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Sunday, October 25, 2009
Marty: 'It's Been A Great Run'
By Leslie Linthicum
Journal Staff Writer
Martin Chávez was wearing a rather fashionable pair of distressed jeans in his City Hall office on a gloomy day last week.
"I haven't worn a tie since Election Day," he said as he fed a biscuit to his dog, Dukes, who had just rolled over.
Dressing down is one of the privileges of being a lame duck, a status Chávez has held since Election Day, when only about 25 percent of Albuquerque voters went to the polls and, by a 9 percent margin, elected Richard Berry as mayor.
It means Chávez, who has been Albuquerque's mayor for a combined 12 years, will be out of office in five weeks.
"What I've done is a labor of love, and I've had a great run," he tells me.
Until this, Chávez had lost only one election in his political career. That was in 1998, when he lost the governor's race to Republican newcomer Gary Johnson.
Back then, I sat down and talked to Chávez about how he was dealing with the defeat and what his plans were. At that time, he was happily chilling out, watching a lot of movies, trying to lose weight and planning his future, which he said he hoped would include a business dealing with occupational medicine, making a lot of money and no politics.
Chávez never went the entrepreneurial route. He went back to the practice of law, made some good coin and within a couple years was looking to return to the political life.
Here we are 11 years later, and Chávez is looking forward again.
But before we hear about the future, let's look back.
There's no doubt Chávez is leaving a city transformed. Under his watch, the city has added amenities like Explora and the balloon museum and tidy Tingley Beach. It's got landscaped medians and freeways, a vast system of bicycle trails and dog parks. It's got the Rapid Ride bus, a booming film industry and a transformed animal welfare system. The city also has a more secure source of water, a balanced budget and a AAA bond rating.
Albuquerque now lands in the top five or 10 on a variety of business, tourism and quality-of-life lists.
Yet voters threw Chávez out. How did he lose?
"They got more votes than we did," Chávez answers. And he seems a little prickly when pressed to go beyond that quip.
"I've spent no time (analyzing) it, no time," he says. "The public made up its mind. I really don't see this as a 'We hate Marty' or anti-Marty type of vote. I think Republicans are upset, angry, and they consolidated around a candidate."
While he's not looking back, Chávez says he's looking ahead, but taking his time in figuring out his next act.
He's 57, single, and has a son in high school and a daughter in college.
First up on his calendar is a trip to Copenhagen in mid-December. Chávez sits on the board of the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, which is committed to global sustainability.
After that? "I've got a full array of options," Chávez says.
Chávez, a politician since his teenage days as an organizer at Manzano High School, has always said there are three public offices he would like to hold: Albuquerque mayor, New Mexico governor and United States senator.
He's done the first one three times.
Governor? Well, timing is everything, and Lt. Gov. Diane Denish might have the Democratic Party's nomination pretty well wrapped up.
Senator? Those slots also look filled for now.
So we play a game journalists adore and politicians hate. It's called "Would You Rule It Out?"
A solo law practice or job with an Albuquerque law firm?
"I have reactivated my law license. I have every expectation of making good money, but I don't think I need to do it in trench warfare (his term for trial work)."
(Chávez told me he never complained publicly about it because most Albuquerqueans would be thrilled to receive his $100,000-plus salary, but he never made less money than in his years as mayor, and he wants his next job to be better for his bottom line.)
Back to our game.
Would he move away from Albuquerque if the opportunity arose?
"It would have to be very short term. This is my home."
What if President Barack Obama offered him a job?
"If the president of the United States calls somebody and says this is important for the nation, then I think anybody should say yes to that. But the phone is not ringing from the Obama administration."
Would he ever run for mayor again?
"Nuh-uh," the soon-to-be-ex-mayor says. "But I never say never."
UpFront is a daily front-page opinion column. You can reach Leslie at 823-3914 or llinthicum@abqjournal.com.
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