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Saturday, June 17, 2006

GOP Switches Gov. Candidate from Damron to Dendahl

By Leslie Linthicum/
Journal Staff Writer
      Republicans dropped a bomb in the governor's race Saturday, taking poor-performing Santa Fe doctor J.R. Damron from the ticket and replacing him with party pitbull John Dendahl, a conservative former party chairman.
    Republicans hope sharp-tongued Dendahl will bring bigger guns to the November battle to unseat popular incumbent Bill Richardson.
    The surprise switch came at the Republican Party's Central Committee meeting in Albuquerque. The meeting was closed to the news media, but party Chairman Allen Weh said the 100 or so committee members accepted Damron's resignation and unanimously nominated Dendahl on a voice vote.
    Damron, a radiologist, had had trouble raising money and juggling his medical practice with the demands of a statewide political campaign. Rumors of his replacement have swirled for several weeks.
    Weh said Damron sent the paperwork withdrawing from the race on Friday by certified mail to Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron.
    Dendahl said he was running to beat Richardson and said he will begin aggressive fundraising, although he acknowledged it would be hard to catch up to Richardson.
   
       Also Saturday monring, committee members also nominated Lorenzo Garcia, a certified public accountant, to replace Daniel Alvarez as the party's candidate for auditor. Alvarez ran in the Republican primary unopposed earlier this month, then withdrew his candidacy.