Brian Colón, shown here, picked up the endorsement today of Matthew Padilla, another Democrat who had been considering entering the race. (Photo by Heath Haussamen)
There’s been some shuffling in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor recently, with two potential candidates deciding against running and another becoming serious enough about his consideration of the race that he’s attending tonight’s candidate forum in Santa Fe.
Early today, a Democrat who had been openly considering entering the race, law student and former U.S. Navy officer Matthew Padilla, announced that he won’t run and endorsed former state Democratic Party Chairman Brian Colón for the job.
“I believe that the next lieutenant governor must be a person of strong character who can bring fresh new perspectives to our political debate,” Padilla said in a prepared statement. “While there are many candidates who bring diverse experiences to this race, one candidate in particular stands out above the rest.”
Padilla said Colón “will be a voice for the voiceless” and “can bring fresh ideas from outside of Santa Fe into the Roundhouse.”
Last week, Española Mayor Joseph Maestas, who had been considering the race, said he won’t run, according to The Santa Fe New Mexican’s Kate Nash. Maestas said although he believes he possesses the type of leadership the state needs, “the time is simply not right for me to enter this race.”
Meanwhile, there’s a forum for the Democratic lieutenant governor candidates tonight in Santa Fe. In addition to Colón, those who have formally entered the race are Santa Fe County Sheriff Greg Solano, state Sens. Linda Lopez and Gerald Ortiz y Pino of Albuquerque, State Rep. Jose Campos of Santa Rosa, and Lawrence Rael, executive director of the Mid-Region Council of Governments.
A news release the Santa Fe County Democratic Party sent out earlier this week about the forum also lists Sen. Tim Eichenberg, D-Albuquerque, as a candidate who will attend tonight’s forum, according to Democracy for New Mexico. Eichenberg has been telling Democrats for some time that he is thinking about running, but he has not formally announced his candidacy.