Rep. Martinez nominated as NM House speaker

Democrats also picked Rep. Rick Miera, of Albuquerque, to succeed Martinez in the majority leader post, and they chose Rep. Moe Maestas, of Bernalillo, as majority whip, according to Martinez’s office.

The speakership won’t become final until January, when the Legislature convenes and all 70 members — 38 Democrats and 32 Republicans — cast votes on the top leadership position. The Democratic nominee will win the job if the party sticks together. However, a coalition of conservative Democrats and Republicans elected a speaker and controlled the House in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

The speakership is the most powerful position in the Legislature. The speaker largely controls the legislative agenda in the House and has broad discretionary powers in presiding over daily proceedings. Importantly, the speaker also appoints chairmen and members of committees, which conduct much of the work of the Legislature by approving and rejecting bills.

Lujan, 76, announced at the opening of this year’s regular legislative session that he had been diagnosed with advanced stage lung cancer and would retire. He has served in the House since 1975 and held the speaker’s post since 2001.

Martinez, of Grants, has been in the House since 1999. He moved into the Democratic leadership in 2004 when Democrats elected him majority leader. His late father, Walter, served as House speaker in 1971-78 but was ousted by what was called the “Cowboy Coalition” of minority Republicans and conservative, mainly rural Democrats.

Maestas was nominated to replace Rep. Sheryl Williams Stapleton, of Albuquerque, who has been whip since 2005. She came under fire in 2011 for calling Republican Gov. Susana Martinez a “Mexican” during a heated exchange with a GOP lawmaker in the Capitol. Stapleton later apologized.

The whip is responsible for tracking voting strength among Democrats for legislation and fills in when the majority leader is absent.