NEW MEXICO IS MOURNING TODAY. THE STATE’S LONGEST SERVING U-S SENATOR, PETE DOMENICI, HAS DIED AT AGE 85. UNM POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR GABE SANCHEZ SAYS IT’S SIGNIFICANT THAT DOMENICI WAS ELECTED TO THE SENATE SIX TIMES. HE SAYS YOU DON’T HAVE THAT LONG OF A TENURE … ESPECIALLY IN A DEMOCRATIC-LEANING STATE LIKE NEW MEXICO …IF YOU DON’T HAVE BI-PARTISAN DYNAMICS.
DOMENICI WAS FIRST ELECTED TO THE SENATE IN 1972. SANCHEZ SAYS DOMENICI SERVED AT A TIME WHEN POLITICS WERE NOT AS POLARIZING AS THEY ARE TODAY. HE ALSO SAYS DOMENICI PROBABLY HAD A GREATER IMPACT ON THE STATE THAN ANY POLITICIAN IN NEW MEXICO HISTORY.
