The race for the two available seats on the Española School Board suddenly got a lot less exciting.
Former Española Housing Authority director Rick Vigil, the candidate running against Joe “Coco” Archuleta for Board President Joe Romero’s District 3 seat, confirmed Tuesday afternoon he has dropped out of the race.
“That means (Coco Archuleta) gets it on a silver platter,” Romero said. “Just like Floyd.”
The move leaves two candidates, Archuleta and incumbent Floyd Archuleta coasting into their respective seats Feb. 3.
“I planned on going back to school for some time, I don’t think I’d be able to give both tasks much attention,” Vigil said. “I don’t want to put too much on my plate at this point.”
Vigil, who holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from New Mexico Highlands University, declined to say what he plans to study or where. Tuesday was the last day under state law for him to withdraw.
Vigil said he had been contemplating the decision for “a while,” but did not make the decision until Tuesday morning. Just a day earlier, he had confirmed to Española School District employee union president Brian Every that he would participate in a union-sponsored forum for candidates, Every said.
“Maybe he wasn’t getting the response he wanted, maybe he just had a change of heart,” Board Vice President Floyd Archuleta said. “And once you get out there, you realize how much work it is. But that’s a surprise.”
Sen. Richard Martinez (D-Española) said Vigil had approached him for support, but he declined.
“I haven’t talked to (Coco Archuleta), but I specifically told Rick, ‘Both of you are good friends of mine, I can’t support you,’” Martinez said.
Current Board members put it more bluntly.
“(Coco Archuleta) has a lot of support. This is just my personal assumption, but I think (Vigil) figured out he didn’t stand a chance,” Board member Leonard Valerio said. “Sure, he was being supported by that faction, but he was going up against a monster.”
By “that faction,” Valerio was referring to support Vigil was expected to receive from lobbyist Nick Naranjo and his political allies. Naranjo is a nehphew of the late Emilio Naranjo and the Democratic precinct chairman in La Mesilla. He said days before the Dec. 16 candidacy filing date that he would likely support Vigil, then said a week later he would wait to speak with both candidates before supporting either. He did not return calls.
“What was told to me is that his friends weren’t wanting to support him that strongly,” Romero said. “The La Mesilla bunch, don’t ask me to name names, they were going to let him hang to dry.”
When Romero abruptly announced Dec. 10 he would not seek re-election, rumors circulated that Nick Naranjo, who had supported Romero in a previous election, would instead throw his support behind Vigil this time around. Romero, who until the evening of Dec. 9 had said in no uncertain terms he planned to run and keep his seat, cited travel plans with his recently-retired wife when he announced he would instead step down.
The “monster” Valerio thought Vigil would have faced is that Coco Archuleta is a long-time San Pedro resident and his wife, former District superintendent Patsy Archuleta was raised there, while Vigil is a relative newcomer to the neighborhood.
Archuleta has taken to characterizing his campaign as a grassroots effort. He said he started knocking on doors around his neighborhood the day after Christmas.
“I heard (Archuleta) was organizing, thinking of having a couple of meetings,” Rio Arriba County Commissioner Elias Coriz said. “Down (in San Pedro and La Mesilla), candidates usually break off into the factions, with Nick and Alex (Naranjo) and the old guard on one for sure. I understand they were supporting (Vigil).”
But though Coriz hinted Archuleta would be the favored candidate of the Democrats for Progress faction, which counts many County politicians who are part of the old Naranjo faction among its allies, Commission Chairman Alfredo Montoya said Democrats for Progress is not endorsing any candidate.
“I’ve heard a lot of people are supporting him, but you know, just families, just a lot of independent support,” Montoya said.
Archuleta said he has tried to get support from current and former Board members. He said he was planning to meet with Romero and ask for his support Tuesday night, and former Board member James Esparza said he is getting behind Archuleta.
Romero said he would support Archuleta — because he’s the only candidate left.
“I was going to vote for Rick. I wouldn’t have gone wild campaigning for him, but I was going to ask my wife to vote for him,” Romero said. “About the support though, you don’t know if you have it until you get into the arena. He should’ve gotten into the arena.”
Dulce Write-Ins
Tuesday was also the last day to file as a write-in candidate for Feb. 3 school board elections. Two candidates, Merlin D. Tafoya Sr and Robert Charles Cook, filed Tuesday to run against Dulce School Board President David Montoya, Rio Arriba County Deputy Clerk Maria Elena Rodela said. Two candidates had filed as write-ins in Dulce Dec. 19. Keva Vicenti also filed against Montoya and Merton Sandoval filed to fill the seat of Board Vice President Steve Cata, who will not run for re-election.