A citizen's guide to life after elections.
Take a breath. Kick off your shoes. Relax.
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After more than a year of campaign speeches, attack ads and "Bill Richardson for Governor"
signs stuck in your lawn, the 2006 general election is finally over.
Well, not quite. As of press time, the hotly contested congressional race between Heather Wilson and Patricia Madrid wasn't officially over, though all indications were that Wilson will win re-election.
In the meantime, state and national Republicans are licking their wounds after Democrats delivered a historic rodgering of the Grand Old Party. It will be a Brave New World in America and New Mexico once the new batch of politicians-elect take office. For a sneak peek, here's our guide of what to expect from national and state legislators in the months ahead:
At the national level,
US Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-NM
, was re-elected with 70 percent of the vote, but his margin of victory wasn't as important as Democrats seizing control of the Senate. Bingaman is already a ranking member of important Senate committees, but his stock is sure to rise as relatively backburner issues (such as the environment) are thrust to the forefront under Dem leadership.
US Rep. Tom Udall, D-NM
, boasted the largest winning percentage (nearly 75 percent) of any major candidate in New Mexico. After years of having his voice drowned out by Republicans on issues like Iraq and global warming, Udall is poised to raise his profile under incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. On election night, a giddy Udall loudly echoed Pelosi's ambitious plan for the first "100 hours" of the next congressional session in which the Dems plan to tackle a veritable kitchen sink of issues. Meanwhile, Udall's name has been raised as someone who may find a place on several key House committees. As for
US Rep. Heather Wilson, R-NM
, although the ballot counting still wasn't done at press time, she will likely return to Washington-but it will be a very different Washington than the one she left.
At the state level, Dems won big.
Gov. Bill Richardson
strolled to another four years in the Roundhouse, but it will likely be less than four months before he is better known as a presidential candidate. If and when Richardson makes his announcement (January, anyone?), you can expect to see him on CNN more than you'll see him on Cerrillos.
Nobody in New Mexico is happier for the election to be over than
Dem Secretary of State-elect Mary Herrera
. Not only was she busy handling duties as Bernalillo County clerk, she also received substantial criticism about her ability to handle the third highest office in the state. Herrera now has at least four years to prove her detractors wrong (or right) and two years to iron out SOS problems before the next major election.
As for
Dem Attorney General-elect Gary King
, it's hard to imagine King dominating headlines quite as frequently as his predecessor Madrid. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. Madrid was routinely criticized for her handling of government corruption while King will likely be more low-key as he zeroes in on the same corruption problems that plagued Madrid.
No news is good news as far as the State Treasurer's Office is concerned. After the Robert Vigil fiasco,
Dem Treasurer-elect James Lewis
will likely take the opportunity to work on quietly shoring up the office, while
Dem State Auditor-elect Hector Balderas
plans to bring more visibility to the office while operating in an administrative role, but critics of his youth and accounting inexperience will be checking to make sure Balderas and his staff add their numbers correctly.
Republican Land Commissioner Pat Lyons
retained his position as the only high-level Republican in state government thanks largely to his rural popularity. But urban scrutiny of Lyons will likely come down to two words: oil and gas. Lyons has trumpeted the huge windfalls the state has reaped from energy leases, but-while he supports protecting Valle Vidal-he's also made no secret about his support for drilling in Otero Mesa.
