Senator’s late withdrawal ignites friend’s campaign

It was 1946, and youthful Navy veteran John F. Kennedy was a nervous candidate for Congress. Kennedy’s campaign aides had a particular fear of one opponent, Boston City Councilor Joseph Russo. They discovered a janitor in Kennedy’s apartment building also was named Joseph Russo.

To draw away votes from Councilor Russo, associates of Kennedy paid the 27-year-old janitor to enter the primary election. Kennedy won, his first step toward the White House.

New Mexico politicians aren’t as creative as the Kennedy crew, but they have their own ways of influencing who’s on the ballot.

In a turnabout that surprised almost everyone, state Sen. Bill Burt, R-Alamogordo, waited until 3:57 p.m. Friday before announcing he’d ended his reelection campaign.

By then, the deadline was just four days away to submit petition signatures to qualify for the primary election. Even if potential candidates immediately learned of Burt’s change of plans, they would have to scramble.

There was one exception. Burt’s friend, Nick Paul, registered to run for the seat the day before Burt announced he would not seek reelection. Burt himself tipped off Paul, an Alamogordo city commissioner.

“He’s a good guy, a Christian guy. I probably will endorse him,” Burt said in an interview.

By all appearances, Burt already has done so. With the assist from Burt, Paul has moved quickly to secure a place on the primary ballot.

“I’m working hard to campaign for signatures and meeting with folks this weekend,” Paul wrote to me in a text message.

Other potential candidates could still be on the sidelines, wrestling with how to launch petition drives with the Secretary of State’s Office closed for the weekend.

Burt registered to seek reelection to the Senate on Feb. 27.

Married and the owner of four radio stations, he said he changed his mind after considering his many responsibilities to his family and business.

“It’s probably one of the more difficult decisions I’ve had to make, and I took too long to make it. I do apologize for that,” Burt said.

Burt, 73, said he and his wife care for her 96-year-old mother. His brother-in-law is in a nursing home, and the couple tries to visit him daily. Burt also would like to see more of close relatives in Minnesota.

During the last week or so, he said, he began reconsidering his decision to run again after 14 years in the Senate. Burt decided against it.

“You pray a lot. You don’t sleep a lot,” he said. “It was the right decision for me and my family. And my timing was terrible for everyone else.”

Burt represents a solidly Republican district covering parts of Otero, Chaves, and Lincoln counties. Then-Gov. Susana Martinez in 2011 appointed him to the Senate to fill a vacancy. Voters subsequently elected Burt to three four-year terms.

Unfailingly friendly to lawmakers of both political parties, Burt prided himself on being able to communicate with Democratic Senate leaders. They often disagreed on substance, but no one criticized Burt’s style.

He specialized in budget issues. One of Burt’s interests on the Finance Committee was in crafting legislation he believes will keep military retirees from leaving the state.

New Mexico was one of only eight states that fully taxed military pensions. A bill by Burt, eventually absorbed into a broader financial package, eliminated annual state taxes on up to $30,000 of retirement income of military veterans.

Burt said he hoped to work on persuading Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to do away with that cap. Retired majors, colonels and generals are more likely to remain in New Mexico and start businesses if the income tax structure is more favorable, he said.

Democrats aren’t Burt’s concern at the moment. By announcing his withdrawal from the election late in the process, he might have alienated certain Republicans.

Burt wasn’t the first legislator to time his departure so a friend could gain an advantage.

Then-House Speaker Brian Egolf, D-Santa Fe, announced his decision not to run for reelection during the final three minutes of the 2022 legislative session. Egolf had already informed his chief of staff, Reena Szczepanski, who wanted to succeed him.

Egolf said his handling of the announcement didn’t provide any extra juice for Szczepanski’s campaign. In fact, she received a head start over everyone else and won the seat.

Rookie candidates today might have an easier time of making the ballot than when Egolf disclosed his departure from the House of Representatives. Online petitioning is more efficient than standing on street corners with clipboards.

Burt said Republican candidates in his district need at least 163 valid signatures to make the ballot. It’s harder than it sounds.

A friendly heads-up can can jumpstart a campaign. And delayed notice of an open seat can slam the door on competition.