Secretary office needs Winter's full attention

Under no circumstances would Gov. Susana Martinez have done something so outlandish as appointing Democrat Maggie Toulouse Oliver as secretary of state, even though she is immensely qualified for the job.

After all, Oliver — despite running elections in Bernalillo County — is a Democrat. No one is that bipartisan.

Martinez’s selection to replace the disgraced Dianna Duran as secretary of state was always going to be a Republican. It’s a political appointment. That’s understood.

However, in choosing an Albuquerque city councilor and career educator — someone with little or no experience in running elections — Martinez has made a curious choice.

After all, new Secretary of State Brad Winter will be in charge of elections during a presidential year. He’s got just a few months to get up to speed before June primaries.

He is unfamiliar with the ins and outs of campaign finance laws, except perhaps as they pertained to his past campaigns for the Albuquerque City Council. He likely hasn’t thought deeply about the benefits of same-day voter registration vs. the status quo. He knows less about running a statewide election than the clerk of the smallest county.

Martinez would have better served citizens by appointing a Republican with experience in running elections. Instead, she chose a political ally.

Winter used Martinez’s political guru, Jay McCleskey, during his most recent run for city council this year. His wife, Nann Winter, also received a political appointment from Martinez, as chairwoman of the New Mexico Finance Authority Board in July 2012.

We can be grateful, we suppose, that Winter has promised not to run for the post. Because Duran was forced to resign mid-term to deal with criminal charges, the office of secretary of state will be on the ballot again in 2016 so that voters can pick a replacement.

We are less than grateful, however, that Winter is going to take the $85,000-a-year salary as secretary of state while remaining a city councilor, which pays $30,000. Oh, and did we mention that the former educator also has a hefty state pension?

Winter has proved himself to be a capable administrator in his positions at Albuquerque Public Schools, including serving as interim superintendent most recently. He has an admirable record of public service. He is worthy of appointment, but perhaps as a secretary of public education, not a secretary of state with divided loyalties.

To move into the scandal-plagued position of secretary of state and not focus solely on the tasks ahead shortchanges the public. Especially when Winter’s expertise is education, not elections and campaign finance. Especially when, if he is going to serve as a councilor, he will not always be available as secretary of state or to his constituents, for that matter. Especially since, as an Albuquerque resident, he’ll be commuting to work.

Winter should reconsider his decision, resign as city councilor and concentrate on being the best secretary of state he can be. He needs to be at the top of his game, and serving two masters is not the way to get there.

— The Santa Fe New Mexican