Janice is In

Janice Arnold-Jones is through exploring. She's running for Congress in CD1 in the Republican primary.

Her campaign guy Steve Kush said the former Albuquerque legislator has sent in all the paperwork to the Federal Election Commission. A formal announcement is coming some day soon.

Albuquerque City Councilor Dan Lewis is running in the GOP primary. State Economic Development Secretary Jon Barela is thinking about it.

Arnold-Jones said in her news release:

“At a time when millions of Americans are without jobs and our economy is upside down our nation is faced with a clear and present danger. Spiraling national debt, a President who is more interested in photo ops than staying at the negotiating table and an energy policy that threatens our nation’s security are among the issues I can no longer remain silent on. It is time to move forward, as a campaign committee, so we can debate the issues of the day and let the voters decide who is best suited to go to Washington and work to fix our broken government and make America the strong nation she once was.”

Keller to Seek Re-election to State Senate, Not Run for Congress

State Sen. Tim Keller, D-Albuquerque, told Capitol Reports earlier this month that he was thinking of making a run for U.S. Rep. Martin Heinrich's seat because Heinrich is running for retiring Jeff Bingaman's U.S. Senate seat.


However, in a Facebook post this morning, Keller announced he wants to stay put.

Many thanks to all of you that have been encouraging me to run for Congress. I greatly appreciate your enthusiasm! Liz and I remain passionate about local public service, but instead of congress I will be running for re-election to the NM senate next year. Thank you again for your continued support.

(Liz is Keller's fiancée.)

So, on the Democratic side, that leaves state Sen. Eric Griego and state Rep. Moe Maestas as possible contenders. Both have announced they are considering such a run.

On the Republican side, former state Rep. Janice Arnold Jones is considering the CD1 race, while Albuquerque City Councilor Dan Lewis has already thrown his hat in the GOP primary.

Just yesterday I saw a  article in The Hill, a Washington, D.C. publication about the CD 1 race that opines Arnold-Jones would likely have the edge to get the Republican nomination.

The Hill also quotes an anonymous observer saying  Griego's announcement last month about forming an exploratory committee was "sloppy" because it was the day before Heinrich announced his Senate run.

Janice Arnold Jones Looking at CD1

Former State Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones, who ran for governor last year, announced this morning that she's formed an exploratory committee for a possible run for the Republican nomination for  U.S. House of Representatives in New Mexico’s First Congressional District.

From her news release:

“Since the announcement by Senator Jeff Bingaman that he will retire at the end of his term I’ve received numerous telephone calls and emails asking me to run for several different offices,” Janice Arnold-Jones said. “The majority of these calls have been supporters asking me to step forward and run for Congress. Forming an exploratory committee is the first step in a possible run.”


“At this time I am not a candidate for office. I am testing the waters,” Arnold-Jones commented. “The two biggest things that must be tested are whether or not we can raise the financial resources necessary and how much support can be generated. ... The chatter revolving around Congressman Martin Heinrich possibly running for US Senate definitely helped lead to the formation of this exploratory committee.”

Roundhouse Roundup: Dancing With the Candidates

A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
May 13, 2010

Susana Martinez once won a ballroom dancing competition. Doug Turner enjoys ’70s cinema. Pete Domenici Jr., a lawyer for more than 20 years, has been quietly taking graduate classes in community and regional planning. Janice Arnold-Jones likes the UNM Lobos better than any professional sports team.

These are just some of the fun facts gleaned from a recent questionnaire I sent to Republican candidates for governor. I included several “personality questions” along with the serious issues questions that were part of my candidate profiles that were published in this newspaper on Sunday. (All the answers to those issue questions can be found online HERE)

The fifth GOP candidate, Allen Weh, chose not to participate in the questionnaire.

Of course, this might seem frivolous and it’s doubtful anyone will chose a governor based on favorite books and movies. But some voters like to know a little about the personalities and personal lives of the people who might become chief executive.

There actually are at least two dancers among the GOP candidates. Arnold-Jones listed dancing along with gardening as her hobbies. But Martinez actually won the “Dancing with Las Cruces” ballroom dance contest last year.

