Local Democratic victories were overshadowed by bleak numbers dribbling in for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton last night at an event in Albuquerque. But Democrats regained control of New Mexico鈥檚 House of Representatives.
Republicans overtook the Legislature鈥檚 House in 2014 for the first time in more than 60 years, but they鈥檝e lost it again. Rep. Brian Egolf is the new House majority leader, and he said he鈥檚 ready to hit the ground running.
"I鈥檒l be reaching out to the governor as soon as tomorrow to see if we can find areas of common ground and work together," Egolf said. "I think with a nation as divided as it is, it will be important to show the people of New Mexico that government can work and can be a force for good."
Egolf said his priorities in the next legislative session will be early childhood education, job growth and creating a fertile environment for small business. The Legislature must find a sustainable way to balance the budget, he said, and that means changing taxes and reducing spending.
CORRECTION: Rep. Brian Egolf has been nominated to be speaker of the House. The error was made in reporting.
