Political roundup

Days until the primary election: 81

Jeff’s for Jeff: Retired Eagle Nest educator Jeff Carr dropped out of the race for lieutenant governor Thursday.

Though he was early to enter the race, offered a populist platform and led a barnstorming campaign across the state, Carr faced an uphill battle for the party’s nomination. He received support from about 13 percent of the delegates at Saturday’s preprimary convention. Carr needed at least 20 percent to cinch a spot on the ballot. State Sen. Howie Morales of Silver City emerged as the clear front-runner with support from half the delegates.

Carr did not offer an endorsement in the lieutenant governor’s race.

But he urged his supporters to back Jeff Apodaca in the primary election for governor.

“I strongly believe that my platform of reforming education, keeping guns out of our schools, promoting wind and solar, legalizing marijuana and hemp, and maintaining a progressive agenda is essential for the future success of our state,” Carr wrote in an email. “I am therefore proud to endorse the only candidate for governor who shares my strong progressive values and vision for New Mexico — Jeff Apodaca.”

The endorsement came a day after progressive insurgent Peter DeBenedittis dropped out of the race for governor and backed Apodaca, the Albuquerque businessman who has emerged as the main competitor to front-runner Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham.

Lujan Grisham sewed up support from two-thirds of the delegates at Saturday’s convention, casting into question whether Democrats would follow DeBenedittis and Carr.

Aggie booster: State Attorney General Hector Balderas is never shy about publicizing his wins in criminal or civil court.

Now he is moving to predictions on basketball courts.

Balderas’ publicist, James Hallinan, issued a press handout Thursday with the Democratic attorney general’s picks for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

It said: “Attorney General Hector Balderas, a proud NMSU dad, released his 2018 NCAA bracket that includes NMSU going to the Sweet 16.”

The Aggies open tournament play Friday night against Clemson.

Balderas picked Arizona to win the tournament against Villanova.

His news release made no mention about whether he is a prosecutor who will accept friendly wagers.

Houston, we have a governor: Gov. Susana Martinez criticized President Donald Trump’s rhetoric on immigration in a speech in Houston on Thursday.

The two-term Republican was the keynote speaker at the Women’s Leadership Conference and Business Expo.

And The Houston Chronicle reported she received vigorous applause for countering the president’s past comments on immigrants.

“Everybody is sick and tired of the rhetoric,” she told the audience, according to the newspaper.

Of course, Martinez has clashed with the president in the past, particularly over his stance on immigration.

But the newspaper reported that Martinez also said: “Whether you personally have feelings about the president or not, we have to want our leaders to be successful even if you didn’t vote for that person, because if that person fails, we fail.”

Martinez left for Houston on Wednesday, according to her office, and was scheduled to return Thursday.

The Governor’s Office says the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce paid for her travel.