Cervantes may have gubernatorial aspirations

State Rep. Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces, might run for governor in the future.

The representative made the comment today on the Michael Swickard show.

Swickard was commenting that, when Gov. Bill Richardson leaves office sometime in the next four years, there will be a vacuum for others to fill. He asked whether Cervantes would be interested in holding statewide office.

“I’d look forward to doing that,” Cervantes said, adding that no one from Las Cruces has held a statewide office since Garrey Carruthers was governor from 1987-1991. Attorney General Patricia Madrid grew up in Las Cruces, but moved to Albuquerque and was a district judge there before running for statewide office.

As chair of the House Judiciary Committee, Cervantes said he holds the second most powerful chairmanship, which gives him the opportunity to work closely with the governor’s office and legislative leaders.

Swickard asked whether Cervantes would be interested in being governor. Cervantes said he might.

“I’ve learned a great deal about our state and the great assets we have in our state,” he said.

Cervantes, a lawyer who is currently unopposed in his bid for re-election, is popular in Doña Ana County, even among many conservatives. He has spent four years in the legislature and was a county commissioner before that.

Though Cervantes wasn’t speaking specifically about the 2010 race, some speculate that’s the best time for a candidate from somewhere outside Albuquerque and Santa Fe to win a Democratic primary. Many anticipate a crowded field that includes Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez and, if she loses the congressional race, Attorney General Patricia Madrid (though her chances of winning the congressional race look pretty good right now).

Cervantes’ first cousin Laura Garcia is running Richardson’s reelection campaign in Southern New Mexico. Some speculate that whatever portion of Richardson’s campaign organization is left behind when he runs for president might be used by Garcia to run a Cervantes gubernatorial campaign in 2010. The Albuquerque and Santa Fe candidates might split that vote, allowing one strong candidate from another area of the state to pick up enough rural votes to be victorious in a Democratic primary.

Is Cervantes that candidate? Stay tuned.

A prior version of this posting did not clarify Madrid’s ties to Las Cruces.