For
Immediate
Release
January
21,
2007
New
Mexico
Governor
Bill
Richardson
Announces
Presidential
Campaign
Exploratory
Committee
Richardson
has
unparalleled
experience
and
proven
record
of
success
as a
Congressman,
UN
Ambassador,
Energy
Secretary,
and
Governor
SANTA
FE,
NM--New
Mexico
Governor
Bill
Richardson
today
announced
the
formation
of a
Presidential
campaign
exploratory
committee,
with
the
clear
intention
of
seeking
the
Democratic
nomination
for
President
in
2008.
"I
am
taking
this
step
because
we
have
to
repair
the
damage
that's
been
done
to
our
country
over
the
last
six
years,"
said
Richardson.
"Our
reputation
in
the
world
is
diminished,
our
economy
has
languished,
and
civility
and
common
decency
in
government
has
perished."
"The
next
president
of
the
United
States
must
get
our
troops
out
of
Iraq
without
delay.
Before
I
became
Governor
of
New
Mexico,
I
served
as
Ambassador
to
the
United
Nations
and
as
Secretary
of
Energy.
I
know
the
Middle
East
well
and
it's
clear
that
our
presence
in
Iraq
isn't
helping
any
longer,"
said
Richardson.
"Our
next
President
must
be
able
to
bring
a
country
together
that
is
divided
and
partisan,"
said
Richardson.
"It
is
clear
that
Washington
is
broken
and
it's
going
to
take
a
return
to
bipartisanship
and
simple
respect
for
each
other's
views
to
get
it
fixed.
Most
public
policy
solutions
these
days
are
coming
from
Governors
and
state
government.
On
issues
like
the
environment,
jobs,
and
health
care,
state
governments
are
leading
the
way.
And
that's
because
we
can't
be
partisan
or
we
won't
get
our
jobs
done.
That's
a
lesson
I've
learned
as
Governor
and
that's
what
I'll
do
as
President."
When
New
Mexico
Governor
Bill
Richardson
speaks
about
embracing
diversity,
the
American
dream,
and
public
service,
he
speaks
from
unparalleled
experience.
Born
November
15,
1947
in
Pasadena,
California
to
an
American
father
and
Mexican
mother,
Governor
Richardson
grew
up
in
Mexico
City
before
moving
to
New
England,
where
he
attended
high
school
and
college.
He
has
dedicated
his
life
to
public
service,
as a
United
States
Congressman,
Ambassador
to
the
United
Nations,
Secretary
of
Energy,
and
now
as
Governor
of
New
Mexico.
This
past
November,
Richardson
won
re-election
to
his
second
term
as
Governor
of
New
Mexico
with
a
resounding
69%
of
the
vote,
the
largest
margin
of
victory
in
state
history.
He
was
supported
by
Democrats,
Republicans
and
Independents,
winning
in
both
urban
and
rural
counties.
New
Mexicans
overwhelmingly
endorsed
Governor
Richardson's
aggressive
efforts
to
improve
education,
cut
taxes,
build
a
high-wage
economy,
expand
health
care
access,
invest
in
renewable
energy
and
make
New
Mexico
safer.
Bill
Richardson's
fiscally
responsible
governing
style
has
allowed
New
Mexico
to
tackle
important
priorities,
while
maintaining
a
balanced
budget
and
the
highest
reserves
in
state
history.
He
cut
$230
million
in
bureaucratic
waste,
invested
in
new
opportunities
for
New
Mexico's
children
and
returned
more
than
$1
billion
dollars
in
taxes
to
working
families.
His
innovative
policies
have
turned
New
Mexico's
economy
around,
with
84,000
new
jobs,
rising
personal
income
and
a
growing
high
tech
sector
that
includes
manufacturing,
aviation,
and
renewable
energy.
As
Secretary
of
Energy
to
President
Bill
Clinton,
Bill
Richardson
implemented
tough
efficiency
standards
to
save
energy.
And
as
Governor,
he
has
made
New
Mexico
the
Clean
Energy
State
by
requiring
utility
companies
to
produce
energy
through
renewable
resources
and
reduce
carbon
emissions.
Before
becoming
Governor,
Bill
Richardson
served
in
Congress
for
15
years
and
helped
President
Clinton
pass
the
economic
plan
that
created
millions
of
jobs
and
led
America
to
its
first
balanced
budget
in
30
years.
Appointed
by
President
Clinton
as
the
Ambassador
to
the
United
Nations,
Bill
Richardson
worked
with
world
leaders
to
build
alliances
and
help
prevent
the
development
of
nuclear
weapons
in
North
Korea.
Bill
Richardson
has
been
nominated
four
times
for
the
Nobel
Peace
Prize
for
negotiating
the
release
of
hostages,
American
servicemen
and
political
prisoners
in
North
Korea,
Iraq,
and
Cuba.
Governor
Richardson
recently
negotiated
a
60-day
cease
fire
in
war-torn
Darfur
following
direct
talks
with
rebel
leaders
and
the
President
of
Sudan.
As
Chairman
of
the
Democratic
Governor's
Association,
Governor
Richardson
raised
more
than
$28
million
for
gubernatorial
candidates
and
helped
elect
the
first
Democratic
majority
of
governors
since
1994.
