2021 Legislative Session

NM Senate Dems pick leadership, make choice for pro tem nominee
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New Mexico Senate Democrats picked their leadership Saturday and made their nomination of who they want in the Senate president pro tem spot.
The majority party in the Senate picked Sen. Mimi Stewart of Albuquerque as their choice for pro tem, but the full Senate will still vote when they meet for the 2021 legislative session in January.
In a statement through the Senate Democrats, Stewart said she hopes Democrats and Republicans can work together next year.
“I am honored to have the support of the Democratic Caucus for President Pro Tempore as we enter what will undoubtedly be a difficult session that will require us to solve New Mexico’s many problems under unprecedented circumstances,” Stewart said. There’s still no guarantee that Stewart will be elected by the body as a whole. In 2013, for example, Sen. Pete Campos, D-Las Vegas, was the Demcratic nominee for the pro tem spot, but a coalition of conservative Democrats and Republicans had enough votes to put Sen. Mary Kay Papen, D-Las Cruces, into the spot. Papen lost in this year’s Democratic primary to Democrat Carrie Hamblen of Las Cruces. Hamblen went on to win in the general election.
Earlier this week, there seemed to be some tension among some Senate Democrats leading up to Saturday’s caucus meeting.