Martinez listed that under the category “Talents some people might not know you had.” Answering that same question, Domenici mentioned his status as a grad student at The University of New Mexico School of Architecture. He said he has 45 hours of course work completed for a degree in planning.

Arnold-Jones, besides her talent in dancing, also mentioned that she was chief coach for the American Youth Soccer Organization in Albuquerque, where she not only coached kids, but taught other adults how to coach.

Turner’s secret talent was cooking. There he faces serious competition from Weh, whose campaign has released videos of the candidate preparing soup and curry dishes.

I asked the candidates which book they read most recently. Arnold-Jones answered Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson. Turner listed two: Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel and I Claudius by Robert Graves. Martinez, a district attorney, apparently likes courtroom drama. She said her most recent book was The Summons by John Grisham.

Domenici said his most recent was The Mouse and The Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary. He clarified that he read this with his 10-year-old daughter.

Asked about their favorite movies, Domenici went with a Western, 3:10 to Yuma. (I’m not sure if he meant the 1957 original with Glenn Ford or the 2007 remake with Russell Crowe.)

Two of Arnold-Jones’ film picks were sports films — Field of Dreams and The Replacements. She also listed In Harm’s Way, a World War II movie starring John Wayne.

Turner listed three movies from the ’70s. Two dramas — Three Days of the Condor and Serpico — and a Peter Sellers comedy, Being There.

As for professional sports teams, Martinez likes the Dallas Cowboys, while Domenici is a fan of the Phoenix Suns basketball team. Arnold-Jones said, “the Lobos! (OK so it’s collegiate! Still love ’em.)”

Turner didn’t answer the favorite professional sports. But unsolicited, he named his favorite modern philosopher — libertarian heroine and Atlas Shrugged author Ayn Rand.

I also asked the candidates to name their favorite figure in American history. Martinez and Turner chose a safe bet as far as Republican primary voters go: Ronald Reagan. (Turner also listed Thomas Payne and Teddy Roosevelt.)

Arnold-Jones went with another Republican president, one Abraham Lincoln. She liked Honest Abe's "Team of Rivals" aspect. "He governed by consensus, and surrounded himself with people who would enrich his decisions. That’s what I have done as a state representative and it’s what I will do as governor," Arnold-Jones wrote.

Domenici went with one outside the realm of politics: Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

R.I.P. Jetter Johnson: A local civil-rights pioneer and longtime state worker died Tuesday at Christus/St. Vincent Regional Medical Center. With her late husband, Jetter Johnson, 89, started the Santa Fe chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in the early ’70s.

Johnson worked for many years at the county welfare office, first as a Food Stamp worker, then a Food Stamp supervisor, retiring in 1984. I first got to know her because she worked with my mom in the ’70s and ’80s.

She was a sweet and wonderful lady.

Johnson is preceded in death by her husband, Tom Johnson Sr., who died 10 years ago this month. She’s survived by her children, Tom Johnson Jr. and Bea Johnson. Funeral arrangements are pending.

The Republican Gubernatorial Race

The New Mexican published my profiles of the GOP governor contenders this morning.

The main story is HERE

A story about the candidates' stances on various issues questions I asked , which appeared in the print edition, is HERE

The complete answers to those questions are HERE

Janice Arnold-Jones' profile is HERE

Pete Domenici, Jr.'s profile is HERE

Susana Martinez's profile is HERE

Doug Turner's profile is HERE

Allen Weh's profile is HERE

Roundhouse Roundup: From the Campaign Trail

A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
April 22, 2010

Note: The first segment of this week's column dealt with CREW's naming Gov. Bill Richardson as one of the 11 worst governors in the country. You can read that, as well as CREW's report on Richardson HERE.

Below is the rest of the column.

Who are the Weh 20? State Democrats are having fun with a remark that Republican gubernatorial candidate Allen Weh made in a joking manner to supporters in Los Lunas this week.

"I like telling people that there's probably 20 people in the state that could be a better governor than I could," Weh said. "But they're not running."

"Needless to say, Allen Weh makes a good point — many, many New Mexicans would make a better governor," state Democratic Party spokesman James Hallinan said Wednesday. "It's the first honest thing we've heard him say in this campaign." The Dems called on Weh to identify the 20 New Mexicans he believes would make a better governor. So far he hasn't.

