Santa Fe New Mexican

Legislature 2009: Ousted Senate leader may ask GOP to help thwart vote
Steve Terrell | The New Mexican

Even though state Senate Democrats will enjoy the biggest majority they've had in years, it's possible that a leadership dispute will give Republicans a big say in who gets elected Senate president pro-tem.

At a closed-door caucus meeting Sunday afternoon, Democratic senators selected Sen. Carlos Cisneros of Questa as their nominee to lead the chamber. He defeated incumbent president Pro-tem Tim Jennings of Roswell.

But it's not yet a done deal for Cisneros, who has been in the Senate since 1985. Jennings told a reporter after the meeting that he might seek Republican support to stay on when the full Senate votes on the position in January.

Earlier this month, Jennings said he's never been a part of any coalition and didn't intend to start now. But on Sunday, Jennings said he wasn't ruling anything out. The word coalition, he said, "means a lot of different things to a lot of different people." Republicans, he said, supported him when he won the position this year. He said he believes he would have enough support in the full Senate to retain the job.

Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez of Belen said Sunday that he hopes to have the matter settled before it comes to a Senate floor vote. Sanchez recalled the difficulties and bitterness the Senate went through in 2001 when Sen. Richard Romero, with the aid of Republicans, ousted Sen. Manny Aragon, D-Albuquerque, from the pro-tem chair.

Cisneros agreed. A self-described moderate, he told a reporter Sunday that he doesn't believe enough Democrats would band together with Republicans to thwart his election.

It's not clear how many votes Cisneros and Jennings got Sunday. The election was done by secret ballot, with two freshman Senators counting the votes and instructed not to read the total votes.

But the numbers could be close enough for an avalanche of backroom wheeling and dealing as Jennings and Cisneros attempt to woo "swing" Democrats if Jennings decides to press on.

Sen. Jerry Oritz y Pino of Albuquerque said after the caucus that he believes Cisneros has at least 19 solid votes. But it would take 23 votes to win the pro-tem position. There will be 15 Republicans in the Senate when it convenes in January.

"I could see it being a 21-21 tie," Oritz y Pino said. Though the lieutenant governor breaks ties in votes on bills in the Senate, that's not the case with Senate leadership contests.

Cisneros was praised by Sen. Dede Feldman, D-Albuquerque, who said, "He's chaired just about every committee we have."

Jennings angered some Democrats when he defended Republican Senate Whip Leonard Lee Rawson — and recorded a "robo call" for Rawson — toward the end of the recent general election. Rawson, of Las Cruces, was defeated by Democrat Steve Fischmann.

Jennings won the pro-tem position early this year following the unexpected death of the previous president pro-tem, Ben Altamirano, D-Silver City.

In an interview earlier this month, Cisneros said the intent then was that Jennings' tenure would be temporary, just to fill out Altamirano's term.

If Cisneros is elected, he would be the first senator from Northern New Mexico in at least decades to become president pro-tem. "I certainly think it's time," Cisneros said Sunday.

The position is largely symbolic. The official responsibilities are presiding over the Senate, or appointing someone to do so, when the lieutenant governor is absent and naming members of the "Committee on Committees," which decides the makeup of Senate committees. The president pro-tem also has the power to name some members to certain boards and commission, including judicial nominating committees.

The pro-tem position became more powerful when it was held by Aragon, who recently pleaded guilty on federal corruption charges in a kickback case that took place during his Senate years.

Sanchez and Whip Mary Jane Garcia of Doña Ana were re-elected to their posts without challenge. The Democrats elected Sen. David Ulibarri of Grants as their caucus chair. He defeated Sen. Howie Morales of Silver City.

Contact Steve Terrell at 986-3037 or sterrell@sfnewmexican.com.