Brian Blalock

Brian Blalock? Who's that? Well, that name is about to be one of the more common ones heard in La Politica.

Blalock of San Francisco has been tapped by Gov. Lujan Grisham to sit on one of the hottest seats in the state--that of cabinet secretary for the beleaguered Children Youth and Families Department (CYFD).

Blalock, 43, is obviously a smart guy with a masters from Harvard, a law degree from Stanford and extensive experience with troubled youth. The question for New Mexicans is whether he has the street smarts necessary to reform the forlorn, low morale CYFD culture that has repeatedly failed to protect youngsters who end up murdered or maimed, even after the agency often had repeated contact with the victims' families.

Before the R's get frantic about "a San Francisco lawyer" taking over, remember local leadership (politically inspired) has been an abysmal failure the past eight years. A set of eyes from the outside is sorely needed.

Lujan Grisham made a bold call by going outside the state and making a nonpolitical appointment. Now we wait and see if Blalock can play the complicated and treacherous inside game and do what must be done to rescue so many at risk youth.

If you get the vibe that this is one agency where MLG could exercise some of her famous micro-managing to get things moving, we're on the same wave length.

More about the secretary-designate here and more on other Guv cabinet appointments Monday here.

Reader Richard Flores wrote to us before the Blalock appointment:

Joe, your commentary on the CYFD cabinet secretary on your 12/26/18 blog is instructive for its contextual value, and for emphasizing the importance of the job. The former governor is largely responsible for the fiasco, but those state senators who voted to confirm the secretary should also reflect on their actions in confirming a person without relevant experience for this critical position. ABQ Senator Michael Padilla, who warned of that is thus vindicated. Those officials that represent us today should move forward with great caution, and set aside political expediency in favor of what is best for our children.

The Governor's website is listing her cabinet appointments as they are made along with their bios. 

NO CONCESSION?

So where's the concession? Southern congressional hopeful Yvette Herrell finally threw in the towel Monday and said that after a review by her campaign of the Dona Ana County absentee ballots she will not contest the election in which she lost to Democrat Xochitl Torres Small. She said her plan was always to review the ballots not necessarily challenge the results. Whatever.

Our Alligators predicted no challenge a month ago. Now they're asking, "where is the concession?"

The Alamogordo state rep. has yet to extend a hand of congratulations to Torres Small who took office last week. Meanwhile, the Gators wait for the second part of their prediction to play out--that Herrell will again seek the GOP nomination for the southern seat.  Maybe she'll concede to Torres Small when she announces her second bid? Come on, Yvette, it's time.

UPDATE: Herrell announced via email Tuesday that she will seek the 2020 GOP nomination for the southern congressional seat. 

ALMOST FORGOTTEN

Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich appeared lost in the shuffle last week when he took office for a second, six year term. That's because the spotlight was on new congresswomen Deb Haaland and Torres Small. Heinrich, 47, can be seen taking the oath from VP Pence here.

DODGED A BULLET?

BernCo District Attorney Raul Torrez hopes he has lowered the political temperature a bit by getting Jessica Kelly, 31, to cop a plea Monday to a number of charges, but not murder, that could put her in prison for 20-25 years in connection with the notorious murder and dismemberment of 10 year old Victoria Martens. The plea, said one of our Legal Beagles, doesn't only mean that Kelly won't go to trial.

"The tactics and mishandling of this case would also have been on trial if Kelley did not take a plea," they commented.