UPDATE: Sen. Richard Martinez has responded to the Los Alamos Daily Post request for comment regarding information from a Hall Campaign news release published here Tuesday:

“I haven’t endorsed anyone in that race. I like Jim Hall a lot. He is a very nice gentleman and he works well with both parties. I used to be Democratic Party Chair and I am not supporting anyone in that race.”

Staff report

After receiving calls from area democrats insisting that Democratic State Senators Carlos Cisneros and Richard Martinez have not endorsed Republican Rep. Jim Hall for Dist. 43, the Los Alamos Daily Post contacted Cisneros, Martinez and Hall and received clarifying information that the senators did in fact make statements of support but did not endorse Hall.

“I stand behind my statement but want to clarify that it was an endorsement of Rep. Hall’s character and not an endorsement of his political campaign,” Cisneros said this afternoon. “The fact is I have not made a political endorsement in this race. The statement I made about Jim was at a community event last year and was an acknowledgement of the work he is doing for the community … it was acknowledging a sitting legislator at a community event … he tries hard and he works hard and I stand behind that, I really do.”

In contacting Hall, he said that he should have made it clear that the senators have been supportive of him but have not endorsed him and apologizes for any misunderstanding.

Calls for comment from Martinez and Richard have not yet been returned.

The Hall Campaign News Release in its Entirety:

State Senators Carlos Cisneros & Richard Martinez Support Jim Hall

Northern New Mexico’s State Senators Carlos Cisneros (District 6: Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Santa Fe, and Taos) and Richard Martinez (District 5: Los Alamos, Rio Arriba. and Santa Fe) support incumbent State Representative Jim Hall in his campaign for the State House of Representatives.

During Hall’s first term in the state legislature Rep. Hall worked with both Senators Cisneros and Martinez, passing legislation to benefit New Mexico and the northern New Mexico region.

Senator Richard Martinez said, “I worked with Jim Hall when he was a County Councilor and now as a legislator. If elected, he will do an outstanding job of representing Los Alamos and Northern New Mexico.”

Both of these two senior members of the Senate worked with Rep. Hall in the legislature and for years prior through his service as Los Alamos County Councilor. Senator Cisneros had additional experience working with Representative Hall when Jim served the state government as a New Mexico Cabinet Secretary. Senator Cisneros said “Los Alamos is lucky to have Jim Hall as their representative.”