Pirtle showed no outward signs of distress after a sheriff's department deputy was called to his Santa Fe apartment Sunday morning March 12 where he had been confronted by his wife Aysia, her mother and the couple's three children. Aysia said upon arriving she caught Pirtle in bed with another woman. A loud argument ensued at the apartment and that got the law involved. A deputy lapel camera video shows Pirtle calmly answering questions about the incident. In the final half hour of the session Saturday he promoted a memorial for senate consideration as if he didn't have a worry in the world. Of course, he does.
The rumor mill has the other woman Pirtle is involved with being a young woman working in another GOP senator's legislative office. He has not responded to inquires asking him if that is the case. If true, it would be a major ethical violation and another sign of impending doom for the Republican lawmaker--not that the isn't already a dead man walking.
Republican operatives/Alligators report that local R's are waiting on word from veteran GOP state Rep. Candy Ezzell to signal whether she is interested in replacing Pirtle. Says one:
Candy is seen as having first dibs on the seat because of her nearly 20 years in Santa Fe and her consistent conservatism. That she is a woman doesn't hurt as the district may be looking for that in the wake of the Pirtle scandal.
Ezzell, 69, who owns a ranch with her husband, has been in the state House since 2004 and is also seen as someone MLG could appoint if she were called on to fill the vacancy that would occur in the event Pirtle got out:
They have opposite political views but there is no real bad blood there and I believe the Governor would honor the wishes of the conservative district if the county commissions in the three counties sent her name up to fill the vacancy.
Another local observer says the gubernatorial reception for GOP Chaves County Sheriff Michael Herrington, who is another possible name floating as a Pirtle replacement, could be more chilly:
Mike took on the Governor directly during Covid, saying his department would not enforce the mask mandate the Governor ordered. He would be a strong candidate in a Republican primary, but an appointment could be difficult.
Senate District 32 is solidly Republican. Pirtle took the seat when he narrowly defeated conservative Democrat Tim Jennings in 2012 after winning the GOP primary by a scant 9 votes. Jennings is now mayor of Roswell.
Pirtle has proven popular--until now. He ran unopposed for re-election in 2016 and 2020 but if he does not resign his seat before the '24 primary the scandal that his senate colleagues were so willing to only whisper about will not find his Bible Belt electorate so accommodating.
A WELL-KNOWN FAMILY
The operation includes cows, goat and sheep whose meat and dairy products they market to the public, along with selling feed to area farmers.
Cliff Pirtle was born into the family and has been an owner/manager of the farm since 1999:
Pirtle Farms has been in Roswell New Mexico since 1926. George Elbert Pirtle along with his father Thomas Jefferson Pirtle started Pirtle Farms along with his wife Sarah Helen Whitehead Pirtle and their children Darrell, George Thomas, Charlotte, and Joann Pirtle.
The Pirtle family does not shy away from their faith, saying on their website:
We believe in honoring God by tending his garden and livestock that he has entrusted to us; through producing quality crops and nutritious milk that feed the world.
In his 2012 ABQ Journal questionnaire candidate Pirtle said his "major personal accomplishment" was:
Staying true to myself, being the best husband and father I can be, and finding the right balance between work and family.
That statement is yet another reason the scandal is a back-breaker for the senator who is known legislatively for advocating legalized marijuana while his GOP colleagues were opposed and for annually introducing a bill that would end daylight saving time.
One of Pirtle's major contributors last year was marijuana company Ultra Health which donated $5,000. In October Pirtle reported $24,000 in campaign cash on hand with $9,100 in debt.
With the reputations of a well-respected family and business on the line and already subjected to humiliation, the prospect of an early senate retirement for Pirtle would seem likely. If that's not enough there is the real possibility of an ethics complaint being filed with the State Ethics Commission against him over his conduct and demanding an investigation o determine if he was improperly consorting with a legislative employee.
If Pirtle were to resign the three county commissions from Chaves, Eddy and Otero would each choose a replacement candidate to send to the Governor who would make the final selection.
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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2023
(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2023