Republicans pick Neumann to run for judgeship

The Republicans have picked Rita Nuñez-Neumann to run in November for a newly created children’s court judge position in Las Cruces.

Neumann, 62, was not selected by Thursday’s nominating commission to be considered for the governor’s appointment to the position.

The appointee will serve until the end of the year, when the candidate who is elected in November takes office. If the appointee is also elected in November, there will be no change.

The committee sent the names of Democrats Fernando Macias, 54, and Bernadette Sedillo, 40, to Richardson. Both plan to seek the party’s approval to run in November, if appointed.

The county Republican Party’s central committee voted two weeks ago to place Neumann on the ballot. She has unsuccessfully run for district judgeships in the past, and has applied for appointments several times, but never been picked.

Neumann has an impressive record as a nationally recognized attorney, but many in the local legal community, Democrat and Republican, consider her too unorthodox to be a judge.

The governor has until Aug. 25 to announce his appointment. A spokesman said he’ll likely make his selection in about two weeks, after completing background checks and interviews. The Democratic Party has until Sept. 12 to make its selection for the November ballot, and will likely pick whoever the governor appoints.

This vacancy exists because of a new children’s court judge position created this year by the legislature. Another vacancy, created by the recent resignation of Children’s Court Judge Larry Ramirez, was filled earlier this summer by the appointment of Democrat Michael Murphy, who will be sworn in next week.

Murphy is running unopposed in November.

Neumann said during Thursday’s commission interview that she was also asked to run against Murphy, but decided against it because she has known Murphy for a long time and respects him.