Behind the magistrate judge Division 3 primary earlier this week was a battle between the south-county Democrats and their counterparts from the north.
Ultimately, Olivia Garcia, the south-backed candidate, beat Maria Rodriguez and her northern supporters with about 60 percent of the vote.
The race got a bit nasty at the end. Though neither candidate went on the attack (it’s a bit difficult with the judicial code of conduct and all), a few of Garcia’s signs were knocked over and Rodriguez’s face was cut out of some of her signs.
Here’s the history:
Garcia was appointed to the position last year by Gov. Bill Richardson after Magistrate Judge Reuben Galvan resigned. Rodriguez held a different magistrate judge seat briefly in 2004. Richardson appointed her after the resignation of Anne Segal.
Two days after Richardson appointed Rodriguez, the county Democratic Party picked Richard Silva over Rodriguez to run for the position in the November 2004 election. Sources tell me that was done because Richardson didn’t consult the county party before making his choice. He just called up State Sen. Mary Jane Garcia, D-Doña Ana, and appointed the person she named.
In rejecting Rodriguez, the county party was asserting its independence.
Rodriguez had some big-time, north-county supporters, including Sen. Garcia and Mary Gail Gwaltney, the mother of the county Democratic Party.
Garcia had the support of south-county legislators Sen. Mary Kay Papen and Reps. Mary Helen Garcia and Joseph Cervantes. Garcia is married to the treasurer of the Cervantes campaign, New Mexico State University government professor Jose Z. Garcia.
“This one is not going to be forgotten,” said one longtime Democrat who knows about these sorts of things.
But enough about the primary. On to November!