Who's next?
Candidates line up to replace Tsosie

Bill Donovan and Jim Tiffin
Staff Writers

GALLUP — Billy Moore and Everett Chavez are now among the leading candidates to replace Leonard Tsosie as a state senator.

The two were nominated respectively by the McKinley and Cibola county commissions. Both commissions had special meetings Thursday to nominate someone to fill Tsosie's position after he was required by a Navajo Nation Supreme Court ruling to choose either being on the state senate or on the Navajo Nation Council.

Tsosie, who was elected to the council in November, chose to resign from the state legislature, and Gov. Bill Richardson said he wanted to choose a replacement as soon as possible so that the new senator would have time to submit a list of projects he wants funded or to introduce legislation before the deadline in two weeks.

Tsosie's district includes precincts in five counties McKinley, Cibola, Bernalillo, Sandoval and Rio Arriba. Each of the five counties must make a recommendation on who they would like to see replace Tsosie by 5 p.m. Friday, which is why all are calling special meetings by then to choose a name.

The meeting in McKinley County lasted only about 35 minutes, with Moore, the chairman of the commission, turning the gavel over to Commissioner Ernest Becenti. Moore then formally submitted his application for the position.

But he wasn't the only one. Tsosie put in a request for his brother. Supporters of Lynda Lovejoy, who ran and lost in the recent tribal president's race, pushed for her selection.

Joshua Madalena, brother of State Rep. Roger Madalena of Sandoval County, also made a bid for the nomination.

In the end, the two county commissioners chose their fellow commissioner, Moore, who said he was also planning to be at the meeting later that day in Grants when the Cibola County Commissioners had their meeting to select their nominee.

Freshman Sen. David Ulibarri returned to Cibola County for a special meeting of the board of commissioners to nominate a candidate to Gov. Bill Richardson.

The names of both Moore and Lovejoy were put forth by a commissioner member, but neither candidate received a second.

Chavez received a second for his nomination and was voted to be the nominee unanimously by the board 5-0.

Chavez is an engineer by trade and is a former governor of the Pueblo of Santo Domingo. Ulibarri said the nomination was prepared, signed and faxed to Richardson's office Thursday evening following the meeting.

The only person who spoke to the Cibola County commissioners was Moore who said he served Native Americans as part of his commission district in McKinley. He asked the board to select him because he can work closely with Native Americans, Ulibarri said.

Richardson's decision marks the second time within two months that an area senator has been replaced.

In December, Ulibarri was chosen by Richardson to serve out the remaining term for San. Joe Fidel, who retired before the legislature convened on January 16.

"Well, now I won't be the new kid on the block," Ulibarri said laughing. "I get to move up in seniority."