Lt. Gov. Diane Denish spoke to the press on Monday amid speculation she will soon become the state's next governor.

Lt. Gov. Diane Denish spoke to the press on Monday amid speculation she will soon become governor.

ALBUQUERQUE — If Gov. Bill Richardson has already begun packing his bags for Washington, his successor, Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, wasn’t basking in her new authority Monday.

In fact, on a day when the Land of Enchantment appeared to be boiling over with rumors that Richardson was saying adios to green chile and Santa Fe to become the nation’s next U.S. commerce secretary, New Mexico’s second-in-command stayed unerringly on script.

“The governor would be a great addition to the administration, and I am prepared to step in and take the reins when the time comes,” Denish said to a scrum of media types hungering for the latest scrap of political news. But the reporters got a statement that few would describe as revelatory.

For the next 15 minutes or so, Denish proved similarly unwilling to dish about anything governor-related. The collection of print, radio, TV and online reporters who showed up for her otherwise routine tour of a military veterans reintegration unit in Albuquerque, however, was a sign that things were about to change for Denish.

“Premature” was her answer to a query about whether she’d appoint new Cabinet secretaries or keep Richardson’s as the state headed into a tough legislative session.

“There are a number of qualified people I’d be interested in,” she remarked when asked about who’d become her lieutenant governor.

There were occasional details. Yes, she had met with 10 Cabinet secretaries over the past two weeks, including four on Monday. But she’d done that every year as lieutenant governor, she said.

“Every year for six years I’ve had Cabinet meetings with Cabinet secretaries on a number of priorities, some of the issues where I have taken the lead,” Denish said.

And, yes, she was getting more excited as she began to think she would make history by becoming New Mexico’s first woman governor.

But that was it.

“I am not going to really have any more official comments about that until we have an official announcement, either from the governor or from the Obama administration,” Denish said.

The governor’s office at least said that Richardson and Denish “have discussed the possibility of a transition, in a general way,” Richardson spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said Monday afternoon.

“The governor does believe the lieutenant governor is prepared to be a very good governor. And the governor is currently engaged in crafting a budget and a legislative agenda, which will be as aggressive as ever.”

Gallegos went on to say that Richardson will be in Santa Fe to deliver the State of the State address on the first day of the legislative session — Jan. 20 — the same day as the inauguration.

New relationships with the Roundhouse?

While Denish declined to acknowledge, at least publicly, the reality swirling about her, others weren’t so shy.

State Sen. Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, D-Belen, congratulated Richardson on his Cabinet posting and Denish on her imminent ascension to state chief executive.

“It is a great honor for New Mexico and a testament to Governor Richardson’s leadership that he will soon be joining President-elect Barack Obama’s administration as Cabinet secretary for the Department of Commerce,” Sanchez said in a statement.

“At the same time, it is also a historic moment as Lt. Governor Diane Denish will assume the formal role of governor. The Senate looks forward to working together to solve the very serious financial issues facing our state.”

When Denish takes over, she will inherit an increasingly dire financial situation.

The boom years of the last half decade have ended, leaving a budget gap that some predict could eclipse $500 million in the place of what was supposed to be a decent-sized surplus.

A new state chief executive would change all the dynamics and some of the rules as state lawmakers and lobbyists scramble to get close to Denish.

Denish said she would concentrate on a number of issues during the legislative session, including “consumer issues, payday lending, housing issues, foreclosure issues, expansion of voluntary pre-K for 4-year-olds, home visiting programs and other domestic violence programs.”

“As lieutenant governor, I have a really good relationship with legislative leaders across the board,” she said.