O'Neill and Bregman (Journal)

This time the Fighting Irishman has a real fight on his hands. 

State Senator Bill O'Neill has been a Roundhouse fixture since his first election to the House and then to the Senate in 2012. So entrenched is O'Neill that in 2020 he drew no GOP opponent. Now that's all changed. 

Speculation that former two term ABQ city councilor and former two term Bernalillo County Commissioner Debbie O'Malley would run against O'Neill has been confirmed, making official her run for the Dem nomination in the June primary. 

Her chances of pulling off the relatively rare feat of ousting an incumbent senator in a primary are not too shabby. Not at all. 

First, O'Neill, who has been a diligent walker during his campaigns, is not as spry as his old self--as seen in today's photo taken at his re-election announcement this week where he is pictured with BernCo District Attorney Sam Bregman. Still, he has announced he and his team will be out walking door to door this weekend.

Second, O'Neill's admirable efforts to make the Legislature more bipartisan is out of sync with the polarized times leaving him especially vulnerable to a progressive challenger like O'Malley. 

Third, District 13 remains heavily Democratic but the boundaries have changed significantly and now include more areas that O'Malley represented in her elective career but are brand new for O'Neill.

Fourth, O'Neill does not seem very well positioned financially for a competitive primary, reporting just $32,000 on hand at the last reporting period in October. 

O'Malley's campaign points out:

As a result of redistricting in 2020. . . over half the district is “new.” It still includes parts of the North Valley, but now incorporates Wells Park, Downtown, Barelas, as well as the South Broadway and San Jose neighborhoods. These are communities I know well. What we need most in Santa Fe are progressive fighters — leaders who are unafraid to stand up for the needs of our families and our environment, and leaders who are unafraid to stand up to the corporate lobbyists and their outsized influence on policy.

O'Neill took note of the district's changes as he informed his constituents he wants a fourth term: 

Having colleagues and supporters join me at my home for a post session get together was wonderful. We were able to discuss our triumphs and future plans. Now, with a moment of relaxation behind us, I'm excited to venture into the district, connect with new voters, and share my vision and track record.

Lately O'Malley has been serving as a policy aide to ABQ Mayor Keller. The progressive machine that has twice elected him is embracing her and ready to do battle with the more moderate wing of the party represented by O'Neill and DA Bregman.

Professionally, O'Neill served as Executive Director of the New Mexico Juvenile Parole Board, and as Development Director for the PEP Program, "a mentoring program for high-risk juvenile offenders through the New Mexico Conference Of Churches."

O'Neill is also an author and playwrite. This year he is in need of a new script if he is to hold on to his seat. 

(No R's need apply. District 13 is all D all the time--57% to 18%).

PIRTLE PLACE--THE END

Pirtle and newborn

One of the state senators O'Neill struck up a friendship with in his search for more bipartisanship is Republican Cliff Pirtle of Roswell. But if O'Neill is re-elected he won't be seeing Pirtle in the senate chambers. The disgraced Pirtle finally pulled the plug on a run for reelection after saying he was reconsidering his initial decision not to run. 

Now that he's out it is very likely that state Rep. Candy Ezzell, who has announced she is running for the June GOP nomination for District 32, will win that election and the general election in November in the GOP dominated district. 

As for Pirtle, 38, the politicos and the media soft-shoed his extra martial affair with a Senate staffer that apparently began when she was a teenager and who he ultimately impregnated while married with three other children.  

The proud papa then took the newborn to the Senate floor as seen in today's photo. Really. 

Pirtle is now going through a nasty divorce with his wife which was precipitated by his cheating. 

Senate leadership, to their lasting shame, looked the other way when asked to employ the Ethics Commission to investigate the propriety of Pirtle's relationship with senate staffer McKenzie Luna.

That was all put aside in the final hours of the '24 session as many of Pirtle's fellow senators rose to commend him for a job well done. It was quite the spectacle and a reminder that while reams of news copy are devoted to the goings-on in Santa Fe, the goings-on that make lawmakers and the establishment media uncomfortable are often swept under the rug.

One of our Senior Alligators comes with a fitting satire of the bizarre display in the Senate as Pirtle was regaled:

Pirtle slowly walks off the Senate floor, holding his love child and with his paramour by his side. Fellow senators reach out desperately to shake his hand and hold him, all while wiping away a deluge of tears. 

As Pirtle leaves the chamber, a pack of white doves suddenly fill the chamber, their wings pushing the marijuana smoke like the wisps of clouds. Pirtle exits and the chamber doors shut. 

The Senate is empty now, with the exception of Lt. Gov. Howie Morales who stands behind the dais. He sadly looks  around, wipes away a lonely tear as he stares at the door that closed behind Pirtle and whispers to himself, “Now he belongs to the ages.” End Scene. 

Yes, Cliff, you and your enablers are the target of an Alligator Strike. Congrats. . . or something--and so long. 

THE BOTTOM LINES

In a first draft Tuesday we had $16 billion going to improvements at ABQs Balloon Fiesta Park from the legislature's capital outlay ball. They wish it were so. The correct total, of course, is $16 million.

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.