Dems keep Gwaltney, Sanchez in leadership positions

The Democratic national committeeman and committeewoman for New Mexico successfully fought off challenges to be re-elected at the party’s state central committee meeting this weekend.

Mary Gail Gwaltney easily defeated State Rep. Mary Helen Garcia, D-Las Cruces, securing almost 90 percent of the vote. Former Speaker of the House Raymond Sanchez also won, securing a little more than 75 percent of the vote against Bruce Barnaby.

Democrats in each state elect a national committeeman and national committeewoman to the DNC. In addition to being charged with representing the state’s issues to the national party and communicating national issues to the state’s Democrats, both are superdelegates to the Democratic National Convention in Denver in August.

Gwaltney and Sanchez have both pledged their support to Hillary Clinton in the presidential primary.