The invisible endorsement: Like all candidates, GOP gubernatorial hopeful Janice Arnold-Jones usually is quick to zap off a news release whenever she wins an endorsement from a political figure or organization. On Monday, for instance, the Arnold-Jones camp released a statement touting an endorsement by fellow Republican legislator Tom Anderson of Albuquerque.

Arnold-Jones received another endorsement the same day. But somehow the campaign never sent out any public acknowledgment that she'd been endorsed by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

The union already supports Democrat Diane Denish for governor, but the leadership urged Republican members to vote for Arnold-Jones in the primary, saying that she and AFSCME "are on the same page" on issues such as transparency in government, double-dipping and "against wasteful taxpayer handouts to out-of-state mega-developers."

AFSCME political director Carter Bundy said Wednesday that nationally, Republicans make up about 25 percent of the union members who are registered with a party. In New Mexico, the percentage probably is less than that.

Although she didn't publicly thank the union for its endorsement, Bundy said Arnold-Jones sent a very nice note. "She was very gracious," he said.

The Rasmussen Poll

Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, the Democrats' nominee for governor, beats all five of her Republican opponents in a new poll by the Rasmussen Company.

Among the GOP field, Doug Turner scores best. Denish's lead over him is only 9 percentage points -- 43 percent to 34 percent. She beats Allen Weh 45 to 35 percent.

As both Turner and Weh have noted in news releases over the weekend, in these match-ups Denish scores less than 50 percent.

According to Rasmussen, Denish leads Pete Domenici, Jr. by 17 percentage points (52 percent - 35 percent); Susanna Martinez by 19 points (51-32); and Janice Arnold Jones by 22 percentage point (52-30 percent.)

Rasmussen interviewed 500 likely voters in the state on March 24. The margin of error for the survey is 4.5 percent.

Rasmussen notes, "None of the GOP primary contenders draws more than 35% support against the two-term lieutenant governor." Of course, it's a long way to November. The numbers indicate that relatively few have strong opinions of the Republican candidates, which indicates they aren't that well known. That'll change, especially after the primary.

In other poll questions, the bad news for Gov. Bill Richardson is only 39 percent approve of his job performance, while 58 percent disapprove. The good news is that these numbers are better than last month's PPP poll, which showed a 28 percent approval rating (with 63 percent disapproving.)

On national issues, 53 percent of the New Mexicans polled by Rasmussen favor the Health Care reforms passed by Congress, while 44 percent disapprove.

President Obama remains popular here, according to Rasmussen. 54 percent approve of the way he's handling the job while 46 percent disapprove.

Domenici Jr. Leads in NMSU Poll

Actually Pete Domenici Jr. is in second place behind perennial candidate I. Dunno.

The poll is the first scientific one I've seen for the governor's primary. It was conducted Feb. 9-13 by political science students at NMSU. 444 registered Republicans who voted in at least one of the last two GOP primaries. They were asked which candidate they supported for governor.

Results (including those who said they are leaning toward a candidate):

Not sure or refused to answer: 42.6 percent

Pete Domenici Jr.: 29.3 percent

Susana Martinez: 11.5 percent

Allen Weh: 7.4 percent

Doug Turner: 6.8 percent

Janice Arnold-Jones: 2.5 percent.

Name recognition apparently is a big factor here. More than 36 percent named Domenici as a candidate without prompting. (His dad, Pete Sr. was a U.S. senator from New Mexico for 36 years.) More than 21 percent named former state GOP Chairman Weh. Martinez was named by 18-plus percent, while more than 16 percent named Turner. A little less than 8 percent named Arnold-Jones without prompting.

In today's Las Cruces Sun, spokesmen for two of the candidates disputed the poll. Weh's spokesman said the poll was biased, claiming Jose Garcia, the NMSU professor in charge of the class that conducted the poll, is a Martinez supporter. Garcia denied it, pointing out that he's a Democrat.

