In New Mexico, one of the nation's hottest races

The fault line in one of the country's tightest congressional races runs between Iraq, New Mexico, and who gets to march first in the state fair parade.

Republican incumbent Heather Wilson, seeking her fifth full term, faces the state's Democratic attorney general, Patricia Madrid, in a race that polls have shown as very close.

The race is a microcosm of dueling strategies other Democrats and Republicans are using in their campaigns this fall. Ms. Madrid is trying to tie Ms. Wilson to an unpopular president, a troublesome war in Iraq, and a culture of corruption in Washington. The Wilson campaign is trying to focus on local issues, and saddle Madrid with a state corruption scandal.

One issue that has not cropped up, despite New Mexico's status as a border state, is immigration. One that has been resolved – via coin toss – was that Madrid got to march ahead of Wilson in the parade. What remains is a tight contest.

An Albuquerque Journal poll released Oct. 1. showed Wilson and Mardrid dead even with each taking 44 percent of the vote. Seven percent of registered likely voters were undecided, and 5 percent said that they wouldn't vote for either one.

"Madrid's campaign is definitely a must-win race for Democrats' battle to regain control of the House," says Ramona Oliver, spokeswoman for EMILY's List, a political action committee for pro-choice Democratic women, which has funneled $220,000 to Madrid, according to the campaign.

Madrid has raised approximately $1.8 million total so far, while the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has reserved $1.9 million for television ads in the district.

Wilson has raised some $2.8 million, and the National Republican Campaign Committee has spent $550,000 on the race, according to spokesman Alex Burgos.

Voter registration in New Mexico's first congressional district is 46 percent Democratic and 35 percent Republican, although both Wilson and Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry won the district in 2004. Republicans are counting on that split to continue working for Wilson.

"New Mexico One voters are very independent-minded," says Mr. Burgos. "They elect independent representatives."

Wilson's campaign website notes that she is "independent, honest, effective," and adds that she has "a clear independent streak."

Yet Wilson has been tied to Washington in some uncomfortable ways. Over the weekend, she said she would give $8,000 to charity that she had received from former Rep. Mark Foley, the Florida Republican who resigned Friday after news broke indicating that he had sent inappropriate e-mails to at least one male page.

And in line with other representatives, Wilson has returned other monies, such as $10,000 from former House Majority Leader and Republican Rep. Tom Delay of Texas.

An Air Force veteran who holds a PhD in international relations from Oxford University in England, Wilson sits on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

She also serves on the House's Energy and Commerce Committee. In 2004, while serving on that committee, she excoriated CBS executives after Janet Jackson's breast-baring incident at the Super Bowl halftime show. Wilson has backed legislation for increased penalties for broadcast indecency.

Her campaign manager, Enrique Knell, did not return numerous phone calls over several weeks requesting an interview with Wilson. But he did e-mail a number of news articles about corruption allegations in the New Mexico state treasurer's office.

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