Fryday

Now that I'm 2 weeks plus 2 days out past my 2nd Moderna vaccination, I've been going places that I haven't been to in a full year:  Lowe's for gardening supplies, lunch on the patio at Flying Star, Buildology for topsoil.   It's amazing how the pandemic and the vaccine have effected our risk analysis about social behaviors.  We still wear masks and use copious amounts of hand sanitizer, but the existential fear has been replaced by hope.  

In other news, the Democratic Party of NM held its State Central Committee meeting virtually this year.  The most important matter on the docket was selecting the party nominee to run in the election next June to replace Deb Haaland.  The initial vote had Antoinette Sedillo Lopez ahead of the pack of 8 candidates.  However, she didn't break 50% to avoid a runoff.  Today's runoff was close but Melanie Stansbury came out on top by a handful of votes.  She will face Republican Mark Moores and some minor candidates in the June 1 special election.  CD-1, the district in question, has been solidly Dem since 2009.  

A former science educator, Stansbury worked in the White House Office of Management and Budget during the Obama administration and on the staff of Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell, when she was the top Democrat on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

After her return to New Mexico, Stansbury defeated a seven-term Republican incumbent to become the first woman to represent her legislative district.