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ABQ mayoral candidate Richard Romero (Photo by Gwyneth Doland)
Albuquerque mayoral candidate Richard Romero today announced a shake up among his campaign staff, including the departure of his campaign manager and the addition of a new communications director.
Neri Holguin, who had been serving as Romero’s campaign manager, is leaving the campaign. Both Romero and Holguin said that Holguin had only planned to work on the campaign until early summer, coordinating the crew of 600 volunteers who ensured that Romero would be on the ballot and qualify for public financing.
Additionally, Romero, the former president pro tem of the New Mexico Senate, has brought on Murray Fishel, an Ohio-based consultant, to be his campaign’s lead strategist. Fishel has previously advised several New Mexico candidates, including state Reps. Mimi Stewart, D-Albuquerque, and Ben Rodefer, D-Corrales, Romero told NMI.
Former Weekly Alibi news editor Tim McGivern is the campaign’s new communications director.
In a press release sent out today by McGivern, Romero had nothing but praise for Holguin:
When she took this job last year, she told me that because of other commitments she could only serve until the end of April to help me launch my major petition efforts to qualify for public financing and to get on the ballot. We passed those tests with flying colors thanks to her leadership. I then convinced her to stay on a little longer, which she agreed to do. I want to thank her for all that she has done to get this campaign off to a great start.
Holguin, a former regional director for The Wilderness Society, said she is continuing to do issue and electoral consulting through her firm,, Holguin Consulting, although she declined to name any specific clients right now.
McGivern, who was news editor at Weekly Alibi from 2000-2005, now spends much of his time working in real estate and running the Albuquerque office for Positive Energy Solar, a renewable energy dealer, but also does media relations consulting.
With 90 days until the mayoral election, Romero said he’s feeling pretty good about his prospects.
“I’m feeling much better after we got our damn Web site up!” he said with a rueful laugh. “There are people out there who are very very good but you can’t use them unless you pay them [because of the public financing system.] So we have to do it ourselves, by committee.”
