After the primary election polls closed yesterday, SFR visited a few candidates’ post-election parties. Below are our interviews with some of the winners: State House Speaker Ben Luján, Sr., former PRC staffer (and new Santa Fe County Commissioner) Danny Mayfield and 2nd-term County Assessor Domingo Martínez. (Cross-posted at sfreporter.com.)

Ben Luján, Sr.
State Representative, Dist. 46
Luján: 50.87% (2,115 votes)*
Carl Trujillo: 49.13% (2,043 votes)

It’s not surprising that the venerable speaker held onto his seat; he’s done it for more than 30 years. What’s shocking about this election is that he squeezed by his opponent, the young and comparatively inexperienced Carl Trujillo, with only 72 votes. SFR caught up with Luján after the election was over.

“It was a very low voter turnout,” he told SFR over the phone last night. “A lot of my people thought, ‘Oh, you don’t have anything to worry about,’ and didn’t vote—but enough of them did [vote], and we’re very grateful for that.”
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Governor Bill Richardson held a press conference at the College of Santa Fe this morning to announce the formation of a task force whose job it will be to find a financially viable way to keep the College of Santa Fe from closing its doors after the spring semester.

Before signing the executive order to create the task force Richardson’s Deputy Chief of Staff Bruce Perlman, Cabinet Secretary of Higher Education Reed Dasenbrock, House Speaker Ben Lujan, Representative Lucky Varela and Santa Fe Mayor David Coss, all members of the newly formed task force, spoke to approximately 200 students, staff and faculty in the O’Shaughnessey Performance Space.

The task force comes after House Bill 577 was, according to Richardson, “drowned out in the last few days of a very difficult session.” Richardson also acknowledged how hard the CSF community rallied throughout the session, especially in the final days and said he is “extremely disappointed that we did not get a hearing” on the bill but that the steps forward will allow the college to “keep going in, perhaps, a stronger way.”

House Speaker Lujan spoke out in support of the Governor’s move and echoed the Governor’s dissappointment that HB 577 was held up in the Senate Finance Committe, pointing the finger at SFC chairman John Arthur Smith saying it is “undemocratic and unamerican for one person to deny the community to be heard.”

The task force, which includes politicians, educators, local business leaders and students includes Highlands University President Jim Fries, Santa Fe Community College President Sheila Ortego, University of New Mexico Executive Vice President and Provost Suzanne Ortega, New Mexico Cultural Affairs Secretary Stuart Ashman, Lensic General Manager Bob Martin, students Irina Zerkin, Keith Murfee and Adam New. Surprisingly the task force does not include any current CSF faculty though CSF President Stuart Kirk and Vice Dean Susan Marcus were named as members.

Immediately following the press conference the task force went to work. Its preliminary report is due on April 30 to Richardson, who acknowledged that many of the students and faculty have been actively looking for other institutions.

Audio from Kate Nash:

Go read Trip’s piece at the Independent right now. Teaser:

Smith’s accusation [during the first open conference committee] that Lujan had acted suspiciously so enraged Lujan that he confronted the senator on the Senate floor in the middle of news media interviews.

“You are full of shit,” Lujan said to Smith. “You have anything to accuse me of. Why didn’t you come and tell me to my face or at least make the phone call?”

Smith responded, “I’m glad you feel that way, Speaker.”

The tense standoff – which followed a night in which lawmakers worked more than they slept — attracted attention as state senators, staff and others looked on as the speaker angrily denounced Smith.

“Just like you, when a constituent comes up to you and asks you to put something, that’s how it happened,” Lujan said of the amendment. “But you are accusing me. You are not worth a darn.”

“Mr. Speaker, that was your amendment,” Smith said.

“That was my amendment, and I don’t deny it,” Lujan shot back. “You are not worth a darn. That’s what’s the matter with you. You are a racist S.O.B.”

And that, folks, explains why so many were pushing so hard to open conference committees.

That solves one of the mysteries of the session that we never thought would be resolved. House Speaker Ben Lujan is metal. Very metal.

Good morning! Welcome to the first Monday of the 60-day legislative session! Don’t look so tired. Get some coffee because this is only the second week of this madness.

Consider this a little Monday morning briefing: The Senate Finance Chair talks on video about furloughing state employees, more on the House Speaker and Iron Maiden, a correction and a run down of today’s special interest-sponsored receptions.

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