Rep. Martinez nominated as NM House Speaker
Posted at: 12/14/2012 5:57 PM
By: The Associated Press
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - Democrats who control the New Mexico House on Friday nominated Majority Leader W. Ken Martinez to replace longtime Speaker Ben Lujan.
Democrats also picked Rep. Rick Miera of Albuquerque to succeed Martinez in the majority leader post, and they chose Rep. Moe Maestas of Bernalillo as majority whip.
The speaker nomination can't be finalized until the Legislature convenes in January.
Lujan announced he was retiring earlier this year after he was diagnosed with advanced stage lung cancer.
Martinez, of Grants, has been in the House since 1999. He moved into the Democratic leadership in 2004 when Democrats elected him majority leader. His late father, Walter, served as House speaker in 1971-78 but was ousted by what was called the "Cowboy Coalition" of minority Republicans and conservative, mainly rural Democrats.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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