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Monday, November 20, 2017

Women Eye State Offices They've Never Held Before; Will Any Complete The Climb In '18? Plus: Grisham And Padilla: It Isn't Pretty For Either 

It was an interesting tidbit that Los Alamos Dem State Rep. Stephanie Garcia Richard became the first woman in memory to seek the Dem nomination for state land commissioner. If elected next November she would  become the first woman to hold the office.

It brings to mind that there are still some political hills for the state's women to climb. Not only has there never been a female land commissioner,  a woman has never been elected state auditor or state treasurer. And there has never been a woman elected to the US Senate from New Mexico. And the southern and northern congressional districts have never been represented by women.

Garcia Richard might not be the only woman trying to beak down a barrier next year. Bernalillo County Assessor Tanya Giddings is making rumblings about running for the Dem nomination for state auditor. The position is being vacated by Tim Keller who has been elected mayor. The Governor will appoint a replacement to finish out the year left on Keller's term and a full four year term will be on next year's ballot.

State Rep. Bill McCamley has already announced his auditor candidacy and Micaela Lara Cadena has just announced she will seek the Dem nomination for McCamley's Las Cruces area House seat.  Her campaign says she "has experience leading policy, evaluation, and organizational development efforts in non-profit advocacy and within state government. Micaela earned a Master's degree in Community and Regional Planning from the University of New Mexico."

Dem State Treasurer Tim Eichenberg is seeking a second term so it's unlikely a woman will get a shot this cycle at taking that office. Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver is also seeking re-election to her position which has traditionally been occupied by a woman.

The attorney general's office is no longer an exclusive male province. Democrat Patricia Madrid served two terms ('99-'07). In 2018 Attorney General Balderas will seek a second four year term.

Finally, Now that Kelly Zunie has gotten out, it appears New Mexico will not get its first Native American Lt. Governor nominee but not its first woman.

In 1990 State Rep. Mary Thompson became the first woman to become the GOP lieutenant governor nominee. ABQ. State Sen. Sue Wilson Beffort would repeat the feat when she became the GOP Lt. Gov. nominee in 2006.

Zunie says she does not believe she is in compliance with residency requirement and is ending her candidacy but she also was the subject of some severe publicity over her finances which she did not mention when she called it quits.

It is kind of odd to see a Native American whose ancestors have been here for thousands of years have to get out because she may not meet the residency requirement.

Rep. Steve Pearce is the only GOP Guv candidate. ABQ GOP State Sen. Mark Moores is expected to announce his candidacy for lieutenant governor in the coming weeks.

PADILLA AND GRISHAM

Padilla
And by now you've heard how state senator and Dem lieutenant governor candidate Michael Padilla has been called on to quit his candidacy by leading Dem Guv candidate Michelle Lujan Grisham. Padilla's past problems with sexual harassment complaints against him has been gnawing at his candidacy for months, but Dems have not pushed him to get out and spare the party a major embarrassment and perhaps a major loss--until now.

In fact Grisham was eating with Padilla at his annual Matanza last month and they looked plenty chummy together. That prompted a cry of hypocrisy from the NM GOP and others over her telling Padilla, a widely respected legislator, to hit the exits.

Well, there's hypocrisy and there's survival---her survival. The charges of harassment were made while Padilla was toiling for the city of ABQ years ago and were settled out of court. But the atmosphere regarding the issue has become toxic and it's hard to see a way forward for Padilla with Grisham dumping him.

Former ABQ State Rep. Rick Miera, Taos educator Jeff Carr and former Dona Ana County Commissioner Bill Garrett are the other lt. governor contenders.

Is Grisham going to continue to involve herself in the race for the second spot. Does she want Garrett from the south to balance the ticket? Or a Hispanic nominee like Miera to help in the north?

Grisham may be hypocritical but Padilla was downright obtuse for not dealing with the issue publicly early in his statewide campaign. The charges were vetted when he ran for senate but that's the South Valley not the brightly lit stage of statewide La Politica.
Now the issue appears to be dealing his hopes to become the Light Guv a deadly blow.

The three governor candidates will be at a Las Cruces fund-raiser today at 6:15 p.m. and are set to go live on Facebook from there and field questions. Will the Padilla matter come up?

Of course, this being New Mexico anything can happen. What about a Padilla-Zunie '18 gubernatorial ticket? She can absolve him of any wrongdoing when it comes to harassment and he can help her pay her back taxes.

This is the home of New Mexico politics.

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2017
 
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