Arnold-Jones' spokesman apparently consulted the Golden Treasury of Campaign Clichés, when he responded, "The only poll that matters is the one taken by the voters on Election Day, and I am confident the voters will respond to Representative Arnold-Jones' message."

It should be noted that the poll was taken before the recent controversy over Domenici Jr.'s admission in a radio interview that he tried cocaine and marijuana as a young man and his stumbling statement that about which Republicans could beat Democrat Diane Denish in November. (He initially said none of the GOP candidates could win, then went on to correct himself -- sort of -- saying he thinks he can win, but not all the Republicans could.)

How that big number of undecideds reacts to that interview could be a major consideration in this race.

The full poll with all the questions is below.

20100220 GOPPoll.results

Janice's Campaign Contributors

Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones, R-Albuquerque, has raised about $52,000 for her gubernatorial campaign, which I reported in today's paper. She joins Democrat Diane Denish in reporting her contributors several months before it's legally required.

A couple of political names up on Arnold-Jones' contributor list. State Sen. Mark Boitano, R-Albuquerque, gave her $500. In 2008 both Boitano and Arnold-Jones told reporter Dennis Domrzalski that the state GOP strongly discouraged -- and that's being polite -- from running for the Congressional seat then being vacated by Heather Wilson. The state party then was headed by Allen Weh, who now is running for governor.

Arnold-Jones also got a $500 check from one of her former House colleagues, ex-Rep. Benjie Regensberg of Cleveland, N.M. The surprising thing here is that Regensberg is a Democrat. He lost his re-election race in 2004 when Hector Balderas beat him in the primary. Balderas has since been elected to state auditor.

UPDATE: I just noticed some more politicians contributing to the Arnold-Jones campaign.

There's House Republican Caucus Leader Anna Crook of Clovis, whose campaign organization gave $100. Former state GOP Chairman Ed Lujan kicked in $150.

And there's another Democrat -- Albuquerque lawyer Eric Sedillo Jeffries, who for a brief time was seeking the Democratic nomination for attorney general. He dropped out of the race in late 2005, backing fellow Democrat Gary King, who went on to win the primary and general election. Jeffries gave Republican Arnold-Jones $100.

Denish to Suspend Fund-raising During Session

Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, who already has raised more than $ 2 million for her re-election campaign, announced today that she voluntarily will suspend fund-raising during the 30 day Legislative session that begins in late January, as well as during the 20 days preceding the session and the 20-day bill-signing period following the session.

She doesn't have to. The state law banning the solicitation of contribution only applies to legislators and the governor.

“When the legislature is in session, I believe our focus must be solely on the issues important to New Mexico families, not campaign fundraising," Denish said in a news release.

As lieutenant governor, Denish has a role in the Legislature. She presides over the Senate and casts the deciding vote in the infrequent case of a tie.

She also challenged her Republican counterparts. "There is nothing stopping the Republican candidates in the race from taking the same voluntary steps to level the playing field. This is an opportunity for all of the candidates to take the high road.”

One of the four will have to do that. Janice Arnold-Jones is a sitting member of the state House of Representatives.

Let the Debates Begin!

I know, it's not even Christmas yet and we're still about seven months before the primaries, but the first of (I bet) several debates among the gubernatorial hopefuls is scheduled for next Wednesday.

It's sponsored by the conservative think tank The Rio Grande Foundation and scheduled for 6 pm in the auditorium at the Albuquerque Museum 2000 Mountain Road NW near Old Town. Candidates from both parties are invited.

Actually, a news release says, it's not a formal debate format, "rather it is an informal question and answer discussion that will allow average citizens, regardless of party affiliation, to `kick the tires' and find out more about the candidates who have declared for New Mexico’s highest office."

You can kick the tires, but I'm guessing that kicking the candidates is discouraged.

Admission is $5 payable at the door. Those who want to attend can send an e-mail to: rsvp@riograndefoundation.org.

The discussion will be moderated by RGF president Paul Gessing. The event will be filmed by the foundation with footage posted at their Web site.

I haven't checked which candidates are coming and which aren't. But I know one who is. I just got an e-mail from the Janice Arnold-Jones campaign saying "Janice is Ready!"

