It’s almost official: Assuming the U.S. Senate confirms Bill Richardson as commerce secretary, Lt. Gov. Diane Denish will become the first woman to be governor of New Mexico.
The date that it will happen isn’t set. Richardson says he won’t resign until the U.S. Senate confirms his nomination, which won’t take place until after Barack Obama is sworn in on Jan. 20. That means the transition is likely to occur in the middle of a 60-day state legislative session in which lawmakers and the governor will have to make up for a budget shortfall of hundreds of millions of dollars.
Denish says she’s up to the task.
“I really want to ensure a smooth transition so that there’s no disruption,” she said today in a brief interview. “I’m ready for this job. It’s a great opportunity for me, and we’re going to ensure that we do it smoothly.”
Denish said she wanted to congratulate Richardson, who she called “uniquely qualified” for the commerce job and “a great addition” to Obama’s cabinet.
“I just wanted to make sure that every New Mexican knew about how delighted I was about the governor’s appointment as commerce secretary,” Denish said. “… He’s going to be a great economic diplomat for the country.”
Denish said she spoke with Richardson on Tuesday, and the two plan to meet Thursday morning to begin discussing the transition. She said she didn’t want to comment further on the transition, including talking about who she will appoint to replace her as lieutenant governor, until after she meets with Richardson.
This posting has been updated to clarify the fact that Richardson must still go through a U.S. Senate confirmation hearing.