Denish looks toward 2010
Lieutenant governor meets with business owners

Denish talks with Evilsizor about being a national publication located in a rural town in New Mexico. [Photo by Matt Hinshaw/Independent]

By Bill Donovan
Staff Writer

New Mexico Lt. Gov. Diane Denish talks with founder and publisher of Land Rover Lifestyle magazine Douglas E. Evilsizor about the photography in the magazine on Thursday afternoon in Gallup. Denish was in town to tour several businesses in the Gallup area and attend a fundraiser. [Photo by Matt Hinshaw/Independent]

GALLUP — Although the election for New Mexico governor is still three years away, Diane Denish has made it clear that she is setting her eyes on that position.

Denish is now in her second term as the state's lieutenant governor and a few days ago, she journeyed to Gallup to start raising funds and getting Democratic leaders in the area aware that three years from now she will be looking for their support.

While in Gallup, she met with Doug Evilseizor, owner and publisher of the Land Rover Lifestyle Magazine that he composes here in Gallup.

Michelle Mores, Denish's executive assistant, said the lieutenant governor wanted to take some time in Gallup to meet with Evilseizor and learn more about how he got started.

"She comes from a small- business background and she was fascinated with his decision to start up the magazine in Gallup," she said.

The two met in his office for almost an hour and talked about the magazine.

The two, Evilseizor said, "talked about the type of business that can be done in a place like Gallup and still have a national and international reach."

He pointed out that with modern technology, his type of business really can be set anywhere. "It's a matter of what kind of lifestyle you want," he said.

Afterward, she met with Gallup City Manager Eric Honeyfield, who said he took the opportunity to bring her up to date on several projects in Gallup that were looking for state funding support.

After that, she traveled to the Ranch Kitchen where she met with about 30 local Democratic leaders to talk politics.

George Galanis, former mayor of Gallup, former magistrate judge and owner of the Ranch Kitchen, said it's "real premature" to be thinking of candidates for a race that won't be held for three years.

Richardson himself, whether he wins the presidency for which he is now running, won't be a candidate because of term limits but Galanis said it's obvious that there will be other candidates out there between now and then.

Mary Ann Armijo, a former city councilor and former head of the McKinley County Democratic Party, agreed, pointing out that Marty Chavez is already out there raising funds as well.

Mores said that Denish has not officially announced for the governorship.

"It's too early for that but she has made her intentions very clear," she said.