Lujan has difficult task of balancing governor’s ambitions and demands of House Democrats

Monday’s vote to continue the leadership of Ben Lujan wasn’t entirely a defeat for House Democrats who supported his ouster.

His challenger, Majority Leader Ken Martinez, emerges from the loss having brought to light concerns about Lujan’s leadership. He also helped House Democrats confront their leader and, in doing so, Martinez lessened the fear that existed among caucus members.

At least for now. A swift dose of retaliation could change that.

Though the vote totals in the speaker of the House race have not been disclosed publicly, both sides believed going in to Monday’s meeting that the race was very close. Lujan told me Monday evening that he won by “more than two votes,” but would not be specific.

It’s rare for a significant number of House Democrats to stand up to the speaker, but on Monday they did just that. Even a few of Lujan’s backers – including the powerful chair of the Legislative Finance Committee, Luciano “Lucky” Varela of Santa Fe – placed conditions on their support.

Varela wants the House Democratic caucus to display more integrity than it has in the past, and to assert more independence from the governor.

“I told (Lujan) that I would be emphatic about restoring the integrity of the Legislature and emphatic about the separation of powers of government,” Varela told the Santa Fe New Mexican.

Other House Democrats, including Rep. Mary Helen Garcia of Las Cruces, also want Lujan to make a greater effort to consult with caucus members and build consensus, instead of ruling with an iron fist.

Lujan has been given a chance to make some changes. He might have fewer votes in two years if he doesn’t.

In an interview Monday night, Lujan refused to comment on whether he’ll make any changes in his leadership style. I asked about Varela’s comments and Lujan said, repeatedly, “That a question for Representative Varela. If you want to talk about what he says, talk to him.”

When I asked Lujan whether he will make any changes in his leadership style, he made the same comment referring me to Varela.

Lujan said at a news conference after the meeting that he has always listened to concerns of caucus members and doesn’t need to change his leadership style.

“I’m satisfied that I’m not an iron-fisted type person,” Lujan said, according to the Albuquerque Journal. “I will definitely work with my caucus as I have in the past. I think the people in my caucus were completely satisfied with my leadership abilities. So I don’t see why I would need to change anything.”

I also asked about committee assignments, and Lujan said he’ll announce his appointments on the first or second day of the session, like he has in the past. When I asked if Garcia might lose her seat on the powerful Appropriations Committee, he would not answer.

“That’s a question that doesn’t even deserve an answer,” he said. “I have the prerogative and I’ll discuss it with the majority leader… and make a decision like I have the power to do.”

Lujan is right: Committee assignments are his to make. Though Martinez emerges as the face of reform among House Democrats, for the time being, Lujan holds the power, along with his close ally, Gov. Bill Richardson.

A Richardson spokesman told me last week it was “ridiculous” to assert that the governor was getting involved in the speaker race simply because he was working quickly to fill a House vacancy right before the vote. But after Richardson appointed a Lujan supporter two hours before Monday’s vote, several Martinez supporters told me they thought it was Richardson’s denial that was ridiculous.

The timing was too much, they told me, for a reasonable person to believe Richardson wasn’t getting involved.

The appointment likely swayed some other swing votes. House Democrats took it as the powerful politico’s endorsement of Lujan.

The other major factor in the vote was that Lujan has done more financially to secure support than Martinez. The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, controlled by Lujan because he is speaker, raised just over $597,000 during the 2006 election cycle, and spent just over $528,000. The committee, whose focus is electing Democratic legislators, put money into approximately 16 high-profile House races.

Lujan’s own political action committee raised more than $83,000 and spent almost $44,000 helping House Democrats.

Martinez’s political action committee did almost nothing during the 2006 election cycle.

But the money Lujan controlled wasn’t enough to stave off a serious challenge. If he wants to keep his position past 2008, Lujan will have to reach out to House Democrats in a way he hasn’t done in his first six years as speaker. It won’t be as easy for him to make unilateral decisions. Many House Democrats will expect him to assert the Legislative branch’s independence from the governor.

On the flip side, Lujan will have the expectations of Richardson to appease. The governor has an ambitious legislative agenda he hopes will boost his presidential run.

It will be a difficult balancing act, but Lujan is a shrewd politician. His actions in the next few weeks will set the stage for the next two years.

Garcia, for example, is waiting to see whether she keeps her seat on appropriations. She’s also anxious to see whether legislation she introduces that would create a state ethics commission gets a fair hearing.

“If that doesn’t move out of committee, I will know definitely that there was retaliation,” Garcia told me.

But even Garcia said she is willing to work with Lujan if he is willing to work with her, and Democrats emerged from Monday’s meeting making rosy statements.

“We are united and we look forward to this session under the current leadership,” said Rep.-elect Nate Cote of Las Cruces.

“The majority has spoken, and the caucus will unite behind the majority,” said Rep. Joseph Cervantes of Las Cruces.

Even Lujan sounded, to some degree, conciliatory. He acknowledged the dissent, and said it was resolved during Monday’s closed-door meeting.

“It’s a family affair. We discuss issues there, just like any other family,” he told me. “I’m satisfied that there was a good dialogue and good discussions.”

Though I couldn’t reach Martinez for comment, he said during a news conference that he believes his challenge will make House Democrats feel freer to speak their minds, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican. He acknowledged that there had been a perception that Lujan wanted to stifle dissent, but said it was “just a perception. It’s not real.”

Quietly, some of Martinez’s supporters think it’s real, and doubt he believes what he said. Tell those who have had their capital outlay chopped after not supporting Lujan and the governor that debate and dissent are acceptable to the leaders, one said to me.

The harmony displayed after Monday’s meeting is fragile. Another ethics scandal could rip it apart, as could swift and severe retaliation against those who opposed Lujan. Martinez and his supporters succeeded in shining light on the way the House has operated for the last several years. Many House Democrats now expect some changes in exchange for unity.

If those changes don’t come, the next leadership battle could be even more divisive.