As Gov. Bill Richardson began his second term Monday, the big question was whether he’ll serve for two or four more years.
You can read the nuts and bolts about Richardson’s inauguration by clicking here and the text of his remarks by clicking here.
The reality is that everyone expects Richardson to announce sometime in the next two weeks that he is running for president. He’ll likely work very hard to be governor of New Mexico for only two more years.
And, as noted by Steve Terrell of the Santa Fe New Mexican in an analysis piece published today, the phrase “the long haul” – spoken seven times by Richardson during his 2003 inaugural address – was absent from Monday’s remarks. Either there’s not much left to do to turn around the state, or Richardson doesn’t plan to be around much longer.
We all know there’s much left to be done.
Richardson has said he’ll make a decision on whether to run for president before the Legislature convenes on Jan. 16, and said he’ll make the announcement in New Mexico. Those closest to the governor expect him to run.
Regardless of whether Richardson is successful in a White House bid, expect Lt. Gov. Diane Denish to do a lot of governing over the course of the next two years if Richardson runs. The presidential race has already begun – the Democrats will likely hold their first debate in April in South Carolina – and Richardson will be out of the state for much of 2007 and 2008.
As Gov. Bill Richardson began his second term Monday, the big question was whether he’ll serve for two or four more years.