An Alligator of the Senior variety writes of the political future of GOP Lt. Gov. John Sanchez:

My intuitive sense is that he may well run for the seat in US Senate that will be up in 2018 rather than making a run for Governor that year. That would make a good deal of sense on several levels, including not having to run for Governor in the posture of being perceived as not much more than a continuation of the failed Martinez administration of which he has been a part since its inception.

Senate may be the play, if there is a future for the Light Guv. Down in Alamogordo he was still tying himself to the apron strings of outgoing and unpopular Gov. Martinez. Sanchez was reduced arguing that the administration has left the state in lousy condition but it would be even lousier if the Democrats were in charge:

Sanchez said if there hadn't been fiscal responsibility in New Mexico's finances for the last six years or if Democrats had been in charge of the state government, the budget situation would've been extreme. "Some predicted New Mexico would be facing insolvency," Sanchez said. "I think it's important New Mexicans understand that because of a very disciplined responsible approach to how we spend New Mexico tax dollars in Santa Fe, we're in a better place."

You mean "avoiding insolvency" is the standard? A pretty low bar indeed. As for being in a "better place," that place is pretty wretched as the state's rankings across the board have plunged even further since Martinez and Sanchez took power. Maybe John believes he can run for Senate against Martin Heinrich and that Heinrich will forget all that. Good luck with that.

TIME FOR NICE

Sen. Heinrich voted against his nomination of Rick Perry as Secretary of Energy but now with billions in federal DOE funding on the line, it's time for him and Senator Udall (who voted for Perry) to play nice. The news:

Senators Udall and Heinrich sent a letter to Energy Secretary Rick Perry inviting him to visit Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories.

“The work at Los Alamos and Sandia is critical to meeting DOE’s mission of assuring national security through stewardship of the nuclear weapons stockpile, nuclear non-proliferation, and homeland security. . . In addition, both laboratories are leaders in the development of advanced energy technologies, including renewable energy. . . 

We don't know how far the senators will get in a climate change discussion with a member of the Trump administration, but they may find it heartening that Secretary Perry, the former Governor Texas, has finally figured out just what the Department of Energy does.
WEH'S WAYS

That strange story of former NM GOP party chairman and 2010 Guv candidate Allen Weh hashing his unlocked vehicle robbed of a gun four--count 'em--four separate times--had the readers writing--and not very favorably:

Where are the charges against him? Leaving a gun unsecured is a crime many people have been charged with. Allen, you are the perfect example of irresponsible gun ownership. How did you have the balls to give an interview after being so stupid? Now you know why you did not get elected. . .

POKING GRISHAM

Conservative reader Jim McClure has a dig for Dem US Rep. and '18 Guv candidate Michelle Lujan Grisham:

Lujan-Grisham has been particularly visible in the Dems anti-Trump resistance movement, participating in a sit-in on the floor of Congress and a costumed sit-down at a presidential speech. But because New Mexico is a ward of the federal government, our next governor will need to get along with the Trump administration to keep those military and welfare dollars flowing. So Michelle’s political theatrics could hurt the state’s access to the Washington trough.

Okay, but first there's all those anti-Trump votes needed for the nomination, and after that is the federal dollars.

HOW'S THE HOUSE?

The latest on BernCo property values from Assessor Tanya Giddings:

The 2017 Residential properties saw favorable growth at 4.13% overall. The largest amount of new construction was primarily in the NW quadrant of the County. Non-Residential properties are still relatively flat as values increased in that sector at 1.25%. The overall assessed value of Bernalillo County is $56.4 billion, which is a 3.2% increase from last year.

SPRING/SUMMER BLOG SCHEDULE

With the arrival of the warm weather months and no general election this year, the political news will slow some and we'll adapt to those months by bringing you NM Politics with Joe Monahan Tuesday through Thursday rather than the current five days a week schedule. Of course, if big news breaks out we'll break in no matter the time or day. And you can always find us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest on La Politica. Our new schedule is effective next week when we'll look forward to starting the blogging week with you Tuesday, April 4.

This is the home of New Mexico politics.

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2017