Yet a third Democratic presidential contender will swing through Pahrump this weekend.

Tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 8, Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico will meet with voters at Honeysuckle Park as part of his campaign to win the Nevada state caucus in mid-January 2008.

The event will begin at 4:30 p.m. and is open to all residents of Nye County.

Richardson will outline his plan to protect and promote rural communities like Pahrump and take questions from the audience.

"I look forward to visiting Pahrump," said the governor. "Rural areas are the backbone of this country, and they have been ignored by the federal government. I hope the people of Pahrump will come talk to me about their ideas for securing the future of their community."

"We are excited to have this great Westerner come to Pahrump," said Nye County Democratic Party Chairman Loyal Watkins. "I remember when Bill Richardson was Secretary of Energy, he was the first Federal official to get sick Nevada Test Site workers the health care they deserved. He proved then that he cares about people in the West. He still does, and we're proud to have him visit Nye County."

Richardson was the first candidate to open an office in Nevada and the first to hire a Nevada campaign staff, most of them Nevada natives.

A recent statewide poll of Nevada showed a nine-point jump in support for the governor, more than any other Democratic presidential candidate, according to his staff.

During his New Mexico re-election campaign in 2006, he received the endorsements of every union in the state, as well as the endorsement of the National Rifle Association. The voters of New Mexico put him back in office with 69 percent of the vote and more than 40 percent support from registered Republicans.

Richardson has served the United States as a congressman, Secretary of Energy and ambassador to the United Nations.

As governor of News Mexico, a rural Western state, he claims a unique understanding of the issues facing rural areas like Pahrump and has worked hard to support the rural way of life.

He is the only candidate with hands-on experience on issues like water, land use, rural economic development and defending our second amendment rights, his staff said.

Richardson has pledged that, if elected president, he will create a national rural jobs tax credit to encourage business to create jobs in towns like Pahrump. In New Mexico, Richardson said he has helped create more than 80,000 new jobs since taking office.

In a Richardson administration a primary focus will be national investment in renewable energy. The governor has outlined a plan that will protect the environment while creating good paying American jobs in places like Nevada, which have abundant wind and solar potential.

Richardson has also proposed a national cabinet-level Department of Water to focus the attention of the federal government on water issues and to develop a national water strategy to help the West continue to grow.

As a diplomat, Richardson has rescued American prisoners and hostages from Sudan, Iraq, the Congo, and North Korea. Recently, he traveled to North Korea to help bring home the remains of fallen American servicemen and helped convince the North Koreans to shut down their nuclear reactor.

For his diplomatic successes, the governor has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize four times.

"Pahrump is important to my campaign," said Governor Richardson, "and I appreciate this chance to meet its citizens face to face."

Pahrump has previously hosted visits by Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd as well as former first lady and New York Sen. Hillary Clinton.