The Greens have tried, though not with total success, to target races involving sleazy, conservative Democrats. That consensus has worked for them until now, but this fall they are openly divided over whether to back Green member Carol Miller over Democrat Tom Udall in the battle to unseat Republican Representative Bill Redmond. While the party's Green Council is strongly behind Miller, Cris Moore, their popular incumbent city councilman in Santa Fe, is officially neutral in the race and is devoting his efforts to other Green candidates. Gutmann also argues that the Greens have to figure out what they're going to do with their stunning ability to get 14-17 percent of the vote in partisan matchups. Though he is no longer one of the party's leaders, Gutmann has tried to cut deals that would bring Greens into significant positions in Democratic administrations in exchange for their dropping out of such races.
Greens are in danger of getting too rigid.
Somehow you have to be more flexible to be more successful in politics. Other New Mexico Greens respond that the risks of contesting partisan elections are worth the benefits. Steve Schmidt, who ran with Mondragon in 1994, credits the Greens with spurring President Clinton to broker the recent federal purchase of a huge private ranch in the Jemez Mountains. Tabitha Hall, media coordinator for Bob Anderson, the Greens' Congressional candidate in the Albuquerque district, notes that the Democratic contender, Phil Maloof, has shifted his position to the left on a number of issues ranging from Social Security to land conservation in the wake of Anderson's 15 percent showing in the June special election. Under that system, voters in a multiparty race would rank their choices first, second, third and so on.