Rodefer Challenging Sapien

Former state Rep. Ben Rodefer will challenge state Sen. John Sapien of Corrales in the Democratic primary.

"I am humbled by the many community leaders who have asked me to serve this district again. I look forward to a spirited campaign with Senator Sapien," Rodefer said in a news release. "Elections are about choices, and I think there is a clear choice for voters to make this year."

Rodefer was elected to the Legislature in 2008 but was defeated in 2010 by Republican David Doyle.

If Rodefer is successful in the primary, he will face Doyle -- who recently announced he's seeking the GOP nomination for the District 9 seat -- once again in November.

Another State Senator Not Seeking Re-election

Boitano

State Sen. Mark Boitano of Albuquerque just announced that he'll be joining fellow Republicans Clint Harden and Vern Asbill and Democrat Dede Feldman in not seeking re-election next year.

 “I have always believed in term limits, and after four terms in the Senate, it is time to move on and allow others to continue the fight in the Senate to improve New Mexico,” Boitano said in a news release.

“I have a real estate business to run, a wife and children I love and want to spend more time with, and I will begin looking for new opportunities to serve my community and state,” he said.

Sen. Rue Seeks Re-election

Sen. Sander Rue

I have to admit that when I just saw the email without a subject line from state Sen. Sander Rue, my first thought was, "Oh No! Another one bites the dust!"

But that's not the case.

The email was announcing that Rue will be running for re-election for his west-side Albuquerque district.

His announcement stressed Rue's sponsorship of the bill that created the Sunshine Portal as well as his support for education reform

Roundhouse Roundup: Did Auditor Spat Push Harden Out?

A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican 
Feb. 26 2012


Did the well-publicized feud between Public Regulation Commissioner Pat Lyons and State Auditor Hector Balderas lead indirectly to State Sen. Clint Harden getting a challenger in the Republican primary?

Sen. Harden

Lyons denies it, but Harden — who decided not to seek another Senate term after Lyons’ niece, Angie Spears, announced her candidacy against him — thinks it might be a factor.

Harden last week told me that he and his wife had decided last year that he would seek one more term representing the northeastern Senate District 7 — unless he got a primary opponent.

Then, just a couple of days before the legislative session ended, Spears, a 37-year-old mother of four, a former state Senate bill analyst and director of a Clovis counseling agency, announced she would seek the seat. “We need leaders with the courage to stand up to the status quo and fight for real reforms. New Mexicans are fed up with politicians who don’t represent their views,” she said in a news release.

PRC Commissioner Lyons

The release contained endorsements of two powerful Republicans in the district — Lyons, her uncle, who had held the seat for 10 years before Harden, and Matt Chandler, the district attorney in Clovis and GOP nominee for attorney general last year, who is related to Spears through marriage.

The weekend after the session, Harden announced he would not seek re-election. “I just didn’t want to run in a primary and then against a Democrat in November,” he told me. “I just don’t like the ugliness of the political arena. It’s too hyperpartisan.”

A primary had potential for nastiness. Harden said constituents had received robo-calls blasting him. The pre-recorded call accused him of voting for driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants. “It didn’t mention that was the 2003 vote,” Harden said. He’s since voted to repeal the bill.

Angie Spears

Harden said he doesn’t have any proof, but he suspects Gov. Susana Martinez might have been behind the challenge. The governor, he thinks, might not like the fact that Harden was the only Republican senator to vote in favor of Sen. Linda Lopez’s bill that would have required intervention and remediation for third-graders not proficient in reading. Lopez’s bill was the Democrats’ alternate to Martinez’s bill that would require such third-graders to be retained.

“I made it clear that I would vote for any bill to help kids read,” Harden said.

He also said Martinez probably didn’t like his vote in favor of Senate Democratic Leader Michael Sanchez’s bill that would require some criminal records to be expunged. But he wasn’t alone there. A strong majority of Republican senators also voted for that bill.

Spears, by the way, denies that Martinez was behind her candidacy. She noted that Martinez didn’t endorse her until Harden dropped out.

But, asked about Lyons, Harden said he also got on the commissioner’s bad side when he declined to sponsor a proposed constitutional amendment that Lyons had asked him to carry. That measure would have made the office of state auditor an appointed, not an elected, position. It also would have required the auditor to be a certified public accountant. Balderas is a lawyer, not a CPA.

Early during the session, Balderas called upon Lyons to resign from the PRC for improper use of a state vehicle. Lyons said Balderas was trying to score points in his U.S. Senate race. It wasn’t the first time the two had been at each other’s throats.

“I just didn’t want to get involved in that,” Harden said.

Lyons confirmed that he asked Harden to sponsor the legislation but denied he holds a grudge that Harden declined. “I like Clint. He’s a good guy.” Lyons also said he never talked to Martinez about running someone against Harden. “The governor never talks to me,” he said.

Harden, who is known as a champion for children with autism, said he intends to remain active in that and other areas.

For a look at other changes coming in the Legislature see my Saturday story in the New Mexican.

