Richardson touts
record in trying to break out in campaign

As the only governor in a crowded field of Democratic presidential candidates, Bill Richardson loves to tell audiences he's a go-to guy with a record of accomplishments as New Mexico's chief executive.

A just-ended legislative session gave Richardson more fuel for his campaign: an increase in the state's minimum wage to $7.50 an hour--a rate higher than what Congress is considering--as well as incentives for renewable energy development and income tax cuts targeting lower-income New Mexicans.

''As long as he is a candidate in the presidential campaign, he is going to talk about his accomplishments as governor and set those apart from his counterparts, who are all senators,'' said Lonna Atkeson, a political science professor at the University of New Mexico.

But Richardson's five-year record as governor also offers potential fodder for critics and campaign consultants cooking up attack ads in case he breaks out of the second tier into the front-runners' pack or finds a spot on the general election ticket.

This year Richardson lobbied hard to win legislative approval of a measure to legalize the medical use of marijuana and he's still prodding lawmakers in a special session to provide domestic partners--gay or heterosexual--with the same rights as married couples. By executive order in 2003, the governor extended health insurance and other benefits to domestic partners of state employees.

Those issues likely will play well with liberal-leaning presidential primary voters, analysts say. But in a general election, domestic partnerships could become a wedge issue for moderate-to-conservative voters.

''In terms of positions he has taken, what's of more interest is not so much the primary race--it's whether those positions will hurt him in a general election race,'' said Dennis Goldford, a political science professor at Drake University in Iowa.

Immigration is another tricky issue.

A law was enacted in 2003 with Richardson's signature to allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses, and the governor advocates immigration reforms nationally that would offer a route to citizenship for some of the millions living illegally in the United States.

''In big labor states they may have some concern about the immigration issue in a sense of taking jobs away,'' said Goldford.

During his first term in office, Richardson signed into law a bill allowing residents to carry concealed handguns. He even obtained a concealed-carry permit for his Glock pistol. It's an issue that didn't create a stir in a Western state like New Mexico, but could play differently elsewhere.

''Conceivably that could be the source of a contrast ad,'' said Dante Scala, who teaches politics at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire. ''Being a pro-concealed weapons Democrat wouldn't hurt him as much in this state as it might in other states'' with restrictive handgun laws.

Richardson supports the death penalty, although the legislature has never sent him a capital punishment repeal measure to test his position.

In his first year in office, Richardson pushed through cuts in the top personal income tax rates, which drew support from Republicans and the business community. But those Republicans howled when the governor backed a ''bed tax'' on nursing home care. The tax increase was later repealed with Richardson's support.

For his part, Richardson says his experience as governor--as well as a former congressman, U.N. ambassador, and energy secretary in the Clinton administration--separates him from ''other candidates who can only talk about what they might do as president.''

Yet Richardson remains far behind Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards in early polling.

''The problem is the larger one of making sure he can get attention,'' said Norman Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute.

He maintains that primary voters will give Richardson a closer look in the weeks and months ahead in the campaign season.

''If they're not listening right this minute, they will be listening. There will come a point at which the record of being a governor will work to his advantage,'' said Ornstein. (Barry Massey with Deborah Baker contributing, AP)