Just two weeks after pledging to support Rio Arriba County Democratic Party Chairwoman Theresa Martinez if she stood for reelection, Sen. Richard Martinez replaced her at the party’s April 2 County Convention.
“They told me she wouldn’t run (for chair) on Sunday and asked me to stand for election,” the Española senator said of Theresa’s decision to step aside . He repeatedly refused to identify who “they” were, other than to say individuals in the Party had approached him.
Theresa Martinez had been the party chairwoman since 2002. The couple, both members of the Party’s old Naranjo faction, filed for divorce last summer.
The move apparently caught some of the approximately 150 attendees by surprise and resulted in no challenge. Sen. Martinez’s nomination for Party chair and Christine Quintana’s nomination for Party Vice Chair went unopposed. Both were elected by affirmation without a dissenting voice in the packed Española Senior Center.
Theresa and Richard Martinez both owed their political career to Emilio Naranjo. A former magistrate judge, Richard Martinez was chosen by Emilio Naranjo for a successful run against Art Rodarte for state senator in 2002. Theresa Martinez was similarly hand-picked by Emilio Naranjo to serve on the state central committee when she was just 29, she said.
She denied that she had been pressured to step down but conceded that her application to be the Española School District’s next superintendent was a factor in her decision to step aside.
“I did know that the superintendent job would mean I would probably have to step down,” Theresa Martinez said.
School Board President Leonard Valerio had said Martinez could not hold both positions, but it didn’t matter anyway. The School Board announced the same day as the convention that Martinez was not among the four finalists for superintendent job (see related story).
Party Vice Chairman Robert Martinez stepped aside when he learned Theresa would not run for re-election.
“If that’s not loyalty, I don’t know what is,” a tearful Theresa Martinez said.
Nostalgia for Naranjo and the power the county wielded under his rule were on prominent display throughout the convention.
Al Duran, precinct four chairman (Fairview) and long-time member of the Naranjo clique, read a memorial to the former County boss, who died last year.
“Rio Arriba County was known statewide as a strong home for the Democratic Party,” Duran said. “JFK and Barack Obama publicly acknowledged Emilio’s political acumen.”
Even those opposed to the Naranjo faction paid grudging homage to Emilio Naranjo and spoke of reconciliation.
“The Naranjo faction and the Democrats for Progress need to come together to become a strong party again,” Precinct 38 (Velarde) chairman and former chairman of the Democrats for Progress faction Eddie Velarde said. “I have no nostalgia for Emilio, but he got people out to vote.”
Sen. Martinez suggested that his election as Party chairman will facilitate a healing of the rift between the Naranjo faction and the Democrats for Progress faction allied with County Commissioner Alfredo Montoya and other politicians in County government. None of the Progress politicians attended the convention.
“I think with my relationship with Alfred, I can make some progress,” Sen. Martinez said. “The County Commissioners respect me.”
Central Committee
The Party’s eight delegates to the state central committee were also elected.
Those elected to the state central committee were: State Rep. Debbie Rodella (D-La Mesilla); Española Military Academy lobbyist Nick Naranjo; Jerry Fuentes; Valerie Martinez, former Party chairwoman and current Northern New Mexico College Regent Theresa Martinez, former Party vice chairman and current Jemez Mountains Electric Cooperative Board member Robert Martinez, Brenda Martinez and former County Probate judge Marlo Martinez.
Correction: This story required a correction.
The article orginally abd incorrectly stated in the final sentence that the new Rio Arriba County Democratic Party Central Committee included Marvin Martinez. The committee member is actually former Rio Arriba County probate judge Marlo Martinez, of Española, who was also elected precinct 10 (San Pedro) vice chairman.