Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Roundhouse Roundup: Where Susana is Finding Her Transition and Search Teams

A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican 
November 11, 2010

Gov.-elect Susana Martinez and her helpers have been busy the past few days releasing the names of people appointed to her transition team and all the various search committees.

Surprise, surprise: Most of these, like Martinez, are Republicans.

Here's a partial breakdown of some of the pools from which Martinez is drawing the members of those groups.

Remember, these are just temporary positions, not permanent state jobs. But I wouldn't be surprised to see some of these names in the Martinez administration.


  • Former Republican legislators: Brian Moore, Transition Team; Steve Komadina and Kathy McCoy (who did not run for re-election to the House of Representatives), Health/Human Services/Children, Youth & Families; and Duncan Scott, general counsel search. 
  • Former Democratic legislator: Caleb Chandler, Corrections.
  • Former 2010 Republican candidates: Governor contender Pete Domenici Jr., Energy & Environment; lieutenant governor contender Moore; congressional candidate Jon Barela, Economic Development; and attorney general candidate Matt Chandler, Public Safety/Homeland Security.
  • Spouses of GOP gubernatorial candidates: Chuck Franco, Martinez's husband, for Energy & Environment; and John Jones, husband of State Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones, state engineer search committee.
  • Martinez campaign staff and contractors: Ryan Cangiolosi, Danny Diaz, Matt Stackpole, Matt Kennicott and Nicole McCleskey, Transition Team; and Jay McCleskey, chief of staff search.
  • Former Gary Johnson administration officials: Heather Wilson, Transition Team; Lou Gallegos, chief of staff search; Rob Perry, Corrections; Darren White, Public Safety/Homeland Security; Janet Green, Tourism/Cultural Affairs; Mary Yates, Economic Development;  and Peter Maggiore, state engineer search committee.
  • Former Garrey Carruthers administration officials: Max Best, general counsel search; Green
  • Former Pete Domenici U.S. Senate staffers: Steve Bell, chief of staff search; Gallegos
  • Former Heather Wilson congressional staffers: Julie Drieke, Health/Human Services/Children, Youth & Families; and Colin Hunter, state engineer search.
  • Lawyers: Paul Kennedy, Transition Team; Duncan Scott, Perry, Domenici Jr., Matt Chandler, Paul Kienzle, Colin Hunter and Bill Lutz, general counsel search; Joel Carson, Energy/Environment; and Jack Fortner, Economic Development.
  • Physician: Komadina
  • Law Enforcement: Darren White, Matt Chandler, Ernesto Ortega, Sal Baragiola, Dan Darnell, Paul Pacheco and Beth Paiz, Public Safety/Homeland Security; Caleb Chandler, Gregg Marcantel, Alfonso Solis, Elmer Bustos, Corrections; Franco
  • Oil & Gas Industry: T. Greg Merrion and Mark Murphy, Energy & Environment
  • Agriculture: Roy Farr and Rance Miles, Energy & Environment; Sharon Lombardi, Economic Development; and Erminio Martinez, state engineer search.

The New Face of the GOP: On Wednesday, CNN's John King interviewed Martinez on his show. King called her "the new face of the Republican Party." The gov-elect didn't argue with him.

Martinez spent much of her time talking about border issues, reiterating her pledge to repeal the law allowing undocumented residents to get driver's licenses and to revoke the licenses already granted to the undocumented.

But she said she doesn't favor an immigration law like Arizona's. "I never want an individual who's in New Mexico, who has been a victim of a violent crime, not to be able to dial 911 and call the police and get the same treatment that any American citizen would receive as a victim of crime."

UPDATE: 11-11-10 3:30 pm.  I added the name of Peter Maggiore to the committee members from the Johnson administration. Maggiore was Johnson's environmental secretary.