House Speaker Ben Lujan

Old school vs. young blood

BEN LUJAN Age: 70

Home town: Namb‚

Education: Graduate of Pojoaque High School, attended College of Santa Fe.

Job: Retired iron worker and Los Alamos National Laboratory contractor; says he attends to speaker-related business full time.

In Legislature: Since 1975

Ties to Gov. Bill Richardson: The two are political allies, but Lujan is not in his inner circle. Still, he's willing to carry most of the legislation Richardson asks him to support.

Insiders' take: Lujan might be a bit nervous about recent reports that an aide of his was receiving free housing from a government affordable housing agency.

Money in his campaign account, as of Dec. 7: $123,274

KEN MARTINEZ Age: 47

Home town: Grants

Education: Graduate of the University of New Mexico and University of Notre Dame Law School

Job: Lawyer

In Legislature: Since 1999

Ties to Gov. Bill Richardson: Has known the governor since Richardson ran for Congress in 1980, when the state's northern Congressional District included Grants.

Insiders' take: Will be speaker by 2010, if not before.

Money in his campaign account, as of Dec. 7: $29,662

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• ABQTrib.com to remain available
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• ABQTrib.com to remain available
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SANTA FE — State Rep.-elect Nathan Cote doesn't take office until next year.

But the Democrat freshman-to-be today is set to cast a critical vote in his budding career in politics.

Cote must choose between House Speaker Ben Lujan and Majority Leader Ken Martinez, as Martinez looks to displace Lujan in the House's top post.

While Cote will be casting a secret ballot during today's closed-door Democratic caucus, he's still a a bit anxious about whom to pick. He won't say whom he's leaning toward.

"I don't necessarily feel pressure, but I feel that this is a big decision," said Cote, who lives in Organ.

"I feel the usual stress that goes along with making a key decision."

Cote, who retired in 2003 as the human resources director at Kirtland Air Force Base, will be one of five freshmen in the house when the 60-day session starts Jan. 16. Their votes will be crucial today as both Lujan and Martinez are working to gather support from longtimers and newcomers alike in what is described by many as an extremely close race for speaker.

Being tight with the speaker helps any lawmaker's career but is especially important for freshmen. The speaker decides the power structure in the House, including committee assignments.

Martinez, 47, is the first public challenger to Lujan, who has served in the House since 1975 and was elected speaker in 2001.

Both Martinez and Lujan have called Cote and other freshmen to ask for support. Both say they have the numbers to win.

And while they won't be holding hands and singing Kumbaya when the caucus ends, the pair is likely to have a line that goes something like this: The decision is the best thing for the party, for harmony in the House.

But inside the caucus, the picture isn't that simple.

The Democrats, 42 of the 70 members of the House, are at a crossroads, struggling over which path to take.

To many, Lujan represents the old guard, seniority and stern authority.

Rep. Luciano "Lucky" Varela, a Santa Fe Democrat and chairman of the Legislative Finance Committee said he's supporting Lujan.

"When I see young legislators elected, they are very aggressive, I can understand that they want to rise up through the process," he said.

"But at the same time, you have to respect the knowledge that's there."

Martinez represents the newer guys on the block, the young and the aggressive who will be the Capitol's next leaders.

Martinez says he also represents the change people are looking for in government.

"Nationally and locally, people are looking for progressiveness, openness and a fresh new look at government," said Martinez, a lawyer who has been in the House since 1999.

Martinez said he's running "because of the support I have and because of the current circumstances."

He wouldn't go into details about those circumstances.

Lujan has critics, although they decline to talk on the record. They suggest, for example, that the speaker is too cozy with Richardson. But Lujan has differed with him, in particular when he introduced his own bill to increase the minimum wage statewide this year.

Recent reports that a Lujan aide was getting free housing from a government affordable housing agency run, until recently, by a Lujan friend is also a factor in the speaker's race.

Lujan said that's being used as propaganda by his opponents.

"My opponents have been trying to use a scare tactic on my supporters that I'm going to be involved in this big scandal and stuff."

That's not the case, he said.

He said he took appropriate disciplinary action against the aide. He declined to say what the action was.

"If allegations are made and there is nothing to them, they are just allegations," he said.

The winner of the caucus matchup must be approved in a vote that includes House Republicans when the session starts next month. Democrats hold a majority in the House.

Minority Whip Dan Foley said the Republicans are as interested in the outcome as the Democrats.

"I know our caucus is waiting to see what the Democrats do," he said.

Whoever wins will bring more clout to their hometown. Neither of the choices means much for Albuquerque, which lost its key leadership position when former House Speaker Raymond Sanchez left the Legislature in 2000.