Sen. Boitano Won’t Seek 5th Term

Longtime Albuquerque state Sen. Mark Boitano announced Monday that he will not seek re-election to the state Senate for a fifth term.

Boitano, a Republican and professional real estate broker, has represented Albuquerque’s Northeast Heights area District 18 since 1997. He said 16 years was long enough for his tenure in the state Legislature.

“I have always believed in term limits, and after four terms in the Senate, it is time to move on and allow others to continue the fight in the Senate to improve New Mexico,” he said in a statement Monday. “I have a real estate business to run, a wife and children I love and want to spend more time with, and I will begin looking for new opportunities to serve my community and state.”

Boitano, with the announcement that was a surprise to many on Monday, is the third of the Senate’s 14 Republicans to announce plans to leave the chamber. Sen. Clinton Harden, R-Clovis and Sen. Vernon Asbill, R-Carlsbad, previously said they would not seek re-election.

Democratic Sens. Dede Feldman and Eric Griego, both of Albuquerque, also will not be seeking re-election to the state Senate.

Boitano in his announcement touted his role in crafting state law in 1999 that expanded creation of new state charter schools intended to offer parents a wider variety of options for public education programs.

“I am proud of how charter schools have energized students and parents and have become the change agents in public education today,” Boitano said in a statement.

The longtime senator has also worked to craft a law that addresses the so-called property “tax lightning” that occurs when a new homeowner buys property and the taxable value spikes to market rate while neighbors’ property values cannot be increased more than 3 percent per year. Legislation to prevent the property tax spike co-sponsored by Boitano fell short this year after passing the Senate but dying in a House committee without a hearing.

Boitano said he will continue to advocate for a fix to the tax lightning problem.

His term runs through the end of 2012.

Boitano did not return calls for comment late Monday.

Meanwhile, another Albuquerque Republican state senator announced Monday that he plans to run again.

Sen. Sander Rue will pursue a second term in his West Side District 23, which includes Taylor Ranch and Ventana Ranch. Rue was first elected to the seat in 2008.

Rue was the sponsor of legislation in 2010 that established the state’s online Sunshine Portal, a searchable website that lists public state financial data, including employee names and salaries.
— This article appeared on page C1 of the Albuquerque Journal