I’ve been writing for awhile about the death penalty being an issue in this year’s attorney general race. Geno Zamora’s campaign had already responded to an e-mail from me by saying he supports the death penalty “in limited cases.” I was still waiting to hear from the other candidates.
Earlier this week, I received this e-mail from Philip Muller, campaign manager for Democrat Lemuel Martinez’s campaign:
“As the district attorney for the 13th Judicial District, Lemuel Martinez is the only Democratic candidate for attorney general who has taken an oath to uphold the law. The death penalty is the law in New Mexico. As the chief law enforcement officer in his district, he is the only Democratic candidate for attorney general who has prosecuted death penalty cases. Until the legislature decides to repeal this law, he will continue to enforce the death penalty.”
Which doesn’t entirely answer the question about where he stands on the death penalty, so I e-mailed his campaign back and have not yet received a response.
Gary King called me Wednesday. The conservative Democrat told me he is opposed to repealing the death penalty. He said he knows there are some problems with enforcing it fairly that must be addressed, but called the death penalty “a necessary deterrent.”
Republican Jim Bibb has not responded to my e-mails. I should note that I had the wrong address for Gary King and that’s why he didn’t respond sooner. I just sent an e-mail to the address listed on Bibb’s campaign Web site. That address is different than the address to which I had sent previous requests, which was provided by the Republican Party.
Bibb is the son-in-law of former Gov. Toney Anaya who, as one source put it, “achieved fame for his opposition to the death penalty and for commuting all of death row on his way out of the mansion.”
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While we’re on the subject of attorney general candidates, Zamora put out a news release on March 2 announcing that he was opening an office in Las Cruces. He made a crucial mistake. Here’s the quote:
“At the opening ceremonies, Geno stated, ‘Las Cruces is New Mexico’s third largest city and its growing importance cannot be ignored by any candidate.’”
In fact, Las Cruces is the second largest city, with an estimated 79,524 people in 2004. Santa Fe was at 68,041 and Rio Rancho was at 61,953 that year, the Census estimated.
I guess you can’t win them all.
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Doña Ana County Commissioner Kent Evans, who is running in the Republican primary for the Public Regulation Commission seat held by Democrat E. Shirley Baca, called me this week to say he believes embattled state Insurance Superintendent Eric Serna should step down.
At the request of the PRC, Attorney General Patricia Madrid’s office is investigating Serna’s decision to award a lucrative state contract to a bank that has since given lots of money to a non-profit started by Serna. Serna has been placed on leave while the investigation takes place.
“I want the world to know I will take a stand,” Evans said.
I guess he just did.
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And I wrote yesterday that Guy Riordan, who Gov. Bill Richardson removed from the state Game Commission after he was named in the treasurer’s office scandal, was also a member of the board that oversees the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority. That is what the Game Commission’s Web site states.
But Steve Fitzer, finance director in the office of Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, wrote Wednesday to tell me that, on the MFA Web site, Riordan is not listed as a board member. He is a former board member, but no longer serves there.
Thanks for setting me straight. Accuracy is a top priority on this site, and I’ll be quick to correct errors when they are brought to my attention.
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The governor’s big trip to Las Cruces is today. He’ll be talking about ethics in government to Common Cause. I’ll be there, and if he says anything spectacular, I just might post a special Friday blog entry.
Thanks for reading.