Wednesday, April 26, 2023Two GOP State House Heavies Eye Departures And '24 Bids For Senate Seats, Plus: It's Ron Not Don For Domenici Son Laxalt
First, GOP sources report former state House Minority Leader Jim Townsend of Artesia is looking for a promotion. This after giving up his leadership title this past legislative session following the GOP's failure to make inroads into the large Dem House majority--45 of the 70 seats--at the November election. What's surprising is that insiders say Townsend plans on launching a primary challenge against two term Senator Ron Griggs, a former mayor Alamogordo who is indicating he will stay around for any Townsend challenge. District 34, made up of parts of Dona Ana, Eddy and Otero counties, is solid R so the winner of the primary will have an easy run in the '24 general election. So what's the outlook? Townsend is signaling that he will run on the results he has delivered for the area in the House and will fault Griggs for not performing for the district. Griggs is well-liked but now will have to raise campaign cash.
Townsend did not get voted out and did not plan to leave. But when the House GOP caucus signaled that they were tired of Rep. Rod Montoya and wanted to replace him as Minority Whip, Townsend said 'if he goes, I go.' When Montoya lost Townsend pulled his name from consideration for the top post and the caucus turned to Rep. Ryan Lane to fill the Minority Leader position. Montoya and Townsend were tied at the hip in the last election, raising some $1.8 million for a committee they led to take out House Democrats, but their campaign never got off the ground and the pair took a severe hit from fellow R's for the failure. MONTOYA ON MOVE Meanwhile, Montoya is hoping to leave the pain of the House behind and join Townsend in the state Senate. Our R's report he will seek the District 2 Senate seat in San Juan County held by longtime Senator Steven Neville who is retiring after serving since 2005. He could have an easy time of it as Montoya remains popular in the Four Corners and is said to have the inside track for the nomination. This district is all R all the time and no D's need apply. You win the nomination and you win the seat. The anticipated departures of Townsend in House District 54 and Montoya in District 1 has the GOP looking for replacement candidates. RON NOT DON Adam Laxalt, son of NM GOP Senator Pete Domenici, is going with Ron not Don in the '24 Prez election: Former Nevada Attorney General Laxalt, a longtime Trump ally, will help lead a political action committee encouraging Gov. Ron DeSantis to seek the Republican presidential nomination. Laxalt, who roomed with DeSantis at the Naval Justice School, will serve as the chairman of the Never Back Down super PAC. Laxalt chaired Trump’s campaign in Nevada in 2020 and has repeated Trump’s false claims of fraud about that race . .Trump endorsed Laxalt in the 2022 Senate race won by Catherine Cortez Masto. But Laxalt has remained a close friend of DeSantis, who is widely expected to announce a White House campaign soon. Both were Navy judge advocate generals and served in Iraq. This is the home of New Mexico politics.
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