Eichenberg Says Denish Can't Win

Photographer/Blogger Mark Bralley got a nice scoop involving the governor's race.

State Sen. Tim Eichenberg, D-Albuquerque, who had been considering a race for lieutenant governor, showed up at a coffee held by state Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones , R-Albuquerque -- who is running for governor -- and said Lt. Governor Diane Denish "can't win."

From Bralley's blog What's Wrong With This Picture:

He talked with current Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, who is the only declared gubernatorial Democratic Party candidate, telling her that because of her “complacency or complicity with the ‘pay-to-play’” atmosphere surrounding the administration of Governor Bill Richardson, and standing quietly behind him, Eichenberg was unwilling to invest a half million dollars in a losing campaign.

"I looked her square in the eye when I said that,” Eichenberg said. “I told her I didn’t think she was going to win.”

Pretty strong words from a fellow Democrat!

As I blogged here a couple of weeks ago, I talked with Eichenberg at the outset of the special session and he told me he wouldn't be running. At that time, however, he didn't mention pay-to-play or spending a half-million dollars on a losing race.

Eichenberg told me that he "doesn't compliment the ticket." As I said at the time, I assumed he was talking about ethnicity. He would have been the only Anglo among six Hispanic candidates. Denish also is Anglo.

Why was he at an event sponsored by a Republican lawmaker/gubernatorial candidate? Bralley explained Eichenberg's district overlaps with Arnold-Jones' and it's billed as a "Saturday morning constituent meeting" that's "open and nonpartisan."

Reactions to Wilson's Announcement

The Dems chime in.

From state Democratic Party executive director Josh Geise:

"Heather Wilson, sensing the strength of Lt. Governor Diane Denish, today decided she would not seek the Governor’s office. The Republican Party, decimated after the 2008 election, is left with a nothing more than a handful of second-tier candidates for the state’s top office.

"Regardless of who emerges from the Republican primary, the lack of experience in their entire slate of Republican candidates should deeply concern New Mexicans. Now is not the time for on-the-job training. We need a proven leader to help New Mexico families’ weather these tough times, and none of the Republicans running come close to meeting that challenge."

GOP gubernatorial candidate Susana Martinez also issued a statement:

"Heather Wilson is an accomplished leader who is admired and respected by New Mexicans regardless of their political persuasion. I would first and foremost like to thank her for the years of service to New Mexico and the hard work and dedication she continues to exhibit on behalf of her fellow citizens. I am certain Heather will continue to have a profound and positive impact on the state she so deeply cares about. With Heather's announcement that she will not seek the governorship in 2010, it has become more clear than ever that I am the one candidate seeking the Republican Party's nomination who can build the necessary coalition to compete and win next fall. I have a proven track record of bringing people together and winning tough elections in a county where Republicans are outnumbered nearly three to one. In the weeks and months to come, I will continue to travel the state communicating my vision for New Mexico based on my conservative principles and values."

The other Republican candidates might weigh in also. I'll update if that happens.

UPDATE:

The State GOP just released this response to the state Democrats' response:

“Over the course of the last seventy years, this state has been dominated by the Democrat Party. In return for their investment, New Mexicans have received a state economy in ruins, a reputation badly tarnished by an unending string of public corruption scandals, and an education system which continues to fail our children.

“For the last six-and-a-half years, Diane Denish has occupied a platform from which she has been well positioned to champion meaningful reform. And yet the state’s current financial health and reputation reflect that she has not done this. Therefore, it becomes increasingly ridiculous that the Democrat Party continues to portray Denish as a seasoned leader while at the same time arguing that she bears no responsibility for the current administration’s failures.

“As the primary date nears, Republicans statewide will select a gubernatorial candidate with the integrity, experience, and vision necessary to get this state back on track. We are confident that come November 2010, this nominee will be elected to serve the people of New Mexico.”

ANOTHER UPDATE:

Republican candidate Janice Arnold-Jones just released this statement:

"Heather Wilson’s statement of her intentions provides clarity and opportunity for the Republican Party. Heather Wilson sacrificed her time and irreplaceable moments with her family to represent the State of New Mexico and she has more than earned a brief rest from public service. Heather Wilson served with courage, tenacity, grace and unmatched intellect in Congress. Her understanding of National Security issues is without equal. I hope she will find time to help define the path forward for the Republican Party of New Mexico and for the State in the days just ahead."

