Deal-making isn't only a Capitol offense

Mar. 21—Lynn Crawford, mayor of Ruidoso, wants to expand his clout by becoming a state senator.

But he figures deal-making by retiring Sen. Bill Burt has diminished his chances of winning.

Burt, R-Alamogordo, initially said he would run for a fourth term. No one from either major party stepped up to challenge him.

Then Burt reversed himself late in the registration process, saying he would withdraw to spend more time with his family.

Before publicly announcing his new plan, Burt made sure to alert his pal, Nick Paul, an Alamogordo city commissioner. Paul entered the Senate race one day before Burt disclosed his withdrawal.

Crawford was at a government conference in Washington, D.C., on the Friday afternoon when Burt dropped out. Scrambling from afar, Crawford collected more than 200 online signatures to petition onto the ballot before the Tuesday deadline.

Rhonda Romack, a real estate agent from Ruidoso, also hustled to make the ballot in hopes of succeeding Burt.

For the moment, Romack, Paul and Crawford are all seeking the Republican nomination in Senate District 33. The field might shrink as a matter of practical politics.

Crawford says a three-way race shapes up favorably for Paul. Crawford figures he and Romack would split the vote in their home county of Lincoln while Paul carried the day in Otero County, where he lives.

"We have the same friends, the same base," Crawford said of Romack. "We need honest conversations right now."

Would these discussions be about either Crawford or Romack dropping out? "Yes," Crawford said.

Romack did not respond to questions about whether she would consider withdrawing. Crawford, though, said he would be inclined to step aside rather than allowing a three-way primary to set up Paul for victory. No Democrat is in the race.

Burt, the retiring senator, has apologized for waiting so long to announce he would not run again.

"It's probably one of the more difficult decisions I've had to make, and I took too long to make it," he told me.

But Burt also has made clear he wants Paul to be his successor, an endorsement that probably translates to a sizable bloc of votes.

Crawford, 61, said his ambition was to continue as mayor of Ruidoso and also become a state senator. He said holding both positions simultaneously would enable him to tackle problems, most notably a housing crisis in his community.

People making $15 or $20 an hour face monthly costs of $2,400 or more for a mobile home, Crawford said.

"The Senate election is not a popularity contest. It's about what we can do for Lincoln County and Otero County," he said.

Crawford said he plans to speak with Romack at candidate forums about the possibility of one of them quitting the race and consolidating support behind the other.

Only rarely does a sitting mayor run for a legislative seat. Depending on the size of the village or city, it can be a critical factor or no issue at all.

Andy Nuñez was mayor of Hatch while also serving in the state House of Representatives. Though conservative, Nuñez began his legislative career as a Democrat. He switched to independent, lost his seat, then won it back as a Republican.

No one in Hatch, a village of 1,500 famous for its chile crop, objected to Mayor Nuñez spending 30 or 60 days in Santa Fe for legislative sessions. A state lawmaker can deliver substantial money for projects in his or her town.

The mood in Santa Fe was far different when then-Mayor David Coss ran in 2012 for a seat in the state House of Representatives. Coss said he planned to hold both offices at once.

His campaign sputtered as critics said Coss could not do both jobs adequately. He lost the Democratic primary for the legislative seat to Carl Trujillo.

As mayor of Ruidoso, a village of 7,800, Crawford probably wouldn't have to worry about that sort of backlash. But he might have no better chance of winning than Coss did.

Burt never stepped into controversy during his legislative career. He devoted himself to minutiae in the state budget and to cutting taxes on military retirees.

As he prepares to leave office, Burt is taking more heat than he did during his first 11 years as a senator. He picked his horse, and he's taking a pounding in the first furlong.

Ringside Seat is an opinion column about people, politics and news. Contact Milan Simonich at msimonich@sfnewmexican.com or 505-986-3080.