I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
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Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
Much has been written recently about a challenge to Democratic House Speaker Ben Lujan and whether House Democrats, who hold a 37-33 majority over Republicans, will throw him overboard or keep him on as leader.
Less noted is ongoing leadership fight among House Republicans.
Longtime House Rep. Larry Larranaga, R-Albuquerque, is challenging Farmington Republican Tom Taylor as that chamber’s top GOP lawmaker at this weekend’s House Republican caucus.
Larranaga’s challenge comes at an interesting, some say inopportune, time. The Republicans are a few votes shy of a majority in the House for the first time in decades. Add to that the fact that soon-to-be Republican Gov. Susana Martinez will give Republican legislators a powerful ally during the upcoming legislative session. And suddenly the House GOP is on the cusp of gaining a seat at the grownups table for major legislative decisions in a way that hasn’t been always true in in the past. Before last week’s election, the Democrats held a 45-25 majority over the GOP in the House.
Will a leadership battle threaten that increased power?
It’s hard to tell.
Some observers say part of their House Republicans’ strength will be in their ability to project a united front moving into the legislative session, which starts Jan. 18. A solid block of legislators perceived as working together has more pull than a collection of legislators who are viewed as battling amongst themselves.
Taylor, reached by phone Thursday, seemed cognizant of that dynamic.
“In the environment we are moving into where we have a chance to govern it’s important that we have a unified caucus,” Taylor told The Independent. “Whatever happens my outlook is that we are going to have a unified caucus.”
As for Larranaga’s challenge, Taylor said, “Larry would like to do the job. From my point of view we have an election to see how it comes out.”
A message was left for Larranaga, but he did not immediately return the call Thursday.
Updated at 4:24 p.m.:
Rep. Larranaga just told The Independent that he didn’t see any disruption coming out of the House GOP leadership fight.
“There is no animosity. We just want to have a discussion,” Larranaga said by phone. “There is no disruptive discussion or anything like that.”
Larranaga also said, “Some members said, ‘Let’s have a discussion and a choice and put your name in there.’ Tom’s a great guy. It is providing people a choice. I don’t have any idea of what the outcome will be.”
