Heath Haussamen / NMPolitics.net
A sign in front of the Doña Ana County Government Center along Motel Boulevard in Las Cruces, where the county clerk’s office is located.
Many prominent people are among the 14 who applied to be the next Doña Ana County clerk.
The applicants are:
• Amanda López Askin, a former New Mexico State University student regent
• E. Shirley Baca, a former member of the N.M. Public Regulation Commission
• Lindsey Bachman, the county’s current chief deputy clerk
• Dolores Connor, a former Las Cruces city councilor
• Cheryl De Young, a member of the clerk’s Election Advisory Council
• Ronald James Fitzherbert, a former congressional and school board candidate
• Juan Antonio Fuentes, a former Truth or Consequences city manager
• Bealquin “Bill” Gomez, a state representative who leaves that job at the end of the year
• Kelly O’Connell, a Las Cruces attorney and former radio program host
• Eugenia “Gina” Montoya Ortega, a former Las Cruces mayoral candidate
• Paul Ponce, the county’s chief deputy assessor
• Jacob Portillo, a senior title examiner for the State of New Mexico who ran for county clerk in 2000
• Maria E. Rodriguez, a paralegal and former magistrate judge who ran for county clerk in 2016
• Merrie Lee Soules, a former congressional and PRC candidate
You can view the letters and résumés submitted by each candidate by clicking here. They were released Wednesday evening by the county, shortly after the 5 p.m. deadline to submit applications.
Members of the Doña Ana County Board of Commissioners will meet at 9 a.m. on Sept. 11 at the Doña Ana County Government Center to either vote to appoint someone to be the next clerk or, if they’re not ready to do that, finalize a process for making a selection.
Applicants who attend the meeting will be allowed to address the commission. Public input will also be allowed. You can watch the meeting online by clicking here.
The commission is appointing a new clerk because of last week’s decision by Scott Krahling to submit his resignation, which takes effect Friday. Krahling gave no reason for resigning, but an NMPolitics.net investigation revealed that the county attorney’s office has been investigating a complaint involving Krahling and former Chief Deputy County Clerk Rose Ann Vasquez for months. The details of that complaint aren’t known publicly.
The commission is moving quickly to replace Krahling in part to ensure continuity in advance of the upcoming general election. The last day to register to vote in the election is Oct. 9. Early and absentee voting begin that day as well. Nov. 6 is Election Day.
The new clerk will serve the remainder of Krahling’s term, which ends on Dec. 31, 2020.