• Home
• About
• Contact
• Donate
• Archives
• Links

Rael sees expanded role for lieutenant governor

By Steve Klinger

In a crowded field of hopefuls for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, Lawrence Rael’s candidacy stands out for several reasons. For one thing, Rael has never held elective office. Still, he is being described as the “overqualified candidate” in the race for a position that requires only two official duties: presiding over the Senate and acting as governor in the absence of the state’s chief executive.

What Rael does have is an extensive background in administration and impressive list of accomplishments to go along with a persuasive can-do attitude. Currently executive director of the Mid-Region Council of Governments, Rael is widely credited with coordinating and implementing the New Mexico Rail Runner Express, the kind of project he’d like to develop between Las Cruces and El Paso. He has also served as a deputy secretary of transportation, an aide to Sen. Jeff Bingaman, and for 12 years as chief administrative officer for the City of Albuquerque.

In a recent interview in Las Cruces Rael said he is running for lieutenant governor because he feels called to continue his career in public service and the lieutenant governor’s position is “a job that needs to be elevated.”

“We expect governors to do it all, and they can’t possibly do it all,” Rael added. Right now department secretaries take on a lot of the governor’s work, he explained. Instead, Rael sees an “opportunity [as lieutenant governor] to create new areas of responsibility.”

Born in Santa Fe and raised in the tiny town Sile, Rael graduated from Bernalillo High School in 1976 and earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of New Mexico. He later added a master’s degree from UNM in public administration. In 1984 he became deputy secretary of transportation under Gov. Toney Anaya, then left in 1987 to join the staff of Sen. Jeff Bingaman. In 1990 he returned to New Mexico to become CAO for the City of Albuquerque, a job he held under three different administrations, administering a billion-dollar budget. Since 2002 he has directed the MRCOG, representing Bernalillo, Valencia, Torrance and Sandoval counties. The council manages regional transportation, agriculture, workforce development, employment growth, land-use, water and economic development programs.

Rael spoke confidently of his accomplishments and his pride in bringing people together to get things done. He said he built bridges between several different New Mexico constituencies as Albuquerque CAO, mounting a successful effort to protect Kirtland Air Force Base when it was threatened by the Base Closure and Realignment Commission. He said he broke new ground in forging consensus to move forward with transportation initiatives, including road construction and maintenance projects, and especially the New Mexico Rail Runner Express, a project he volunteered to coordinate despite constituencies with conflicting interests and a prevailing sentiment that it couldn’t be done. Today, the commuter rail runs from Belen to Santa Fe and has carried more than 2 million riders.

In 2006, when the state’s regional housing authority system was foundering amid corruption scandals, Gov. Bill Richardson called on Rael to step in and overhaul the agency, adding to his reputation as a successful administrative troubleshooter.

The race for lieutenant governor pits Rael against at least four Democratic opponents in the June primary, including state senators Linda Lopez and Jerry Ortiz y Pino of Albuquerque, state Rep. Jose Campos of Santa Rosa and former state Democratic Party chairman Brian Colón. Although some observers regard Colón as the favorite because of his party credentials and close ties with Bill Richardson, Rael’s campaign is in high gear, with his first television ad released in January and an aggressive travel schedule throughout the state. Rael and Ortiz y Pino have been called the two progressives in the race, a label Rael does not dispute, though he prefers to stick to specific issues.

Rael stresses the need for ethics reform in state government. “People are really concerned about accountability,” he said in touting the creation of an ethics commission and especially the establishment of a strong whistleblower provision. “People have an absolute right to question the person and position [of someone they have elected]. You can legislate to death but it comes down to individuals,” he said.

Rael said New Mexico needs a code of conduct not only for elected officials but for all public employees. “I respect that the public is paying me to do a job,” he added.

Another issue high on Rael’s list is smart growth. New Mexico needs planned growth as opposed to suburban sprawl, according to Rael. “If [communities] are not laid out properly and then you try and retrofit, it doesn’t work,” he said. In his capacity as Albuquerque CAO he established zones governed by a water and sewer system, Rael said, thus creating opportunities for local government to have tools to plan better and control growth on the fringe.  He said higher development fees on the fringe are justified to encourage more urban development.

“Albuquerque went through a pro-growth process but is now past it and more green-oriented,” Rael said.  “Development doesn’t pay for itself.”

Southern New Mexico is ripe for a commuter rail system, in Rael’s estimation, both because of its proximity to the international border and the growth of Las Cruces itself. “A train could really help development of the corridor and give people choices,” he said.

An important part of such a system is the availability of shuttles to coordinate with train arrivals and departures, especially in far-flung cities like Albuquerque and El Paso. “We made shuttles part of the fare,” Rael said of the Rail Runner system. “This really helped develop Albuquerque and Rio Rancho.”

He said an extension between Belen and Las Cruces may not be economically feasible for some time: “El Paso – Las Cruces is a strong corridor, but Las Cruces – Belen would be a challenge.” In addition to enough ridership, Rael explained, there are infrastructure issues. “This is dark territory; it’s not signalized, and you’d need to get around the BNSF [Burlington Northern and Santa Fe] yard in Belen,” Rael said.

Whatever the challenge, Rael conveys plenty of passion about tackling it head on.  He says his experience in government has shown his capacity for leadership: “When you show leadership, accomplishments lead to more responsibility.”

On the opportunity to run for lieutenant governor, Rael concluded: “I had too much experience not to get involved.”

And on the subject of future ambitions, Rael smiled at the obvious question and nodded: “I’d like to be governor.”

Comments