Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
The full Senate has just rejected Matt Chandler’s appointment to the University of New Mexico Board of Regents. He is removed from the position effective immediately.
The vote was 23-17 in favor of adopting the Senate Rules Committee’s recommendation from earlier today. It was a nearly party-line vote, with Sen. Pete Campos, D-Las Vegas, the only Democrat voting against the motion.
The other Senate Democrats voted in favor, while Senate Republicans voted in opposition. Two senators were absent for the vote.
In a heated committee hearing this morning, Senate Democrats voted down one of Gov. Susana Martinez’s nominees to serve on the University of New Mexico Board of Regents. Even before the final vote, a veteran Democratic regent resigned in protest.
The Senate Rules Committee voted 6-4, along party lines, on a “do not confirm” motion for Matt Chandler, a former prosecutor whose work for a pro-Republican political committee had prompted tough questions from lawmakers.
Meanwhile, Jamie Koch, another Martinez nominee to the UNM Board of Regents, submitted his resignation letter today over the Chandler situation.
“I am disappointed that the Senate descended to the partisanship it did,” Koch said in his resignation letter to Martinez. “In my long career, I cannot recall a lower point for the Senate.”
Koch, a former chairman of the Democratic Party of New Mexico, had been reappointed by Martinez to serve on the UNM Board of Regents and was confirmed by the Senate. It is unclear whether Martinez will accept Koch’s resignation letter.
The resignation letter was read during the Senate Rules Committee meeting by Senate Minority Leader Stuart Ingle, R-Portales, who was sponsoring Chandler during the confirmation process.
Chandler, who was also the 2010 Republican attorney general candidate, faced tough questions Wednesday over his role with Advance New Mexico Now, a super PAC that spent more than $1 million during last year’s election cycle, most of it on campaign mailers targeting House Democrats.
He told senators during today’s hearing that his involvement in the political arena was no different from that of Koch or Javier Gonzales, a former Democratic Party chairman and New Mexico State University regent.
“I do believe, with all due respect, that this is political retaliation,” Chandler said.
But Senate Democrats said they did not appreciate alleged threats from the Governor’s Office and House Republicans about the repercussions of voting against Chandler’s nomination.
Specifically, Sen. Jacob Candelaria, D-Albuquerque, said a House GOP committee chair had told him the Chandler situation could determine whether the committee held hearings on certain Senate bills.
“I will not be threatened, and I cannot be bought,” Candelaria said.
Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto, D-Albuquerque, also accused Chandler of mischaracterizing the comments he made during Wednesday’s hearing.
“I’m really sorry your feelings were hurt,” Ivey-Soto told Chandler during today’s hearing.
The Senate Rules Committee’s action still faces approval today on the Senate floor. The last time the Senate rejected a gubernatorial nominee was 2010, when Neri Holguin, an appointee of then-Gov. Bill Richardson, was rejected.
