a district that's heavily Hispanic."