Sen. John Pinto (AP)

We're not going to belabor yet another outbreak of deadly violence in ABQ--this time a mailman is shot and killed by a 17 year old who is on the run and other assorted murders--because it was only on April 15 that  we covered the previous crime spree that ended with the deaths of two children and others. That report is here. We can only hope we are not seeing a "new normal." Now on to La Politica and a much lighter side. . .

Old age isn't what it used to be. Joe Biden is 77 and will announce another presidential bid this week. And as we blogged Tuesday, ABQ Dem State Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino, who will turn 77 this August, is rarin' to get another re-election campaign going, and 87 year old Mary Kay Papen hasn't yet ruled out another bid for her Dona Ana County senate seat. All of that bring us to. . .

Democratic State Senator John Pinto. He turned 94 on December 15 and is the longest serving member of the senate, having taken his seat in 1977. He is still weighing whether he will seek a 12th four year term. In an interview published in mid-March, the Indian Country lawmaker had this to say:

I have one more year to go as a state senator. When my term is up, I’m thinking about running again. It depends on my health. The people want me to run.

Well, he actually has nearly two years to go as a senator--until the end of 2020, but the June primary is about a year away and winning that is nearly equivalent to winning the general election in the heavy Democratic district. Not that Pinto has much to worry about. He hasn't had an opponent in years. As a living legend--he is one of eight original Navajo Code talkers who are still alive who helped America win WWII--who would dare challenge him?

He's also known for bringing home the bacon to his rural district, He says one of his biggest accomplishments was securing funding for a four-lane highway from Gallup to Shiprock – U.S. 491. The bill for that ran to about $400 million.

When you build a four-lane highway it costs a million dollars a mile. The state legislature loves me here in New Mexico. I’ve got a lot of friends here.

Good stuff there. But age is wearing some on Pinto. He no longer famously sings the Potato Song at the end of each legislative session and his gait has slowed so his colleagues anxiously await his decision.

If Pinto's health holds and he wins re-election in November of next year his term would expire at the end of 2024---just days after he would have turned 100 years old. How about that?! How can you not root for the guy?

SWITCHING SIDES

Here is an unusual candidacy announcement. It's from the first Republican to get into the race for the northern congressional seat being vacated by Dem Rep. Ben Ray Lujan:

Brett Kokinadis, founder of New Mexico Democrats for Democracy (NMDFD), changed his party affiliation to Republican, saying, “I see this as an opportunity – an olive branch - to unite New Mexicans. Many politicians talk about working across the aisle; I’m jumping across it to build a bridge for New Mexico’s future."

“I was accused of attacking the Democrat Party because I was talking about policy, facts, and vision, or lack thereof, of all candidates, regardless of political affiliation. I didn’t buy into the mantras, the division, and hate. . . I was pushed out of the Democrat Party for talking facts.

“As a gay man, I care about a platform of equality and opportunity. . .  a clearly executable plan for our state and nation. 

ABQ businessman Jeff Apodaca, son of former NM Gov Jerry Apodaca, was also active in NMDFD during last year's election in which he sought the Dem Guv nomination, and still is. However, Apodaca says he has no plans to run for elective office and recently told KKOB Radio he will not join the race for US Senate.

Meanwhile, ABQ's Giovanni Alexander Haqani has announced he will seek the Dem US Senate nomination. If he breaks through we'll give him initials just like we do BRL and MTO. That would be GAH.

And BRL's senate campaign came with that list of women who support his candidacy. It turned out to be 300, larger than the 200 a campaign insider said to expect.

This is the home of New Mexico politics.

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2019