Dede Feldman Leaving Senate

Sen. Dede Feldman, who has represented her northwest Albuquerque district for 16 years, will not seek re-election to the state Senate this year.

In an email to constituents, Feldman wrote:

Now it is time for me to move on into new fields, and clear the way for someone new to carry the torch for Senate District 13 in Santa Fe. I have been honored and humbled to serve the people of the North Valley—and beyond.

But here's the part I like best: "I will step up my blog and continue my e-mail newsletter. And stay tuned. I am working on a book, hopefully out next year, on how the New Mexico legislature really works."

That's a book I'll read.

Democrat Feldman joins a growing list of senators not seeking re-election. In the past week, Sens. Clint Harden of Clovis and Vern Asbill of Carlsbad, both Republicans, have announced their intentions to retire. Sen. Eric Griego, D-Albuquerque, is seeking a Congressional seat.

Also either Sen. Rod Adair or Sen. Bill Burt won't be back next year. The two Republicans are pitted against each other due to redistricting. (I guess it's possible both won't be returning, but that southeastern district would be pretty tough for a Democrat to win.)

So it looks like there's going be a significant number of new faces in the Senate next year.

UPDATE: 12:10 pm The plot thickens. Rep. Bill O'Neill just announced that he's giving up his House seat to run for Feldman's Senate seat. O'Neill's House district is considered a swing district, which O'Neill won by just a hair in 2008.
“Residents of this area know my work in the House, and I know their keen interest in having legislators work together," O'Neill said in an email announcement. "I loved being in the House, and hope that experience will help build consensus on key issues facing our state.”

Susana & The Hair Dresser

The story, first broken by Stuart Dyson at KOB, of Gov. Susana Martinez and the hairstylist spread all over the Internet yesterday.

In short, the openly gay Santa Fe hairdresser, who has cut the governor's hair a few times in the past, is refusing to do so now because he learned that Martinez does not support gay marriage.

For a story in today's New Mexican I spoke with hairdresser Antonio Darden as well as the governor's office.

And the governor's office provided a voice mail left by Darden last week. You can play that below.

Martinez spokesman Scott Darnell stressed that Darden was not Martinez's regular hairdresser, saying, "He only cut her hair two or three times about 10 months ago."

He said that Martinez has a regular hairdresser  in Santa Fe as well as one in Las Cruces.

The only other contact the Governor's Office had with Darden, Darnell said, was when a governor's staffer "called seven or eight different hairstylists about three months ago, on short notice, to see if any had time to get the governor in for a quick haircut. [Darden] and a couple others simply said they weren't able to, but another location was."

Following Dyson's  report the night before on Darden refusing to take an appointment for Martinez, the Governor's Office on Wednesday received calls from more than 10 hairstyling businesses that said they'd be "more happy to cut the governor's hair," Darnell said.

 Darden said he received more than 100 calls of support Wednesday. Some were from other hairdressers saying they also would refuse to work for Martinez.

In the message makes a references  to a controversial outburst at the state Capitol last year in which state Rep. Sheryl Williams-Stapleton, D-Albuquerque, accused a Republican legislator of "carrying water for the Mexican on the fourth floor" -- a reference to Martinez.

In the voice mail, Darden said the comment was "appropriate since she wants to be attacking the gay people." On Wednesday he said the point he was trying to make in bringing up Stapleton's comment was that nobody should be attacking other groups -- be they Mexican Americans or gay people.

Among the various reports around the web was a blog post on New York magazine's site that  had a tongue-in-cheek headline: "The Gay Hairdresser Revolt Has Begun."

 "Maybe it's just an isolated incident -- or maybe it will become the catalyst of a nationwide boycott that will wreak havoc on the hair of anti-equality politicians across the country," the blog said.

Rasmussen: Obama Leads, Senate Race Close in NM

While my head was lost in the Legislature last week, the Rasmussen organization was polling in New Mexico.

President Obama, according to the poll, would handily defeat both Rick Santorum (55 percent to 37 percent) and Mitt Romney (55 percent to 36 percent.)

That's even stronger for Obama than the last PPP poll here, which was done in mid December. According to that poll, Obama was beating Romney 53 percent to 38 percent. (Santorum apparently wasn't included in that poll. Obama was leading other Republican candidates by similar margins in the PPP match-ups)

PPP is a Democratic polling company. any observers say Rasmussen tilts toward the GOP. But they seem to be on the same page in this state.

It's enough to make you wonder whether New Mexico will still be considered a swing state in the presidential race.

However, the Senate race still looks swingin'.

The new Rasmussen poll shows that the Senate race is a virtual toss-up,showing Democrat Martin Heinrich with a 2 percent advantage over Republican Heather Wilson. When Hector Balderas is named as the Democratic candidate, he and Wilson are tied at 44 percent each.

Rasmussen's automated poll is of  500 likely voters, conducted on February 14. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points.

UPDATE: 4 pm Wednesday Rob over at Capitol Report New Mexico posted some Rasmussen numbers on Gov. Susana Martinez. In a nutshell, she's popular, according to last week's poll. 33 percent of voters polled strongly approve while another 33 percent "somewhat" approve.

