GOP selects state House leaders

Apr. 8—Faced with a void at thee top of their ranks in an election year, Republicans in the state House of Representatives have selected Farmington lawmaker Rod Montoya as minority leader.

Montoya, a conservative who has served 10 years in the Legislature, is filling the leadership vacancy left by former Rep. T. Ryan Lane, R-Aztec, who resigned in March, opting not to complete his second term. Montoya has previous experience, having served six years as minority whip.

"The reality is we have a lot of experience that's leaving the House," Montoya said Monday. "We've got 76 years of combined experience of folks that are either retiring, or some of them are moving over to the Senate. But we're losing a tremendous amount of institutional knowledge."

All 112 legislative seats are on the November ballot, with 21 incumbents overall facing challengers in the June 4 primary. Early voting begins May 7.

The political landscape on both sides is set for a makeover.

A total of 19 lawmakers from both chambers — 12 Republican and seven Democrats — have announced they are giving up their seats either because they are retiring or resigning or, as in the case of Rep. James Townsend, R-Artesia and state Rep. Candy Spence Ezzell, running for the state Senate.

State Rep. Natalie Figueroa, an Albuquerque Democrat, is leaving the House to run for state Senate in District 18, a seat now held by Democratic Sen. Bill Tallman, of Albuquerque, who isn't running for re-election.

Aside from Lane, Townsend has resigned his seat of nearly 10 years.

Townsend, who has served as House minority whip and minority leader, will run unopposed in the Nov. 5 general election for the District 34 Senate seat vacated by state Sen. Ron Griggs. He faces no Republican opposition in the primary.

Griggs, an Alamogordo business owner, opted not to seek reelection after serving 12 years as a Republican senator.

Ezzell, a Republican who is a rancher, farmer and race horse owner from Roswell, is running for the seat to be vacated by state Sen. Cliff Pirtle, a Republican who isn't seeking reelection.

The House Republican caucus also chose freshman Rep. Alan Martinez, from Bernalillo, as minority whip.

"It will be a little bit more responsibility and fundraising, and keeping the team focused in supporting candidates in whatever they need," Martinez said Monday. I think we have a strong leadership team. I think we have a good balance."

Other House members who won't be seeking reelection include: research engineer, Rep. Jason Harper, R-Rio Rancho, and longtime lawmaker and former police officer William "Bill" Rehm, R-Albuquerque.

On the Democratic side, House Majority Floor Leader Rep. Gail Chasey, a 27-year-veteran of the House, and Rep. Anthony Allison, of Fruitland, have announced they won't seek reelection.

Currently, the House has 45 Democrats and 24 Republicans. Democrats also control the state Senate, 27-15.

Montoya told the Journal his primary focus will be on fundraising. "I've got to go raise money and I've got to help hold on to seats and pick up seats. However, I do have my eye on running for leader next year."