Heath Haussamen
Bill Richardson to New Mexico: ‘I will never forget you’
This morning’s news conference formalized what has been known for weeks: Richardson is leaving his job as governor of New Mexico with two years left in his term, meaning Lt. Gov. Diane Denish will become governor. In a news release that followed the news conference, Richardson provided additional details on the transition to the Denish administration.
N.M. Senate Dems want Carlos Cisneros (not Tim Jennings) to lead
“If they bust me up, so be it. I’ve been on the back row before,” state Sen. Tim Jennings told me last month.
State Senate Democrats made public their intention to do just that on Sunday by nominating Sen. Carlos Cisneros, D-Questa, to replace Jennings as the Senate’s president pro tem in January.
Jennings, a Roswell Democrat, [...]
Rising rapidly, Balderas could be state’s next No. 2
Hector Balderas said he’s trying to keep in the proper perspective the fact that he’s been named as a strong contender to become the state’s next lieutenant governor.
Richardson replaces three regents at NMSU
Gov. Bill Richardson replaced three of five members of the New Mexico State University Board of Regents today, opting for new blood at a time when the university is going to be making a second attempt at finding a new president.
N.M. begins moving into the post-Bill Richardson era
Even before Gov. Bill Richardson is officially appointed to be secretary of commerce, New Mexico appears to be heading into the post-Richardson era.
State Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, D-Belen, became today the first high-ranking politician to publicly congratulate Richardson on his not-yet-official cabinet appointment. And he’s thinking forward to the fact that, assuming Richardson packs [...]
No leadership changes for House Democrats
New Mexico House Democrats decided on Sunday to keep Sheryl Williams Stapleton of Albuquerque as their whip.
She staved off a challenge from Thomas Garcia of Ocate, according to sources with knowledge of the situation. The vote tally wasn’t made public or released to caucus members.
NEWS ANALYSIS: Shifting N.M. news landscape could spell trouble for political coverage
Given recent cutbacks over the past year, there are fewer resources to focus on investigative and in-depth reporting that places the daily news in context. Put simply, fewer journalists watching the happenings at the Roundhouse means a greater potential for shenanigans to go unnoticed.
New reports say Bill Richardson will head Commerce Department
Gov. Bill Richardson has now been fully vetted and will be Barack Obama’s commerce secretary, Politico and The Associated Press reported on Sunday.
Citing “a top Democratic official,” Politico said Richardson passed final vetting, but his appointment won’t be announced Monday, when Obama is scheduled to introduce other members of his economic team. The Associated Press, [...]
Politico: Ex-N.M. Attorney General Patricia Madrid on short list to head Interior Department
Another New Mexican has joined Gov. Bill Richardson on the list of people being mentioned for possible cabinet-level appointments in Barack Obama’s administration.
Former state Attorney General Patricia Madrid is on the short list for Interior secretary, Politico is quoting “sources” as saying. Richardson was also said earlier in the week to be a top contender [...]
CNN: Richardson appointment at Commerce Department not a done deal
Despite other reports to the contrary, CNN is reporting that Gov. Bill Richardson is a “serious contender” for commerce secretary but his appointment is not a done deal.
“Two sources close to the transition team also said Friday that Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico is a serious contender for commerce secretary, but he could be [...]