Sens. Lujan and Schumer

The complete silence of Senator Ben Ray Lujan since being felled by a stroke and undergoing brain surgery 11 days ago has called into question descriptions of that stroke as "mild" and casts his projected return to work in Washington in four to six weeks as a possibility not a guarantee. 

Since his illness Lujan, 49, one of the state's most gregarious politicians, has not issued a single public statement, made a social media post, released a photograph, recorded an audio or video or reported a visitor.

And no explanation or updates about his medical condition have been offered since an anonymous staffer qualified Lujan's return to DC in four to six weeks with the phrase "barring any complications."  No medical personnel involved in the care of the Senator have made a public statement regarding his health. 

Meantime, Dems in the equally divided US Senate are frozen in place, unable to vote on many matters of significance without Lujan's vote. 

All of that is enough for the public to doubt that the stroke was "mild" as described by Senator Martin Heinrich. Given his love of public life and dedication to public service, if Lujan were able to personally communicate in any way it is assumed he would. 

Sen. Heinrich

That the US Senate is tied 50-50 only heightens the interest and tension over his absence and silence. Reporters pressed Heinrich at the Capitol last week, asking him if Lujan was able to walk and talk. Heinrich bristled and retorted: 

That Heinrich was unable or unwilling to describe the condition of his fellow NM Senator was taken as an ominous signal by our observers. They were surprised by Heinrich's emotional outburst, who for the first time is feeling the scorching heat of a critical national event landing on his doorstep. 

Lujan is recovering at the University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH), home to the state's only Advanced Primary Stroke Care facility and certified as a Comprehensive Stroke Center by a national accreditation agency for healthcare. The Center also offers rehabilitation services for stroke victims. 

So much is riding on Lujan's recovery that the public's right to know and his right to privacy are on a collision course. Pressure will mount for more information on the Senator's condition. It will fall to Chief of Staff Carlos Sanchez to provide or not provide that information, including why it took five days for the Lujan camp to report the stroke and why there was a tweet from his account the day following the stroke that referenced the future US Supreme Court nominee, but said nothing of the Senator's health. 

If the silence continues those reporters barking questions at Heinrich could soon be outside UNMH doing the same.

Carlos Sanchez

We wrote of Lujan staff chief Carlos Sanchez in January 2021:

The pace of events is quickening at the Roundhouse with adjournment of the 30 day legislative session set for February 17. 

--The proposal to allow 16 year olds to vote in local elections is gone but the election bill (SB 8) still calls for making Election Day a holiday. Is that necessary, considering the weeks of early voting now permitted along with absentee balloting? More votes are cast early than on the actual election day and skeptics also say making it a holiday would cause an unneeded economic hit.  This is the home of New Mexico politics.