The original post we had here today said that GOP State Rep. Rebecca Dow would be leaving her House seat to become the state Senate candidate for the seat held by Dem John Arthur Smith who was defeated in the primary. We had Dow replacing Crystal Dimond who won the GOP Senate nomination last Tuesday. Dow tells us the speculation about a Senate run began months ago in the Silver City press and has bubbled up since but she will be seeking a third term to her SW NM House seat. We apologize for the error. As punishment we are submitting to the traditional 20 lashes with a wet noodle (revised upwards from 10).

PRO TEM TIMING

Of the five primary targets of well-funded progressives, four won Tuesday. Besides Martinez-Parra they are Pam Cordova who toppled Sen. Clemente Sanchez of Grants, Siah Correa Hemphill of Silver City who beat Sen. Gabe Ramos and Carrie Hamblen of Las Cruces who upset Sen. Mary Kay Papen.
Our reporting last week mentioned top names that insiders see as possibly replacing Sen. Papen as President Pro Tem at year's end. That drew the attention of one of those named--ABQ Dem State Senator Daniel Ivey-Soto--an attorney who is executive director of the NM County Clerks. He came with this about the powerful position that is responsible for handing out senators committee assignments:

Joe, It's nice to see others planning out my career. In the Senate we are a collaborative group and regardless of the results from primary night, for the rest of 2020 we have officers and committee chairs who continue in office at a time when we are being called upon to serve our state. Plus, any new Senators elected in 2020 may want to have their say on this issue as well! It is too early to be lining up a leadership slate for 2021. In the intervening months, Senators will be in deep conversation about where we go beginning in 2021. Those conversations will help define the variety of leadership positions in our chamber.

And what about those rumblings about the future of Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth? Talk about being on the wrong side of history. He publicly endorsed coalition Senators Sanchez and Smith over their progressive foes, including cutting a radio ad for Clemente. Wirth styles himself a progressive but the progs are none to happy with his endorsements. However, we are not hearing of any Movida being planned against Wirth who has told colleagues that he will seek to be renamed majority leader.

Wirth of Santa Fe is seen as an amiable and competent traffic cop who doesn't intervene in the dividing lines of the Senate. Progressives presume he will follow the policy preferences of the new Senate majority and will not use his position to keep it to the right.

One other note: Trial lawyers are staunch backers of fellow trial lawyer Wirth and are a key Dem donor constituency.

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2020