Final Debate: Senate candidates clash on energy, discuss Israel

U.S. Senate candidates Nella Domenici and Martin Heinrich had their second and final debate Sunday at Congregation Albert, where they revisited popular election topics like abortion access and energy production.

Not all questions received direct answers from Republican challenger Domenici and Democratic incumbent Heinrich. In one instance, Domenici dodged a question on social security solvency, and in another, Heinrich avoided telling the crowd if he plans to later run for New Mexico governor.

With Election Day just over a week away, Heinrich and Domenici both tried to connect their opponent to the presidential candidate of their respective party. They also both committed to accepting the results of the election.

The debate audience was responsive to the candidates, at times laughing and occasionally booing or demanding a candidate answer a question.

Dodged answers

Domenici brought up rumors that Heinrich wants to run for governor — a position available when Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s term ends in 2027 —and pointed out that if he were to vacate the Senate seat and win a race for New Mexico governor, he would then be the person responsible for appointing his replacement.

“I don’t traffic in rumors, and I will always serve New Mexico how ever I think I can do the most good for New Mexico, and right now that is in the United States Senate,” Heinrich responded.

Heinrich was not the only one to avoid a direct answer. Instead of explaining how the U.S. could address social security solvency, Domenici took time to critique presidential candidate Kamala Harris, calling her “anti-gas,” and lauded the importance of the oil and gas industry in funding education in New Mexico.

Heinrich said he would try to make social security solvent with a payroll tax on passive income for people making more than $400,000 per year.

Energy was a theme of the debate, as Domenici frequently brought her answers back to the importance of the oil and gas industry and critiques of renewable energy efforts like the SunZia Transmission project, a project Heinrich has heavily backed to transport renewable wind energy from New Mexico to markets in Arizona and California. Domenici said that SunZia “scars the natural terrain” and creates fewer permanent jobs than the oil and gas industry.

“That wind turbine company is not producing energy for New Mexico,” Domenici said. “That energy will all go to California, and when the turbines are all built and up and running, it will have 100 jobs. Remember I told you earlier that in oil and gas, we have 130,000 jobs.”

Heinrich pointed out that the ranchers whose land the SunZia wind turbines are built on are paid thousands of dollars for use of their property, which then also grows the state’s tax dollars.

On Israel

A group of at least 20 people gathered outside before the debate with signs and Palestinian flags, but they were not there to protest the debate itself, according to Jewish Voice for Peace organizer Becky Gordon. They were there to ask Heinrich to support a joint resolution of disapproval of continued unconditional aid to Israel.

After the debate began, it was interrupted several times by protesters in the synagogue telling Heinrich that he was using taxpayer dollars to “fund genocide” in Gaza. Security escorted the protesters out.

Unfazed, moderator Chris Schueler, a documentarian who once made a film chronicling the deceased Sen. Pete Domenici’s career, pivoted the debate to a planned question about how the candidates would address Israel.

Domenici said she believes the U.S. should back Israel by enabling the country to make its own decisions.

She criticized Heinrich for working on proposed legislation that would require Israel to check its moves against humanitarian standards. The resolution proposed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT, would have forced a 30-day pause on security aide to Israel unless the Department of State created a report on allegations that Israel was committing human rights violations. Heinrich was one of 11 senators to vote against tabling the resolution in January.

Heinrich said he believes the U.S. should seek a ceasefire that includes the return of all Oct. 7 hostages, then use that ceasefire to get aid and medical care into Gaza. Long term, he thinks the United States should work toward a two-state solution. Heinrich also said that Iran is a destabilizing influence in the Middle East.

“I would love to see everyone involved in conflict in the Middle East show restraint, because what we don’t want to see is this spiral into a regional war,” Heinrich said.

Public health infrastructure

When asked how to improve public health infrastructure, Heinrich and Domenici said Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates need to be increased.

Heinrich also mentioned loan forgiveness for people attending medical school and more funding for public health.

Domenici accused Heinrich of creating “a group of puppets at the state legislative level who back him” who increased caps for medical malpractice. The state Legislature increased caps for medical malpractice in 2021. Heinrich was a U.S. senator at the time.

The pair also discussed women’s reproductive health and abortion, reiterating many of the points made in their initial debate. Heinrich said voting for Domenici would have the practical effect of more support in the Senate for leaders who want to pass a federal abortion ban, while Domenici said she would abide by New Mexico’s laws on abortion and thinks it should be “safe, legal and rare.”

The debate was hosted by Congregation Albert Brotherhood and broadcast on KOB 4 and New Mexico PBS.

This story has been updated to clarify that the debate was hosted and sponsored by Congregation Albert Brotherhood.