Sen. Mark Boitano, R-Albuquerque
Mark Boitano, R-Albuquerque, is the 10th state legislator to announce that he’s not seeking re-election this year.
Sen. Mark Boitano, a champion of the movement to webcast legislative proceedings, announced tonight that he won’t seek re-election, making him the fifth senator thus far to announce that he’s retiring this year.
“I have always believed in term limits, and after four terms in the Senate, it is time to move on and allow others to continue the fight in the Senate to improve New Mexico,” the Albuquerque Republican said in a news release. “I have a real estate business to run, a wife and children I love and want to spend more time with, and I will begin looking for new opportunities to serve my community and state.”
Other senators who have announced they’re not seeking re-election include Dede Feldman, D-Albuquerque, who, as NMPolitics.net reported Friday, is retiring; Republicans Clinton Harden of Clovis and Vernon Asbill of Carlsbad, who are also retiring (read more about Harden’s departure here); and Eric Griego, D-Albuquerque, who is giving up his state Senate seat to run for the 1st Congressional District seat in the U.S. House.
They’re joined by several House members who are also not seeking re-election – Speaker Ben Luján, D-Námbe, and Danice Picraux, D-Albuquerque, who are retiring; Al Park, D-Albuquerque, who is running for a seat on the Public Regulation Commission; Bill O’Neill, D-Albuquerque, who is running for the Senate seat being vacated by Feldman; and Joni Gutierrez, D-Mesilla, who is instead seeking the political position of Democratic national committeewoman for New Mexico.
Boitano spent four years sponsoring legislation that would require Senate webcasting. He wasn’t successful until others in the Legislature and media joined him in the fight, but he was among the early leaders of the movement. Today, the Senate webcasts floor sessions but not committee meetings; the House webcasts both (links are here).
Boitano said he is “proud of the hard-fought success he spearheaded” to webcast Senate floor sessions.
He also cited his work to craft the Charter School Act of 1999 and legislation “to strengthen marriage and reduce unnecessary divorces.” The businessman and real-estate broker said he will continue to “advocate for a fix on what he coined the ‘property tax lightning’ problem in Albuquerque.”
Boitano’s release states that he “was often novel in his approach to finding solutions to problems and many times relied on ideas he developed rather than relying on others.”
“Boitano thought a part of his job as a legislator was to create a wave of interest around an issue,” the release states. “Other legislators ride the wave created by others, he said.”