Governor
Richardson
also
served
as
Chair
of
the
Western
Governors
Association,
Border
Governor's
Conference
and
the
2004
Democratic
National
Convention.
Bill
Richardson
has
been
married
to
his
high
school
sweetheart,
Barbara,
for
33
years.
Richardson
received
a BA
from
Tufts
in
1970
and
a MA
from
Tuft's
Fletcher
School
of
Law
and
Diplomacy
in
1971.
The
Bill
Richardson
for
President
Exploratory
Committee
will
be
headquartered
in
New
Mexico.
Key
staff
will
include:
Dave
Contarino:
Contarino
ran
Richardson's
first
campaign
for
Governor,
served
as
his
Chief
of
Staff
for
3
years
and
most
recently
was
the
Chair
of
his
re-election
campaign.
Amanda
Cooper:
Cooper
was
Richardson's
re-election
Campaign
Manager
and
Fundraising
Director.
Cooper
oversaw
raising
$14
million
for
the
Governor's
re-election
campaign
and
led
the
effort
to
raise
$28
million
for
the
DGA
in
Governor
Richardson's
two
year
term
as
Chair.
Pahl
Shipley:
Shipley
was
most
recently
the
Communications
Director
and
Chief
Spokesperson
in
the
Office
of
Governor
Bill
Richardson.
Shipley
is a
25-year
award-winning
veteran
of
television
news
and
prior
to
working
for
Richardson,
he
served
as
the
News
Director
at
KOAT-TV
in
Albuquerque,
New
Mexico.
Colleen
Turrentine:
Turrentine
served
as
the
national
fundraising
director
for
the
Democratic
Leadership
Council.
Before
that,
she
worked
for
the
2004
Joe
Lieberman
presidential
campaign.
Richardson's
Senior
Advisors
will
include:
Steve
Murphy:
Murphy
is a
founding
partner
of
Murphy
Putnam
Media,
a
premiere
Washington
media
consulting
firm.
Murphy
was
Dick
Gephardt's
National
Campaign
Manager
in
2003-2004
and
managed
his
Iowa
caucus
campaign
in
1988.
Mike
Stratton:
Stratton
has
served
in
numerous
senior
roles
in
several
Democratic
Presidential
Campaigns
and
has
served
as a
long-time
Senior
Political
Advisor
to
Richardson.
Mark
Putnam:
Putnam,
a
founding
partner
of
Murphy
Putnam
media,
has
been
a
media
consultant
and
campaign
strategist
for
over
two
decades.
He's
written,
directed,
and
produced
over
1,000
commercials
for
campaigns
in
46
states,
including
helping
elect
five
Governors,
six
U.S.
Senators,
and
dozens
of
members
of
the
U.S.
House.
Jeff
Eller:
Eller
is
the
CEO
of
Public
Strategies
in
Austin,
and
a
veteran
of
the
Clinton
1992
Campaign
and
the
White
House.
Jennifer
Yocham
Poersch:
Yocham
Poersch,
a
former
deputy
finance
director
for
the
2004
Lieberman
campaign,
will
work
with
Cooper
on
national
fundraising.
Poersch
worked
for
the
Democratic
Senate
Campaign
Committee,
including
a
stint
as
senior
adviser
to
committee
chairwoman,
U.S.
Sen.
Patty
Murray
of
Washington
Joe
Velasquez:
Velasquez
is
Richardson's
advisor
on
Labor
and
Political
Affairs.
Velasquez
was
the
Head
of
the
Department
of
Community
Service
for
the
AFL-CIO.
Additionally,
he
was
a
former
member
of
the
DNC
staff
and
a
Deputy
Director
of
Political
Affairs
for
President
Bill
Clinton.
Calvin
Humphrey:
Humphrey
has
worked
with
Richardson
for
many
years
as
his
Foreign
Policy
Advisor,
traveling
to
Iraq
and
most
recently,
Sudan
on
hostage
rescue
and
other
missions.
Humphrey
served
as
the
Democratic
Staff
Director,
Committee
on
Homeland
Security,
U.S.
House
of
Representatives
and
previously
was
the
Principal
Deputy
Assistant
Secretary
at
the
U.S.
Department
of
Energy,
Office
of
International
Affairs.
Andre
Pineda:
Pineda
is
the
Founder
and
President
of
Pineda
Consulting,
a
California-based,
Latino-owned
firm
specializing
in
political
polling
and
strategic
communications.
Pineda
has
over
15
years
of
experience
working
for
some
of
the
biggest
names
in
the
political
consulting
business
-
Peter
Hart,
Geoff
Garin,
Fred
Yang,
Rich
Schlackman,
and
Stan
Greenberg.
Suzanne
Cole
Nowers:
Nowers
is
the
CEO
of
Nexus
Direct,
a
top
direct
marketing
firm,
who
worked
for
Richardson's
re-election
and
whose
clients
include
the
DSCC
to
coordinate
our
direct
mail
fundraising.
To
view
Governor
Bill
Richardson's
video
statement
in
both
English
and
Spanish
please
go
to:
www.richardsonforpresident.com
Courtesy:
Richardson
For
President
Exploratory
Committee |