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Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Cummins Takes PRC Nomination

By
The Associated Press
    Former Albuquerque City Councilor Tim Cummins beat another former Albuquerque city councilor Tuesday to become the Republican nominee in the state Public Regulation Commission's Albuquerque-area District 1.
    Cummins will face Democratic incumbent Jason Marks in the November general election.
    Cummins' lead over GOP primary opponent Alan Reed remained steady throughout the evening. With 97 percent of the precincts reporting, unofficial results showed that Cummins had more than 56 percent of the vote.
    In the PRC's District 3, Jerome Block Jr., son of former PRC member Jerome Block, won in a six-man Democratic primary race.
    They were seeking the nomination to replace Ben Ray Luján, who did not seek re-election.
    With 98 percent of the precincts reporting, Block took 23 percent of the vote, according to unofficial returns.
    Former Assistant Attorney General Bruce Throne of Santa Fe won 19.2 percent of the vote, while Española Mayor Joseph Maestas had just under 18 percent. They were trailed by Louis Gallegos of Santa Fe, who was a member of the regulatory agency that predated the PRC; former state Sen. Arthur Rodarte of Ojo Caliente; and Santa Fe County Commissioner Paul Campos.
    No Republican filed for the seat, which includes all or part of 10 counties in northeastern, north-central and central New Mexico.
    The five-person PRC oversees electric, gas and water utilities, telecommunications, insurance, pipeline and fire safety.