Nunez Goes Indie

Rep. Andy Nunez of Hatch made it official this afternoon and switched party registration from Democrat to "Declined to State." He signed the papers in the Secretary of State's office. (Larry Dominguez of the SOS office looks on in the above photo.)

This is all fallout from the failed leadership coup in which Nunez vocally backed a proposed coalition between Republicans and southern Democrats. That cost Nunez his chairmanship of the House Agriculture Committee as well as his membership on the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

Asked why he did not want to join Republicans, Nunez said, "I'm just not that far right." His wife, however changed her registration from Democrat to Republican last week after Nunez lost his chairmanship.

Nunez becomes the first independent legislator in New Mexico in at least 30 years, but the sixth to change parties since 1983.

"At least I don't have to go to caucus meetings anymore," he joked.

More in tomorrow's New Mexican.

Nunez Says He's "Seriously Debating" Switching Parties

The slim margin between Democrats and Republicans in the House might become even slimmer.

After being dumped as chairman of the Agriculture and Water Resources Committee -- and being completely removed from that and the Energy and Natural Resources Committee -- state Rep. Andy Nunez, D-Hatch says he's "seriously debating" switching parties.

"I'm going to let the dust settle a little for a week or so," he said in a telephone interview a few minutes ago.

"Whatever I decide (House Speaker Ben Lujan)'s not going to have much of my support on the floor for anything."

Lujan, who as speaker has complete power over House committee assignments, was put on the Education and Transportation committees.

"He's not vindictive," Nunez said sarcastically of Lujan.

Nunez said before the committee switch he and Lujan had a "good conversation" and Nunez aired his grievances about Lujan not sending certain bills to Nunez's committees, and givng Nunez's bills three committee assignments.

As noted in my previous post, Nunez told Heath Haussamen this week that if his vote would have made a difference, he would have voted for Republican Leader Tom Taylor over Lujan.

After losing eight seats in the last general election, Democrats have 37 members compared with 33 Republicans. If Nunez switches, the number would be 36-34.

Nunez Out, Egolf Gets Energy Committee Chairmanship

The rumors were true. Or at least some of them.

Santa Fe Democrat  Rep. Brian Egolf will chair the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee. He replaces Rep. Roger Madalena, D-Jemez Pueblo, who will chair the House Agriculture and Water Resources committee.

That committee formerly was chaired by Rep. Andy Nunez, D-Hatch, the most vocal supporter of Rep. Joseph Cervantes' aborted challenge to House Speaker Ben Lujan, Nunez was the only House Democrat to not vote for Lujan as speaker. 

Most observers thought Nunez said sealed his fate when he voted  "Present" instead of voting  for Lujan. I did too, but I knew it was sealed after Nunez told Heath Haussemen  that if his vote would have made a difference, he would have voted for Republican Leader Tom Taylor over Lujan.

So here's another victory for the Tea Party. Because of their stance against the Cervantes challenge, perhaps the most conservative Democrat in the House has lost his seat and in the shuffle, one of the most progressive Democrats now chairs the Energy Committee.

But nobody can accuse Lujan of punishing everybody who backed Cervantes. He appointed Rep. Mary Helen Garcia, D-Las Cruces, who also was outspoken in her support of  Cervantes' in the Speaker race to be Chairwoman of the House Voters and Elections committee.

Garcia, who is Cervantes' aunt, was previously vice chairman of that committee, which was chaired by former Rep. Jose Campos. Campos, who ran for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor last year, did not seek re-election.

Campos ran for the Democratic lieutenant governor's nomination, but lost. He is the mayor of Santa Rosa.

Is McSorley Getting the Boot from Senate Judiciary?

A version of this will be published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
Jan. 20, 2011

Social conservatives may find it easier moving bills through the state Senate to bring back the death penalty and restrict gay rights if an anticipated change in the chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee comes to pass.

State Sen. Richard Martinez, D-Espanola said Wednesday that Senate President Pro-tem Tim Jennings, D-Roswell, had asked him to take over the top position on Judiciary, which for the past six years has been chaired by Sen. Cisco McSorley, D-Albuquerque — one of the most outspoken liberals in the Legislature.

McSorley, interviewed in his office Wednesday afternoon, said, “Right now I don’t know if I’m going to remain as Judiciary Committee chairman.”

Jennings said Wednesday, “I can’t respond now.” He said the decision on committee chairmanships and committee assignments will be decided today at the scheduled meeting of the Senate Committee on Committees.

Unlike the state House of Representatives, where one person — the speaker — determines who will chair and who will sit on each committee, in the Senate the Committee on Committees decides.

Both McSorley and Martinez, who has been deputy chairman of Senate Judiciary since McSorley became chairman, spoke no ill of one another.

But the two have dramatically different voting records on issues like the death penalty and gay rights. McSorley, a lawyer by profession, has been a champion of domestic partnership legislation and other bills affecting homosexuals. Martinez has been on the opposite side on these issues.

Gov. Susana  Martinez, a former Las Cruces prosecutor, has been a vocal advocate of bringing back the death penalty, which in 2009 was repealed by close votes in both chambers of the Legislature. She mentioned the issue as a priority in her State of the State address Tuesday.

While she has not stressed gay-related issues, Martinez has said she opposes a domestic partnership law and that she would sign a bill that would legally define marriage in New Mexico as the union of one man and one woman.

 Though there are more Democrats than Republicans in the Senate, Jennings was elected in 2009 by a coalition of Republicans and conservative Democrats.

The Roundhouse rumor mill involving possible major committee changes was even busier Wednesday than the Capitol copy machines printing newly introduced bills.

There is much “palace intrigue” in the House, spurred mainly by the aborted challenge of House Speaker Ben Lujan by Rep. Joe Cervantes, D-Las Cruces.

Many expect Rep. Andy Nunez, D-Hatch, to lose his chairmanship of the Water and Natural Resources Committee. Nunez, a conservative Democrat, was a vocal supporter of Cervantes and an outspoken critic of Lujan’s. He voted “present”  Tuesday instead of voting for Lujan or Republican Leader Tom Taylor of Farmington for speaker.

Another rumor involves Santa Fe’s Rep. Brian Egolf. According to one scenario, Egolf, a progressive Democrat who is beginning his second term, would become chairman of the House Energy Committee. Asked if it was true, Egolf replied in a text message, “Don’t know.”

Egolf denied another rumor that he was being named chairman of the House Agriculture Committee.
Lujan has yet to announce any committee changes.

Quotes of the Day

I figured I had the best quote of the day in New Mexico politics in my story on Joe Cervante's challenge to House Speaker Ben Lujan.

 I was  talking with Rep. Andy Nunez, a Cervantes supporter from Hatch, about the possible shift of power from Northern New Mexico to southern. Nunez told me with a chuckle, "Save your Confederate money, boy, the South's gonna rise again."

But I think I was topped in my colleague Robert Nott's story about a school board candidates forum.

There Donado Coviello, the artist formerly known as John Coventry, told the audience. "Even the people who vote you into office eventually hate you. Everybody already hates me, so why don't you save yourself some time and vote for me?"