Sunday, September 8, 2013

Maggie's In for SOS

Bernalillo County Clerk Maggie Toulouse Oliver announced this weekend that she will run to be the Democratic Party’s nominee to run next year against Republican incumbent Dianna Duran for Secretary of State.

State Democratic Party Chairman Sam Bregman confirmed Sunday that Oliver, who is serving her second elected term as clerk, made her run official Saturday at the party’s State Central Committee meeting in Albuquerque.

“She is a tremendous public servant and will make a great secretary of state,” Bregman said. Oliver couldn’t be reached for comment Sunday.

Bregman said he hasn’t heard of any other Democrats seeking the office. “It would be very difficult to take on Maggie at this point,” he said

Democrats have had their eye on that office ever since Duran, a former state senator from Tularosa beat incumbent Democrat Mary Herrera in 2010. “It’s an extremely important race because there’s no more important right than the right to vote,” Bregman said.

Oliver has served as Bernalillo County clerk since January, 2007. She was initially appointed by the commission to fill Herrera’s unexpired term when she was elected secretary of state. Oliver was elected to the office in 2008 then re-elected last year. A native of Albuquerque, she received a masters degree in political science in 2004.

She is married to Alan Oliver, a former CEO of the New Mexico Green Chamber of Commerce and currently executive director of the Thornburg Foundation. The couple have two young sons.

UPDATE: 9-9-13 2:50 pm SOS Duran is from Tularosa, not Carrizozo as stated in an earlier version of this post. Also, Allan Oliver's current job has been added to the text.