The hottest political rumor-mongering among New Mexico Republicans centers on whether Gov. Susana Martinez will dump Lt. Gov. John Sanchez from her ticket next year.
The two are not close and when Sanchez seriously explored a bid for the U.S. Senate last year, Martinez did not lift a finger to help him. Neither did her political adviser, Jay McCleskey, whose role with Martinez has been likened to that of David Axelrod with Barack Obama.
However, talk of "Hit the Road John" has diminished in Santa Fe of late.
As political blogger Joe Monahan put it, "She is well aware that John was very helpful, particularly in the North, to her 2010 election. Also, remember, that John is the only Republican Hispanic lieutenant governor in the nation in a time where the party is trying to make headway there."
For now, the betting is that Sanchez stays where he is in 2014. However, businessman Randy Baker, owner of DRB Electric and a close friend of Martinez, has not ruled out tackling Sanchez in a primary for the lieutenant governor nomination.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax.
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