New Mexico Republicans eager for a fresh start after their party’s drubbing at the polls last fall picked a new state party chairman Saturday.

The party’s state central committee chose Albuquerque oil, gas and real-estate firm president Harvey E. Yates Jr. to lead the state GOP for the next two years. He takes the helm from Allen Weh, who had been chair since early 2004 and opted not to seek re-election.
The central committee also voted in lower-tier officers for the party — one of which drew far more attention than normal during the meeting of hundreds of party activists at the Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town.
Former Bernalillo County Republican Party chairman Fernando C de Baca, who resigned last fall during an outcry over racially charged comments he made concerning Hispanics and blacks, made a bid for the state party treasurer’s post — raising the possibility of another public-relations mess for the party.
But C de Baca was defeated by former 3rd Congressional District representative Bill Redmond of Los Alamos.