Roundhouse Roundup: Colon Stepping Down, or Is He Stepping Up?

A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
August 6, 2009

Brian Colón will step down as state Democratic Party chairman at the end of the week, moving closer to a bid for lieutenant governor.

"I am submitting my resignation to the Party on Friday and it will be effective on Saturday," Colón told me in an e-mail on Wednesday. "I will then consider my bid for Lt. Gov."

Colón, an Albuquerque lawyer closely allied with Gov. Bill Richardson and Lt. Gov. Diane Denish — the only declared 2010 Democratic gubernatorial candidate — has been chairman since April 2007. The party's Central Committee will choose another chairman. State party executive director Josh Geiss said the party is shooting for early September for that meeting.

Both Javier Gonzales, a former Santa Fe County commissioner, and Sandoval County Democratic Party chairman David Montoya have shown interest in the job, Geiss said.

"Yes, I'm definitely preparing to enter the race for state chairman," Gonzales told me Wednesday. Gonzales, who works as a business consultant and serves on the Board of Regents for New Mexico State University, said he'll start actively campaigning for the unpaid post shortly after Colón steps down.

Gonzales, the son of former Santa Fe Mayor George Gonzales, served on the County Commission between 1993 and 2002. He's often considered running for other offices, including Congress, Santa Fe mayor and — apparently like most New Mexico Democrats with a pulse — lieutenant governor.

Speaking of which: The list of active and probable Democratic lieutenant governor candidates keeps growing. State Rep. Joe Campos of Santa Rosa said Wednesday that he's adding his name to that list. Campos is in his fourth term as a legislator and has been mayor of Santa Rosa for 12 years. He also served a term as a Guadalupe County commissioner.

Announced candidates for lieutenant governor include Santa Fe County Sheriff Greg Solano and state Sens. Jerry Ortiz y Pino and Linda Lopez, both from Albuquerque. Mid-Region Council of Governments Executive Director Lawrence Rael is considering the race, as is political newcomer Matthew Padilla, a former aide to U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman.

Meanwhile, on the GOP side: State Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones of Albuquerque is telling reporters she'll seek the Republican nomination for governor next year. Arnold-Jones, first elected to her House seat in 2002, is expected to formally announce this month. Arnold-Jones is best known for webcasting House committee meetings without waiting for formal permission from House Speaker Ben Luján.

It's not known whether her announcement will stream live over the Internet.

Other GOP candidates for governor include Doña Ana County District Attorney Susana Martinez and former state party chairman Allen Weh. Former U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson has said she's considering a run, as has former Gary Johnson campaign manager Doug Turner.

Learn 'em some grammar: The Governor's Office, in announcing its "bold steps" to fight the state's astonishing dropout rate, e-mailed a statement with this quote from Gov. Bill Richardson:

"To sustain New Mexico's growing economy and workforce, all New Mexican's must at the very least graduate from high school. We must accept that in the 21st century, to secure a job that will support a family and provide a decent quality of life, a high school diploma is a must." (The emphasis is ours.)

I would hope that this high-school diploma includes mastering the correct use of the apostrophe. I don't claim to speak perfect English — my exact language is some unclassifiable Okie dialect strongly influenced by early '60s rock 'n' roll deejays — and I've made my share of typos. But the incorrect "apostrophe S" is one that drives me crazy, probably because it's so common.

Some might even suggest that this error actually might help spotlight the educational crisis in this state. So I hope all you educator's and state public information officer's get to work on that.

Roundhouse Roundup: Trouble with the House Scoreboard?

A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
March 5, 2009

Could this be the script of a political attack in the next election?

Announcer's voice (over a grainy and unflattering black-and-white photo of the legislator): "Voters in House District 24 sent Janice Arnold-Jones to the state Legislature to represent the citizens. But when it came to voting on an important bill concerning worker safety (voice begins to drip with sarcasm; cue the horror-movie music) Janice Arnold-Jones couldn't be bothered." (Show printout of roll-call vote House Bill 628; close-up on the blank space next to her name.) Call Janice Arnold-Jones (flash her home phone number) and ask her why she doesn't have the time or the courage to vote on major legislation."

