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Thursday, May 26, 2011
Candidate Proposal Upsets Sandoval GOP
By Rosalie Rayburn
Journal Staff Writer
Sandoval County Republicans are peeved by the County Commission's decision to propose a Los Alamos County Democrat as a candidate for House District 43.
Commissioners last week approved a bipartisan committee recommendation that Stephanie Richard be considered for appointment by the governor as the replacement for Jeannette Wallace, a Los Alamos Republican who died in April.
Richard is a community leader and educator from Los Alamos who lost to Wallace in the 2010 election.
The commission approved her on a 3-2 vote with Don Leonard, Orlando Lucero and Commission Chairman Darryl Madalena, all Democrats, in favor. Republicans Don Chapman and Glenn Walters were against.
Before the vote, Charles Christmann, chairman of the Republican Party of Sandoval County, and several other Republicans told commissioners they were upset the committee chose a Democrat from another county to fill a seat previously held by a Republican.
They noted the appointment will be made by a Republican governor.
"This is a chance for Sandoval County to send a citizen from Sandoval County," said Republican Patricia Morlen, who served on the committee.
House District 43 covers parts of Sandoval, Los Alamos and Santa Fe counties. By law, in districts that cover more than one county, each county commission submits one name to the governor.
Christmann wanted the commission to reconsider submitting to the governor the other candidate proposed to the committee, Sindle Neff Sandoval, a Republican from Peña Blanca.
He was also upset that Richard had an opportunity to speak to the committee, while Sandoval did not.
Committee member Jim Moran, president of the New Mexico Democratic Club, defended the way the committee reached its decision.
"Your candidate could have appeared," Moran said.
The five-person committee that picked Richard over Sandoval was composed of Democrats Moran, Thomas Buckner and committee chairman Kenneth Kiesling; and Republicans Morlen and Leonard Armijo.
The 3-2 vote in favor of Richard was along party lines.
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