Pity your humble blogger, but give him credit as well. Armed only with an insatiable curiosity I trudged to the mysterious political swamps of ABQ's South Valley on your behalf to dredge up the story of who will fill the State House seat vacated by James Taylor. Alligators galore surrounded me, all with their own agendas, and now, just hours before the Democratic Party Central Committee gathers to name a replacement, the ancient rivalries of this fabled political real estate have thrown all theories into chaos.

It was revealed here (see August 10) by deep Dem sources that Big Bill would like to have Diego "Dickie' Gallegos, brother of Bernalillo County Commissioner Steve Gallegos, as the new Valley Rep. But as soon as word spread via this blog and through fellow Alligator hunter and ABQ Journal reporter Barbara Armijo, who picked up our report, everything started to come unglued.

Ernest Chavez, 67 year old Valley native and lifetime practitioner of the ancient and arcane political arts, is shouting from the adobe rooftops that he has the votes to end Dickie's hopes. "I have the proxies for the meeting. More than enough," he told me as this political plot turned into a thriller. Reporter Armijo, a South Valley native, has been told the same thing by Ernest. Trouble is he gave different proxy numbers to both of us!

There are 34 members of the Dem central committee from the House district eligible to vote Sunday. Not all of them are expected to attend and if Chavez has a dozen or so proxies he may very well indeed be your new state rep.

THE GALLEGOS SHOCKER

In a stunning development, late Thursday Dickie Gallegos phoned me with the news that "I am still running, but I don't have the votes. Ernie got to the committee members before me." But Gallegos is not getting out of the race and will show up Sunday to make his case, even though he says he is now pessimistic about his chances.

Does this mean Big Bill has washed his hands of the race, fearing his involvement would divide the Valley? Was he ever involved at all, contrary to what high-level D sources say? Nothing is ever as it seems to be in the storied confines of the South Valley, the very birthplace of no-holds-barred political power-playing now in its fourth century and going strong.

BILL'S MANY SIDED COIN

Big Bill cannot afford to divide the Valley, and some insiders speculated our report saying Gallegos was a done deal may have forced Gallegos to back off, or downplay his chances. Others maintained with a straight face that the most powerful Governor in state history is genuinely not involved in the decision. Others pointed to Chavez's close ties to labor unions as a possible factor in his favor because unions are among Bill's biggest political contributors. Still other Alligators said elder Ernest can have the seat for two years, but will probably not run for re-election so the other contenders will be content to wait.

There's no shaking the Gallegos-Big Bill connection. In fact, Dickie had a big party at his house for the Guv when he was fighting to get that education constitutional amendment passed by voters last year. And, as we previously reported, Steve Gallegos works for the NM Department of Labor and has close ties to former Senator Manny Aragon who would like to keep his finger in the South Valley political pie. But Manny's senate replacement, James Taylor, does not roll enchiladas with the Gallegos' and an Ernest Chavez victory would suit him just fine.

The outcome of this high drama will only be known when each side shows their hole cards at the Sunday central committee meeting, You can be sure we will post the results that afternoon, so be sure to check in.

THE VALLEY MYSTIQUE

All is as it should be in the South Valley. A cloak of intrigue shrouds the process, seekers of power from the governor down to the ward-heelers must jump hurdles that are assembled out of thin air, and seekers of the truth are steered down roads that endlessly curve and often dead-end. A gringo from Pennsylvania, such as myself, can only hope to be invited on occasion into the inner sanctum to observe and strive to understand politics played in its rawest and most joyous form. Long live La Politica!

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2004
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