Should there be more Las Crucens in Santa Fe?

The Las Cruces Sun-News ran an editorial today lamenting the dearth of Las Crucens in high places in Santa Fe.

First, the newspaper grieves over the fact that State Rep. Joseph Cervantes of Las Cruces was unsuccessful in his bid to become House majority leader. Cervantes withdrew from the race at the last moment after Ken Martinez of Grants accepted a nomination to the position following his own loss in the speaker race.

“It is incredible that the second-largest city in New Mexico has never had a majority leader, and hasn’t had a speaker of the House since W.H.H. Llewellyn held the post in 1917,” the editorial states.

That lack of representation among House leadership might “be easier to take if not for the fact that it is coupled with a lack of representation at the executive level,” the editorial states. It notes that, in his four years in office, Richardson has appointed one Las Crucen – former Mayor Reuben Smith – to a cabinet-level position in Santa Fe as head of the Cultural Affairs Department.

Smith lasted less than a year in that position.

The newspaper notes that Agriculture Secretary I. Miley Gonzales is from and works in Las Cruces, but that’s because state law ties that job to New Mexico State University.

There are 21 cabinet secretary positions. Doña Ana County represents about one-tenth of the state’s population. Las Cruces is the state’s second-largest city.

It gets even worse, the Sun-News writes. The lack of representation extends to many boards and commissions, including the Environmental Improvement Board, the Game Commission, Medical Board and Racing Commission.

“When asked about this imbalance, Richardson said his first priority is to find the best person for the job,” the editorial states. “Fair enough. But are we to believe there are no members of our community qualified for any of these positions? Or is it that he’s just not looking?”