Former Richardson cabinet secretary and Las Cruces Mayor Ruben Smith must be looking wistfully at his hometown as it prepares to elect a mayor to a four year term Tuesday. In March Smith resigned the Mayor's job, which he held for many years, to become head of Cultural Affairs for Big Bill. But Smith was forced to resign by the Guv when opponents within the state museum system criticized his policies. Bill Mattiace was elevated from the city council to serve out Smith's term and now faces four opponents in Tuesday's election.

One of the first things Mattiace did upon coming mayor was to take the doors off of the mayor's office. Some who wanted private talks with his honor objected, but Mattiace says no door signified his "open door" policy. Ruben Smith unsuccessfully sought the Democratic congressional nomination against State Senator John Arthur Smith (no relation) in the 2002 primary for the seat eventually won by Republican Steve Pearce. No word on Ruben's future political plans, if any, but he is known to be miffed at the way he was ousted by the Guv. Meanwhile, Mayor Mattiace is favored in the race in which the candidates have raised over $142,000. The city has a population of about 75,000; Dona Ana County about 163,000. The trend toward heavy campaign spending is erupting everywhere. We'll keep you posted on the latest Las Cruces results, where three of the six city council seats are also up for grabs in Tuesday's balloting.

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