No, don't really call her.

Arnold-Jones, R-Albuquerque, insists she did vote on HB628.

She pushed the button at her desk on the House floor to vote, and, she said, the red right lit up on the board that allows onlookers on the House floor and gallery to see how each member voted, indicating she voted "no," as she intended.

But after the vote, a House colleague pointed out to Arnold-Jones that the printout of the roll call on the bill did not register any vote for her.

Her vote wasn't decisive. The bill — which deals with lawyers being present during inspections of businesses by the Environment Improvement Board — failed by a 10-vote margin — 11 when you include Arnold-Jones' vote.

"It looks like I took a walk on the vote," Arnold-Jones told me. The printed record is what constituents — and researchers hired by political rivals — look at around election time.

Skipping votes can become an issue in a campaign. In 2002, Bill Richardson, running for his first term as governor, ran devastating ads against his Republican opponent, who was a state House member, for missing several votes. "John Sanchez didn't show up for work," was the disapproving catch-phrase in those ads.

There was a back-and-forth on the House floor between Arnold-Jones and Speaker Ben Luján on Wednesday. Luján said House members have to be careful. "If you just slightly hit the button, (the light) goes off again," he said. When Arnold-Jones asked that the record reflect her "no" vote, the Speaker initially hesitated, saying he didn't want to start going back and letting members vote on bills they'd missed.

But he finally relented, and no House member objected to counting Arnold-Jones' vote on HB628.

Arnold-Jones said she's convinced there's something wrong with the House electronic voting system.

"It really makes you wonder how often this happens," she told me. She doesn't believe the mistake happened on purpose. "It could easily happen to any of us," she said.

Steve Arias, chief clerk of the House, said he doesn't believe there's anything wrong with the voting system. He told me he did run a test on the system after Wednesday's floor session, and nothing appeared to be wrong.

On Tuesday, Arias said, his staff had to replace the buttons used by Rep. Ben Rodefer, D-Corrales, which, he said, had stopped working. "We tested the system three times after that, and it worked fine," Arias said.

Arias said the House first began electronic voting in 1980. The computer "brain" was upgraded in 1994. "Then there was another computer upgrade three or four years ago, and we got a new vote board," he said.

The Senate, by the way, has no electronic vote board. The votes there are done verbally or by show of hands.

Although Arias doesn't believe there is a systemic problem with the House vote apparatus, Jones is sure there is. She said she asked a sergeant at arms to bring her the printout for each floor vote.

Colón seeks second term: State Democratic Party Chairman Brian Colón announced this week that he's seeking a second term.

If he's got any opponents, they've been awfully quiet about it.

Although Colón can't — and indeed, doesn't — take complete credit for the Democratic sweep in New Mexico last November, the fact his party won the state's electoral votes for Barack Obama, took all three congressional seats and the vacant U.S. Senate seat, and picked up a six seats in the state Legislature does give Colón some pretty good bragging rights for his re-election.

As he said in his e-mail announcement, "We funded and ran a nearly $2 million coordinated campaign to insure that while the Obama Campaign was working to elect Barack Obama, our local candidates had resources to grab his coattails and ride them to victory."

Not surprisingly, Colón's announcement says nothing about one of the Democrats' less lustrous moments last year — the February presidential caucus, which brought complaints about inaccurate voter lists, inadequate numbers of ballots and general confusion. Plus, it took a couple of weeks to get the final results — in which Hillary Clinton barely edged Obama. A promised public summit concerning the future of the caucus was canceled in April and never rescheduled.

Colón is a strong ally of Gov. Bill Richardson. In a recent opinion piece in an Albuquerque paper, Colón claimed the federal grand-jury investigation into an alleged state pay-to-play scheme was politically motivated. Colón served as treasurer of a Richardson public charity, the Moving America Forward Foundation, which has refused to disclosed contributors and expenditures.

IT'S BAAAACK

Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones is webcasting the House Voters & Elections Committee.

CLICK HERE