Heavy hitters campaign for Wilson

ALBUQUQUERQUE (KRQWE) - Heather Wilson's senate campaign is hoping for a high-profile boost from Tuesday's visit by three GOP senators including former presidential candidate Sen. John McCain.

The visit comes even as polls and pundits put New Mexico's presidential and senate races in the blue category. Wilson's opponent, current U.S. Rep. Martin Heinrich, showed a lead of 7 percentage points in the latest Albuquerque Journal poll.

Heather Wilson hosted the afternoon event at Bullhead Park that her campaign hopes will help catapult her back into a race where polling numbers show her trailing Democrat Rep. Martin Heinrich.

Republican Sens. Lindsay Graham of South Carolina, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire and McCain from Arizona all arrived ready to stump for Wilson.

The focus is on whether Wilson would be best suited to protect jobs at the state's labs and grow the economy.

"I saw her work in the House of Representatives," McCain said. "I've seen her represent the people of this state, and I've seen her in-depth knowledge on the challenges the men and women in the military are facing today."

In a statement, the Heinrich campaign says Heinrich will work to stop deep cuts to the military and the national laboratories.

Heinrich's lead in the polls combined with similar numbers in the presidential polling in New Mexico has led to a lower profile for races in the state.

In 2008 McCain made five stops between September and Election Day when he was the republican nominee.

Then-candidate Barack Obama stopped in the state half a dozen times during the course of the campaign.

But this year so far New Mexico has welcomed just one visit each from the president and former Gov. Mitt Romney.

University of New Mexico political science professor Lonna Atkeson expects that to continue for both the presidential and senate races.