Sadly, there seems to have been a general acceptance of the state's economic and social decline among the political class and even among many in the electorate. But that doesn't mean folks aren't upset.

A Common Cause poll conducted in January but recently released appears to chronicle an historic low in the number of New Mexicans who believe the state is "on the right track." Only 24 percent of the 452 registered voters surveyed believe that. And with the economic stagnation and the crime wave defying quick solutions, we could be stuck in the rut for a lot longer.

You would think such a dreary number would prompt cries for transformational change but so far the leading Democratic and Republican gubernatorial candidates (Lujan Grisham and Pearce) have shown themselves to be incrementalists, apparently interpreting the electorate as somewhat defensive about the state of the state even as they bemoan its condition. Why?

We have had a massive "vote with your feet" movement as many of the state's young and talented sought greener pastures in neighboring regions. And they are the ones with the energy and enthusiasm who would have pushed hardest for a renewal. Meanwhile. . .

Since the recession's onset nearly a decade ago tens of thousands of additional New Mexicans have found solace in the social safety net of Medicare, food stamps, etc. Others have clung to relatively secure government jobs, among the largest employers in the state. While not a very satisfactory status quo, it does provide some certainty, a quality the electorate thirsts for as it is constantly buffeted by bad news.

Still, there are some green shoots popping up in the form of two new mayors--Webber of Santa Fe and ABQ's Keller. Both have presented themselves as agents of change and were elected in landslides. Perhaps after all New Mexicans are ready for more aggressive leadership. The upcoming gubernatorial race should tell us more.

NOT TOO FAR OUT

Speaking of the governor's race, how realistic is it for Dem Guv hopeful Jeff Apodaca to think he can win a lawsuit forcing rival Joe Cervantes off the ballot? Well, insiders say it's not that far out. Apodaca, as we reported Monday, is challenging the petition signatures submitted by Cervantes, saying he does not think he has enough valid ones for the secretary of state to place him on the June 5 primary ballot. A  Cervantes spokesman says the candidate has collected 5,800 signatures but needs 5,014 valid ones from registered Dem voters. The campaign says they will survive the challenge and stay on. However, that's not much of a margin of error and Apodaca will go through all of them with a fine tooth comb. Cervantes was forced to submit additional petition signatures to make the ballot when he failed to win 20 percent of the delegates at the recent Dem preprimary convention. Cervantes called Apodaca's challenge a "Hail Mary" but it's more like a longshot.

APO GOT 21

Before we corrected it, the Monday blog said that Apodaca had not received 20 percent support at the March Dem preprimary convention to win an automatic spot on the ballot. That of course is incorrect. And neither did he have to submit extra petition signatures. He received 21 percent delegate support. That's important to note because only once in preprimary gubernatorial history has a candidate gone on to win the primary without achieving the 20 percent preprimary mark. That was in 2014 when Dem Gary King pulled off the feat. Thanks to the readers who pointed out our initial error.