Three GOP House Members Vie for Minority Whip

Dennis Roch

News New Mexico has learned that there are three GOP house members vying for the vacated position of House Minority Whip. The vacancy was created when Roswell's Keith Gardner accepted the position of Chief of Staff for Governor-elect Susana Martinez.



Jimmie Hall



The three Republicans are: Dennis Roch from Texico, Jimmie Hall from Albuquerque, and Don Bratton from Hobbs. As these three house members jockey for position in the party caucus, it appears that all discussions of the possibility of forming a coalition with Democrat Joseph Cervantes (D- Las Cruces) have slipped even further below the political radar screen. As is often the case with politics during leadership battles, nobody wants to go on the record.

House Minority Leader Tom Moore of Farmington has been closed mouthed about any negotiations taking place as have all the Democrats News New Mexico has spoken with.

Don Bratton

Still, observers we have communicated with outside of the realm of elected officials still believe the idea of a coalition is far from dead. With six weeks to go before the beginning of the 2011 New Mexico legislative session, the behind the scenes wrangling is likely to continue to be in secret. Whether it is for the House Minority Whip position, or to form a coalition that takes down current House Speaker Ben Lujan and the rest of those in charge of New Mexico for the last eight years, the trend continues. Other than Dona Ana County house members Andy Nunez and Mary Helen Garcia, and Luna County representative Donna Irwin, nobody is going on the record.

Three GOP House Members Vie for Minority Whip