State Dems Elect New Officers For '22 Cycle; Are All The Easy Pickings Already Picked? Plus: AG Election Talk And A Famous NM Whistleblower Passes

State Democrats passed the baton to new party officers over the weekend as they began their drive for the 2022 election cycle. Some younger Dems may not realize it but their party is now in its most dominant position since the 1970's. 

Can the Dems continue to run the board or have they picked all the chile from the political fields possible?

Their domination includes a hold on all statewide executive offices, the entire NM Supreme Court, the governorship, the two chambers of the legislature, the mayoral offices in the state's two largest cities and four of the five congressional seats. 

Just holding on to those gains next year would be a high point. But there could be some expansion, depending on how the redistricting of the legislative and congressional seats shakes out at a special session session later this year. That session could jeopardize southern GOP US Rep. Yvette Herrell and could open the door for a Dem pick up or two in the state Senate and House. 

The massive Dem gains this decade have been abetted by a torn apart Republican opposition. The GOP also faces a shrinking base of Anglo voters, a Trump wing that is powerful yet not broadly popular here and a leadership bench that is wanting.

In the 70's the GOP was so weakened that the Dems acted as the oppostion party, harboring a conservative cowboy wing under their big tent while still housing liberals. 

In this century New Mexico conservatism has slid, making it easier for the Dems to avoid splitting in two and paving the way for a GOP resurgence (as happened in the 80's).

R's are saying it is inevitable that progressives in the Dem party will lead it over the cliff, but MLG and others have walked that tightrope quite ably, giving the progressives major victories but mostly veering away from the culture wars that could imperil the party's standing.

Absent an ideological recovery, history says the way back for the Republicans is corruption in a Democratic Party that grows too fat and too happy.  It seems even with overwhelming majorities, there's alway something to worry about when it comes to holding on to power in La Politica.

RESULTS

At the Saturday Dem convention held virtually Jessica Velasquez of Sandia Park easily passed four challengers to become the new Dem Party chair, replacing the retiring Marg Elliston. 

Velasquez twice ran for the state House ('18 and '20) in her Republican leaning District 22. She is a former APS teacher who now works in the family metal plating business headed by Aaron Velasquez. 

Manny Crespin was elected vice chair; attorney Pam Herndon secretary and Rayellen Smith treasurer. 

NOT SO FAST 

The race for the '22 Democratic nomination for attorney general seems to be cementing around State Auditor Brian Colón and BernCo District Attorney Raul Torrez. But some in the peanut gallery are saying "not so fast." 

For example, what if former southern Dem Congresswoman and attorney Xochitl Torres Small were to join the fray? She'd be the only woman in the race and arguably has a larger political base than either of the men. And she has the ability to raise money. If the ambitious 36 year old Torrres Small still hungers for public service running between Brian and Raul may be a play worth making. 

FRANK FOY 

Foy

Word arrives of the death of Frank Foy, the former investment director of the Educational Retirement Board who blew the whistle on alleged corruption in the state's investment funds during the Richardson administration. 

Foy battled for higher reimbursements for the state from investment firms that benefited from the alleged wrongdoing. Millions in court settlements were clawed back from some of the companies but Foy said it was insufficient. Richardson denied the corruption allegations and no one in the administration was charged with a crime. 

Frank Foy was 75. 

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2021