{"id":1778,"date":"2007-05-25T11:06:00","date_gmt":"2007-05-25T17:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmpolitics.net\/index\/2007\/05\/longtime-gop-leader-dies-after-battle-with-cancer\/"},"modified":"2007-05-25T11:06:00","modified_gmt":"2007-05-25T17:06:00","slug":"longtime-gop-leader-dies-after-battle-with-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2007\/05\/longtime-gop-leader-dies-after-battle-with-cancer\/","title":{"rendered":"Longtime GOP leader dies after battle with cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"

A longtime Republican Party leader in Do\u00f1a<\/st1:placename> Ana<\/st1:placename> County<\/st1:placename><\/st1:place> has died after a protracted battle with cancer.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Mike Laurance died Thursday in Las Cruces<\/st1:place><\/st1:city>. He was 65.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Laurance was a former chairman of the county\u2019s Republican Party<\/a> and former southern regional political director for the Republican Party of New Mexico<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cMike was a mentor to me and so many others,\u201d said Ceil Levatino of Las Cruces, the state party\u2019s 1st vice chair. \u201cHe remained committed to the Republican Party and involved in what we do until the very end. New Mexico<\/st1:place><\/st1:state> lost one of its finest. We\u2019ll miss him very much.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Laurance was instrumental in organizing the county party\u2019s effort to find and train watchers and challengers to staff every polling place. The new level of organization he brought was instrumental in exposing problems with the 2002 primary election that led to the indictment and later conviction of then-county Clerk Ruben Ceballos, a Democrat, on five felonies related to mismanaging that election.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

The conviction drove Ceballos from office.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Laurance also frequently designed and printed, at his own cost, programs for the county party\u2019s annual Lincoln Day Dinner.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cOn behalf of Republicans throughout New Mexico<\/st1:place><\/st1:state>, I salute Mike for his service to our party and his commitment to the principles on which we stand,\u201d said state Republican Party Chairman Allen Weh. \u201cHis work was admirable, and he will be missed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Update, 3:50 p.m.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s Laurance\u2019s obituary:<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Duncan Michael Laurance<\/p>\n

September 18, 1941 \u2013 May 24, 2007<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Duncan Michael Laurance lost his battle with cancer May 24, 2007. He was born in Dunedin<\/st1:City>, Florida<\/st1:State><\/st1:place> September 18, 1941 to Jack and Marie Laurance. Marie died in 1948 and Jack re-married to Ruby. Ruby and his three brothers Philip, Robert, and Calvin survive him.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cMike,\u201d as he was known to his many friends, led an amazing, colorful, and diverse life. The term \u201crenaissance man,\u201d is often over used, but in Mike\u2019s case \u2013 he truly was a \u201crenaissance man.\u201d He never stopped learning new things and mastering new skills. As a professional photographer, some of his clients included American Airlines, The Rolling Stones, and Richard Dreyfuss. Nationally recognized for both his editorial and photographic illustrations, Mike\u2019s work appeared in such publications as Time, Life, Playboy, and National Geographic magazines. His work included directing advertising and PR departments for both Kodak and Bell & Howell.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Mike\u2019s works have been exhibited at the International<\/st1:PlaceName> Center<\/st1:PlaceType> for Photography, the Kennedy Gallery, Boston<\/st1:PlaceName> Museum<\/st1:PlaceType>, and the L.<\/st1:PlaceName> A.<\/st1:PlaceName> Center<\/st1:PlaceType><\/st1:place> for Photography. The Institute<\/st1:PlaceType> of Historical Survey Foundation<\/st1:PlaceName> in Mesilla Park<\/st1:City>, NM<\/st1:State><\/st1:place> is currently archiving and cataloging much of his life\u2019s work and there are future plans for an exhibit there.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Mike earned his Master of Arts from New Mexico<\/st1:PlaceName> State<\/st1:PlaceType> University<\/st1:PlaceType><\/st1:place> in 1995, and was an instructor in the Photojournalism Department there. He was also very active in the Las Cruces Community Theater and served as President at one time.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Mike established a graphics design, advertising and photography business in Las Cruces<\/st1:City>, New Mexico<\/st1:State><\/st1:place> and did contract work for various magazines, organizations, restaurants and tourism entities.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

He was the Chairman of the Dona Ana Republican Party from 2001 \u2013 2003, and worked with the New Mexico Republican Party as Grassroots Field Coordinator. <\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Recently Mike was a driving force in establishing New Mexico<\/st1:place><\/st1:State> as a new powerhouse in the film industry. His efforts to bring media to the Mesilla<\/st1:PlaceName> Valley<\/st1:PlaceType> culminated in the Creative Media Institute at New Mexico<\/st1:PlaceName> State<\/st1:PlaceType> University<\/st1:PlaceType><\/st1:place>, which he helped found. His work as Director of Operations and tireless and patient teaching at NMSU and the Do\u00f1a<\/st1:PlaceName> Ana<\/st1:PlaceName> Community College<\/st1:PlaceName><\/st1:place> ensured the success of many students in achieving their creative goals. The Operations<\/st1:PlaceName> Center<\/st1:PlaceType><\/st1:place> of the Creative Media Institute will be named after Mike as will an award from the New Mexico Film Office given to promising young filmmakers. A Memorial Scholarship in Mike\u2019s name will be established at CMI with the initial endowment coming from Mike\u2019s estate. His impact at the university and in the state will be felt for years to come.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A longtime Republican Party leader in Do\u00f1a Ana County has died after a protracted battle with cancer. Mike Laurance died Thursday in Las Cruces. He was 65. Laurance was a former chairman of the county\u2019s Republican Party and former southern regional political director for the Republican Party of New Mexico. \u201cMike was a mentor to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1778","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1778","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1778"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1778\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1778"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1778"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1778"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}