Attorney General Patricia Madrid received a warm welcome in her hometown of Las Cruces Friday afternoon as she announced the opening of a new consumer division branch office here.
In attendance were many members of her family, including her mother, and also a myriad of public officials, both Democrat and Republican.
FormerState Rep. J. Paul Taylor said it was unfortunate that Madrid lost her bid to unseat U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson, but said Madrid is young and has a bright political future ahead of her.
Rep. Joseph Cervantes also urged Madrid to not drop out of public service. Madrid has said she may run for U.S. Senate in 2008 or governor in 2010, which makes her a potential primary opponent of Cervantes.
Taylor and Cervantes praised Madrid for achieving her long-sought goal of opening an office in Las Cruces, the only office of the attorney general outside Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Recurring funding from the legislature should keep it open when Gary King takes the helm on Jan. 1.
“One of her last official acts as attorney general is the very thing she started out to do,” Taylor said of Madrid, who leaves office at the end of the year.
“It’s a great thing that she comes back home to us at the end,” Cervantes said. “She didn’t forget us.”
Madrid appeared tired after months of a nasty campaign that ended with her defeat. She said she was glad to be in Las Cruces.
“Thank you for welcoming me home,” she said.
Diana Marquez, deputy director of the attorney general’s consumer division, said the office will miss Madrid.
“You’re the best attorney general we’ve ever had,” she said.
Here’s video of what Madrid had to say at the event:
Attorney General Patricia Madrid received a warm welcome in her hometown of