Oct. 7—SANTA FE — Former Sen. John Arthur Smith, a conservative Democrat who built a reputation for thwarting governors’ spending plans, died early Monday, a caucus spokesman said.
Smith, a Deming real estate appraiser, served in the Legislature from 1989 to 2020, when he was ousted by a primary opponent.
News of his death led to a moment of silence Monday at the annual meeting of the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association.
Lt. Gov. Howie Morales, who served in the Senate with Smith, said he felt heartbroken by Smith’s passing and praised him for his work to “really pave the way for a lot of the benefits that we have right now.” .
As chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, Smith was nicknamed “Dr. No” by former Gov. Bill Richardson, who accused Smith and other top senators of having a pessimistic view of the state’s economy.
Smith embraced the nickname while opposing budget initiatives proposed by three successive governors: Richardson, Republican Susana Martinez and Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham, the state’s current governor.
“I think he will probably go down as the most influential legislator in the history of the state,” said former Senate Minority Whip Bill Payne, R-Albuquerque, as he honored Smith on the Senate floor in 2020.
But Smith was not only a thorn in the side of the governors, he was also a pragmatic lawmaker who could work with both Democratic and Republican colleagues.
Shortly before leaving office, he worked with Rep. Doreen Gallegos, D-Las Cruces, to pass legislation creating a state early childhood trust fund.
That fund has exploded in size since its inception – from $300 million in 2020 to a projected balance of $9.8 billion at the end of the current budget year.
Smith also played a key role in crafting a 2016 compromise law that brought New Mexico into compliance with the federal Real ID law while still allowing undocumented immigrants and others to obtain driver’s license cards.
But the popular senator also angered progressives by bottling up proposals to legalize adult-use cannabis in New Mexico and increase benefits from the state’s largest permanent fund for early childhood programs.
Under the legislative structure, Senate committee chairs have the authority to determine when bills should be scheduled — and whether they will be heard at all. In some years, Smith did not hold a hearing on the permanent fund proposal after it reached his committee, saying it did not have the necessary votes to move forward.
“I know the governor is committed, but I am also committed to being financially responsible,” he said in a 2019 interview.
Smith was ultimately defeated in the 2020 primary by fellow Democrat Neomi Martinez-Parra of Lordsburg. She subsequently lost the general election to Republican Crystal Brantley.
A total of five incumbent Democrats in the Senate were defeated by more progressive challengers in that year’s primaries.
That cleared the way for the Senate to pass measures the following year that repealed a long-dormant state abortion ban and gave voters the power to decide whether to increase the permanent fund distribution.
The proposal was overwhelmingly approved by voters statewide in 2022.
Journalist Megan Gleason contributed to this report.
