About 100 New Mexico companies that contend President Bush is no friend of small business have established the first state chapter of a new national political advocacy group.

It's called Small Business for America.

Founder and chief executive officer John Arensmeyer says it's getting its start in New Mexico because the state has a lot of small businesses and is a battleground in the presidential election.

He says New Mexico is the first official chapter.

The group, headquartered in Sausalito, California, calls itself nonpartisan.

Most of its 25-member New Mexico steering committee members are Democrats.

Arensmeyer says the group has endorsed Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.

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