Rep. Stewart
Wall-leaners at the Roundhouse are deep into handicapping the coming Legislative leadership for Session 2005, with some of them looking toward ABQ Dem State Rep. Mimi Stewart as a possible new face in the top circle. Here's the deep insider take direct from a tapped in player: "It appears (Majority Leader) Danice Picraux (D-ABQ) is about to be shelved in favor of Ken Martinez. Nothing real bad about Danice, just that Martinez, whose father was House Speaker many years ago, has been groomed for bigger things by former speaker Raymond Sanchez and it appears current Speaker Ben Lujan sees it that way too," reports our Roundhouse source.

We're also told that if Danice is dumped when the House D's meet this month, they may feel they have to make way for another woman at the top. That would be Stewart, a longtime State Rep who is praised for her knowledge and knocked for her brashness. The House D caucus will name the new House Majority Leader as well as Whip, which was left vacant when James Taylor was appointed to the State Senate to replace Manny Aragon.

THE MARTINEZ MOVIDA

Martinez's claim to fame is his sponsorship of the ignition interlock bill, the one where every car in NM would have been equipped with one of the anti-DWI devices, no doubt causing a big increase in the price of a car. Critics claimed the Martinez bill, which garnered way too many votes, was a ruse by the trial lawyers and designed to derail real DWI reform.

Lawyer Martinez of Grants, in the hot spotlight of La Politica for the first time, wondered aloud why he was being scorched statewide for the bizarre and invasive measure. Perhaps that experience will temper him a bit if he is successful in his coup attempt of Picraux, who has been a reliable leader for the D's but hasn't become a dominant force and thus may be ripe for the picking.

Meanwhile, in the State Senate Democratic caucus there is chaos over who will provide future leadership. It seems everyone is standing in line for a piece of the power pie. I'll have an exclusive insider report on just what is happening in the senate a bit later this week.

RAGIN' IN THE VALLEY
Eli Chavez
Back on the election post-mortem, there is full-blown rage at the Guv in some Dem circles for failing to win the state for Kerry and get more Hispanics to the D side. Most won't go public, thus it has been hush-hush. But unsuccessful ABQ Dem Congressional candidate Eli Chavez and his wife Sheryl are going on the record via "NM politics with Joe Monahan." Eli was denied a spot on he June primary ballot, when Richard Romero challenged his petitions. Here's a blistering email from the hopping mad couple:

"The Gov's and Lt. Gov's boy lost to Heather. As they say in Atrisco, El Patron Gov. Richardson is all blow and no show. El Patron could not even carry New Mexico or the Hispanic vote for Kerry. El Patron and his Lt. Gov. have egg on their faces. They turned off many Democrats by endorsing the candidates they wanted. As a result of El Patron and the Lt. Gov's backing of their candidates a new organization was created within the Democratic Party known as the "United Democrats of New Mexico." United Democrats have set a goal of recruiting 60,000 Democrats within the next year and one half. It's mission is to take back the NM Democratic Party from El Patron and his Lt. Gov and give it back to the people of New Mexico," blasted the Chavezes.

Don't you love it? Full-blown Alligator rage and on the record! I haven't heard cries of "El Patron" since Emilio Naranjo's days in Rio Arriba. Long Live La Politica!

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2004
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