SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) State Senate Majority Whip Tim Keller has decided to run for state auditor in 2014, deciding against running for governor. The 35-year-old Albuquerque Democrat says the office of auditor is a good fit for him because he would focus on evaluating the effectiveness of state government policies and because he and his wife are expecting their first child.
Current state Auditor Hector Balderas is barred from running for a third term. The only other announced candidate for auditor race is Santa Fe County Assessor Domingo Martinez, a former auditor.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that Keller's decision leaves Attorney General Gary King and Sen. Linda Lopez as the two Democrats who so far have announced 2014 candidacies for governor.
Republican Gov. Susana Martinez plans to seek re-election.
