Rusty Babington and Fernando Macias pledged support for the newly appointed District Judge Michael Murphy Tuesday evening, and the Democratic Party’s central committee voted to place Murphy on the ballot in November.
“I think that he will show the kind of judicial leadership that is necessary on this children’s court,” Macias said.
“I think that Mike Murphy is a guy who will do a lot of good for
Murphy, who was appointed by Gov. Bill Richardson earlier in the day, thanked the Democrats for their support.
“Today has been a very interesting and turbulent day for me,” he said.
Murphy received 20 of 25 votes from the central committee. The other five went to Melissa Reeves, one of the other applicants for the appointment the governor gave to Murphy.
Reeves was the only candidate besides Murphy nominated at the meeting for the Democrat’s ballot spot. The Republican Party has not decided whether to run a candidate against Murphy in November, but has until Wednesday at 5 p.m. to decide.
The position became vacant because of the resignation of Democrat Larry Ramirez.
The Democrat’s meeting was not without controversy. Reeves detailed an alleged conspiracy against her. She said she was told that the governor planned to appoint a Hispanic woman to the position, but that “the Republicans (on Monday’s nominating commission) hijacked the process” by not sending her name to
Reeves was the only Hispanic woman to apply.
“I don’t know if that’s true or not, but it’s what I’ve heard,” she said.
The commission included eight Democrats, eight Republicans and one independent.
There was a lot of politicking at the Democrat’s meeting. Many attorneys who applied for the position filled by Murphy, including Macias, are also applicants for a new district judgeship that was created earlier this year by the legislature. Another commission meets in July to recommend names to the governor, and the Democrats and Republicans have until Sept. 12 to place candidates on the ballot in that race.
Sources tell me the governor is interested in appointing a Hispanic woman. Two have applied for that judicial opening: Reeves and Bernadette Sedillo, a former prosecutor and alternate municipal judge in
With the exception of Sedillo, all Democrats who applied for the second vacancy attended Tuesday’s meeting. Babington did not apply for the second position.
Sedillo did not apply for the position filled by Murphy or attend Tuesday’s meeting because she is on vacation.