While the 94 percent approval rating from Republicans could almost be expected, what interested me is that a majority of Democrats also approve of her performance -- 21 percent strongly and another 32 somewhat. Read all the numbers HERE.

Two GOP State Senators Stepping Down

Sen. Asbill

Two Republicans in the state Senate, Clint Harden of Clovis and Vern Asbill of Carlsbad, are not seeking re-election this year.

Senate Republican spokeswoman Diane Kinderwater just emailed the news about Asbill.

“Our precious grandchildren are growing very fast, way too fast, and we want to spend more of our time with them in Artesia.” Asbill said in the news release.

Sen. Harden

The email contained quotes from fellow senators from both sides of the aisle praising Asbill, a career educator, for his sponsorship of bills last year establishing the A-F grading of schools and expanding Katie's Law to require DNA samples from all felony arrests.

Meanwhile, the Clovis News Journal reported Saturday that Harden won't run this year. Harden, a former state Labor secretary, perhaps best was known for being a champion of children with autism.

Last week another candidate, political newcomer Angie Spears, announced she was running for Harden's seat.

Gov. Signing Anti-Corruption Bill Today

There was no serious doubt that Gov. Susana would sign Senate Bill 197 -- Sen. Bill Payne's bill anti-corruption bill. In fact she's making it the first bill she signs after the session. She's doing it today at 3 p.m. in front of the Albuquerque Metro Court Building.

There's not just a little but of symbolism involved here. That courthouse project is what landed former Sen. Manny Aragon in prison.

The bill will make it possible for state officials who are convicted of corruption charges. It wouldn't have affected Aragon because he was convicted of federal charges.

Roundhouse Roundup: Who's Buying Their Lunch?

A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican 
Feb. 19 2012


During the recent session, several reporters and political bloggers saw their stories blasted on the floor of the House or the Senate. I was among them.

In fact, one story I wrote early in the session, the one about the American Legislative Exchange Council, (ALEC) got blasted on the floors of both chambers.

Even though one lawmaker called the story “reckless journalism,” it wasn’t actually the story that got some legislators upset, but the fact that a handful of Occupy Santa Fe protesters barged into an ALEC dinner and a guest of a House member was injured by a piece of cardboard thrown by a protester.

Sen. Payne

 Folks in my line take stuff like this as a badge of honor. I do, too, even though I was horrified that somebody was injured. But something that stuck in my craw was said during the ALEC outrage.

That’s when Senate Republican Leader Bill Payne not only criticized the ALEC piece, but another story I had written that week — one of my weekly-or-so reports on the money lobbyists spend on parties, receptions, drinks and gifts during the session.

Payne said the lobbyist article, based on the reports lobbyists are required to file with the Secretary of State’s Office, implied that there was something wrong with lobbyists spending cash in local bars, restaurants and hotel ballrooms and thus contributed to an “anti-business” bias in Santa Fe.

Of course, that’s not true. I know a lot of folks in the hospitality business, and I’m happy that the big show at the Roundhouse gives local businesses a bump. And I know a lot of lobbyists. I don’t consider them to be the embodiment of all evil in politics. I know they aren’t trying to “buy votes” with drinks or fancy dinners — though social events are a good way to build relationships with legislators and other officials.

I’d be the last one to want to throw water on a party. But here’s the deal: I think you, the reader, has the right to know who’s buying lunch for your lawmakers. So expect similar stories based on lobbyist reports in sessions to come.


Here's links to my articles on lobbyist reports during the past session:

HERE  HERE  and HERE

Rep. Bratton

A memorable memorial: As I’m writing this column, on the last night of the session, I’m listening to the Senate “debate” a memorial to encourage the chile industry in New Mexico. Not that I object to our chile industry and the marvelous product it produces. But jeeeeez! Meanwhile, all sorts of serious legislation is rotting on the legislative vine.

But there was one memorial this session that would have been worth passing. In fact, maybe it should have been a bill.

House Republican Whip Don Bratton of Hobbs introduced House Memorial 69 — calling for a second legislative session just to handle memorials. The idea for a special session for memorials is tongue-in-cheek, but the points that HM 69 raises are valid.

In this piece of legislation, Bratton notes that in 1996, there were only seven House memorials introduced. But this year, there were at least 76 House memorials introduced. (He doesn’t even mention the fact that the Senate introduced at least 87 memorials this year, up from the 55 that were introduced in the Senate in the previous 30-day session.)

HM 69 says that memorials in the House alone cost the taxpayers roughly $35 per page for 450 pages and that the House has spent an average of two hours a day debating and passing memorials.

The memorial says, “the people of New Mexico would be disappointed to know that their elected representatives are spending two hours per day debating memorials that carry no legal weight ...”

Sometimes in legislative-speak “disappointed” means horrified.

Bratton’s memorial went nowhere. According to the Legislature’s online bill-finder, it never got out of its first committee.