Dems to caucus Tuesday

By Jim Tiffin
Cibola County Bureau

Democrats in New Mexico will determine whom the state’s delegates will support for the presidential nomination this year as part of a statewide caucus on Tuesday, Feb. 5.

The caucus will not be like the one in Iowa, said Bruce Boynton, chair of the Cibola County Democratic Party.

“People will not huddle in corners of rooms. Rather, they will go to the polls like in an election, make their selection and place their ballot in a ballot box,” he said.

How heavy the turnout will be may just depend on the weather, said George Muñoz, chair of the McKinley County Democratic Party.

“If the weather is bad, I expect a light turnout,” he said. Otherwise, he said, he thinks it could be heavy.

An extended forecast by the National Weather Service’s Web site calls for light snow on Feb. 5.

Boynton said he is concerned about the lack of publicity about the caucus, by the Democratic Party, at the state level.

“There has been no publicity yet,” he said.

George Trujillo, elections coordinator for Cibola County, said people were coming in and asking questions about the caucus and becoming disheartened because the county does not have very much information.

“I tell them to contact the state party,” he said.

Telephone calls by the Independent to representatives of the Democratic Party at the state level seeking information about the caucus since Monday were not returned.

Polls for the caucus will be open from noon to 7 p.m., and there will only be a few locations in both Cibola and McKinley counties.

Lisa Bro, vice chair of the Cibola County Democratic Party, said the caucus replaces the primary election in June, but only for the office of president.

“We will select our nominee for president at the caucus, and that information will not be on the ballot in the June primary,” she said.

The New Mexico primary election is Tuesday, June 3.
Whom to support?

Four registered Democrats — who plan to vote in the caucus are split on who to vote for, two for Hillary Clinton and two who previously supported Gov. Bill Richardson — now have no idea who they are going to support.

Mary Ann Armijo, a former Gallup city councilor, said she is supporting Clinton.

“Because we are in such a crisis, with everything that is happening now and will be going on in 2009, we need someone with experience,” she said.

“We need someone with experience beginning with day one.”

Brent Pacheco, of Gallup, said he is also supporting Clinton.

“She (Clinton) has the experience. I think she can win the general election,” he said.

“(Barack) Obama is a great guy but he lacks experience. She has experience. The first day in office Hillary will have a running start,” he said.

Patricia Sanchez of Grants said all she has heard lately is each candidate complaining about the other, which makes it difficult to concentrate on the issues.

“I am not going to vote for Hillary just because she is a woman and I am not going to vote for Obama just because he is a minority.

“Since Gov. Richardson dropped out, I really do not know who I am going to vote for yet,” she said

Eileen Morin, of Grants, said she supported Richardson as well and also does not know whom to support at this point.

“I do believe you have to vote though, because it is a right to vote.

“You should take advantage of that right because so many people fought, especially for women, to be able to vote,” she said.

To contact reporter Jim Tiffin call (505) 287-2197 or e-mail: jtiffin.independent@yahoo.com.