April 18—It’s hard to imagine, but New Mexico can learn a lesson in honest politics from Kentucky.
Certainly, the Commonwealth that gave us the brave reformers Abraham Lincoln, Muhammad Ali and Harold “Pee Wee” Reese is being belittled today because of devious maneuvers by the Republican U.S. Senator. Mitch McConnell.
During the last year of Barack ObamaDuring his presidency, then-Senate Majority Leader McConnell blocked Obama’s nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court.
McConnell’s stonewalling was terrible for the country, but useful for his party interests. He short-changed the nation’s highest court to Republican Donald Trump succeeded Obama as president. Trump subsequently appointed three associate justices to the Supreme Court.
Now 82, McConnell has more yesterday than tomorrow in the Senate. Ever alert to this fact, the Republicans who dominate Kentucky’s legislature have recently been making their own power play.
They approved a bill that would block Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear from having a say in the nomination of McConnell’s successor if the senator resigns or dies. Republican legislation would require special elections to choose replacement senators.
Although steeped in self-interest, the Republicans’ castration of Beshear is an excellent change.
Governors do not get to decide who holds federal office. States like New Mexico that grant a governor this enormous power have seen politicians abuse the electorate.
Edwin Mechem, one of the most ruthless governors in New Mexico history, effectively appointed himself to an open seat in the U.S. Senate shortly after voters rejected him.
Mechem, a Republican, lost his bid for re-election as governor on November 6, 1962. Twelve days later, Democratic U.S. Senator Dennis Chávez died of a heart attack at the age of 74.
Mechem, no novice in backroom deal-making, devised a plan to save his political career.
He resigned as governor on November 30, a month before his term would have ended. Lt. Gov. Tom Bolack ascended to the state’s highest office. A little later, the new governor Bolack appointed Mechem as a member of the Senate.
Big Ed, as Mechem was known, didn’t have a large constituency at the time, and he didn’t need one. He left for Washington based on just one vote: that of a friend.
The muted majority disapproved of Mechem’s manipulations, and this would only be heard late. To stay in power, Mechem had to run for the Senate in 1964.
With voters in control, lightweight Democrat Joseph Montoya defeated Mechem.
Across the country, seven other governors who similarly handled their own Senate appointments lost elections to keep their seats.
A notable exception to voter reaction occurred in Kentucky, after one of the sitting senators died in October 1939.
Democratic Governor AB “Happy” Chandler resigned and was appointed to the Senate a day later. Like Mechem, Chandler received the appointment from a pliant friend who had been his lieutenant governor.
Chandler held the Senate seat by winning election in 1940. He also won a six-year term in 1942, but did not finish what he started.
Chandler resigned from the Senate in 1945 for a better-paying job: commissioner of Major League Baseball. Though far from enlightened on matters of race, Chandler became famous for overruling 15 of the 16 team owners so that Jackie Robinson could become the first black man in the 20th century to play in the major leagues.
History is only part of this column. New Mexico has the potential for another episode of political decline like the one with Mechem.
Democratic U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich is running for re-election this year. He did not answer questions about whether he plans to serve the full six-year term in the Senate.
But Heinrich has made a show of publicly criticizing the Democratic Administration. Michelle Lujan Grisham. One high-ranking New Mexico Democrat cannot defeat another unless self-interest is given free rein.
By throwing brickbats at Lujan Grisham, Heinrich has fueled speculation that he could run for governor in 2026. Lujan Grisham may not seek another term.
If Heinrich wants to become governor and gets that job, he may be able to appoint his own successor in the Senate. Another possibility would be for Lujan Grisham or her lieutenant to make the appointment.
The idea of a governor hiring a U.S. senator should sound attractive to Democrats in New Mexico. They are in control now.
But it was precisely that process that they complained about when the Republican Mechem shook off defeat in the gubernatorial elections and crowned himself senator.
For all their partisanship, Kentucky’s Republican lawmakers made a good decision. They shifted power from one politician to millions of voters.
By comparison, New Mexico’s system is underhanded. Depending on Heinrich’s desire to become governor, the state could once again fill a Senate seat despite an iron fist – the rule of one.
Ringside Seat is an opinion column about people, politics and news. Contact Milan Simonich at msimonich@sfnewmexican.com or 505-986-3080.
