No ordinary Joe, but no chance in race for governor
If Republican Gov. Susana Martinez accomplished anything in her second term, it was motivating Democrats to find a winner. Martinez did plenty of damage soon after taking office, attacking New Mexico’s burgeoning movie industry and needlessly dismantling the state system for treating addicts and people with mental illness.
In response to a governor who should have been vulnerable, Democrats nominated Gary King to challenge Martinez when she ran for reelection in 2014.
“He was a fine candidate — for the Republican Party,” state Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto said Saturday after presiding over the Democratic preprimary convention.
King actually failed to make the ballot at the Democrats’ convention four years ago. But he qualified soon after through a petition drive and then won a five-way primary.
The son of a former governor, King broke through because he was the household name in a large field. Democrats failed to consolidate around their strongest possible candidate, Alan Webber of Santa Fe.
Martinez was happy. She got to run against King, a candidate with more baggage than Delta. Now it appears Democrats have learned from history. The race for the gubernatorial nomination was not decided Saturday at the party convention, but it was spoken for — and loudly.
Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham received 66.8 percent of the delegate votes. Hers was an overwhelming performance in a four-way race that features an excellent candidate in state Sen. Joseph Cervantes of Las Cruces.
I talked to many delegates Saturday who said they supported Lujan Grisham mainly because they see her as the one who can motivate Democrats to vote in large numbers in November.
They did not seriously consider Cervantes who, for all his talent, has no traction. He received just 10 percent of the delegate votes.
King dragged down the ticket four years ago. Democrats expect Lujan Grisham to lift it.
Her speech Saturday was the most anticipated part of the convention, but it did not go as she hoped.
The stage lighting in the Albuquerque Convention Center was blinding, making it difficult for Lujan Grisham and many other candidates to gain any level of comfort. Then a transgender woman heckled Lujan Grisham during her speech, a sideshow ugly enough that police eventually intervened.
Lujan Grisham recovered well enough, stirring the crowd by speaking about the need for respect, even when issues are highly charged. But her speech carried none of the precision or soul-searching that Cervantes brought to the delegates.
He did something unheard of at political conventions, where self-congratulation is the rule.
Cervantes told of a blunder he made 15 years ago as a member of the state House of Representatives. It still haunts him.
Legislative leaders wanted to cut the personal income tax. Cervantes opposed the idea, based on the state’s financial outlook. But he caved in as the pressure grew.
The tax cut received overwhelming approval, and many lawmakers celebrated.
Cervantes felt miserable. He made the four-hour drive home, agonizing all the way because he had not stood up for his position or voted his conscience.
Cervantes is now a senator. Colleagues say they look up to him because of his judgment, honesty and work ethic.
Had he entered the convention with any momentum, Cervantes’ speech and the dignity with which he delivered it would have had the crowd buzzing.
Instead, the day belonged to Lujan Grisham. The race for governor has been hers to lose for a year. Of the four Democratic candidates, she is the one the Republicans expect to face.
Lujan Grisham also is the one the Republicans do not want to run against.
Her campaign entered the convention with a good head of steam and left as a juggernaut.
Cervantes might be governor one day, but not any day soon. He is too far back to mount a serious challenge to Lujan Grisham.
I once wrote that Cervantes is no ordinary Joe. Because he is a trial lawyer, he is meticulous in preparation. He can explain any bill from front to back. He has presence. He is a good orator. He even has the courage to point out his own flaws.
Cervantes is a whale of a candidate. But he is no match for Lujan Grisham.