Friday, May 29, 2009

Ortiz y Pino To Run for Lt. Gov.


State Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino soon will be announcing he's running for lieutenant governor, he told me Thursday.

He said he came to realize that under the Legislature's seniority system, it would take years to get a committee chairmanship or other leadership position.

"I think if I'm going to have more of an impact, I should run for lieutenant governor ... I think it would be great to work with Diane Denish. I have no ambitions beyond that. I'm not aiming to be a (U.S.) senator or governor."

He joked that he was one of the few Democrats in the state who wasn't already running for lieutenant governor. However, the only announced candidate so far is Santa Fe County Sheriff Greg Solano. State Auditor Hector Balderas and state Sen. Linda Lopez, D-Albuquerque, also are contemplating a run for the office.

Read the whole story HERE