Two attorneys have applied for the district court vacancy created by the recent death of Silvia Cano-Garcia.
The office is up for election on Nov. 7. Democrat Lisa Schultz will face Republican Janetta Hicks.
But unless the governor appoints a judge, the position will remain vacant until January. Richardson’s office said two weeks ago it did not know whether he would make an appointment. I have a call in to find out whether that has changed.
The list of applicants, released Tuesday, includes Schultz and Republican Rita Nuñez Neumann, who is on the ballot to run for a different district judgeship in November.
A judicial nominating commission will interview the applicants beginning at 9 a.m. on Oct. 2. The commission will recommend a finalist or both candidates to the governor, who will have the ability to appoint one to serve until the end of the year, when the candidate who is elected takes office.
Hicks said she didn’t apply because “There’s an election coming up Nov. 7. The voters are the ones who should decide and I’m going to await their decision.”