Email
Sen. Clint Harden is saying goodbye to the Legislature a bit earlier than planned.
The Clovis Republican resigned from his Senate District 7 seat Friday, less than three months before his four-year term was scheduled to expire.
Harden, who has served in the Senate since 2002, said in his resignation letter to Secretary of State Dianna Duran that he hopes the seven county commissions in his district endorse Pat Woods as his replacement.
Woods won a two-way GOP primary race in June, after Harden announced he would not seek re-election.
Harden said Friday that he and Woods had discussed the possibility of Harden resigning and said the timing “felt right” for him to step down.
“I think it’s good for Pat to get into the game a little earlier,” Harden said.
Harden, who served as labor secretary under former Republican Gov. Gary Johnson, said he plans to open a political consulting practice but currently has no lobbying clients.
Gov. Susana Martinez will ultimately pick Harden’s successor from the names submitted by the various county commissions.
MORE VOTERS: New Mexico’s voter rolls are swelling in the buildup to this year’s general election, as more than 15,000 people registered to vote during a recent monthlong span.
A total of 1,231,847 New Mexicans were registered as voters as of Sept. 28, according to Secretary of State Dianna Duran’s office.
Of the 15,193 who signed up to vote between Aug. 31 and Sept. 28, a total of 5,455 registered as Democrats and 3,611 as Republicans. The increases were roughly the same percentage-wise for each party.
However, the largest registration gain was the 5,749-voter increase that boosted independents – or those who decline to state their party affiliation – to roughly 18 percent of the total state voter pool.
About 48 percent of New Mexico voters are registered as Democrats, while Republicans make up about 32 percent of registered voters. Those affiliated with minor political parties represent the rest of the statewide voter rolls.
Voter registration for this year’s general election runs through Tuesday.
Dan Boyd can be reached at dboyd@abqjournal.com.
— This article appeared on page A4 of the Albuquerque Journal
Reprint story -- Email the reporter at dboyd@abqjournal.com. Call the reporter at 505-992-6281
