Esquivel bows out of school board race.

In the Journal this morning, link, we find that School Board Member Marty Esquivel intends not to run for re-election.

The reasons he cited for bowing out, according to the Journal, are his need to spend more time with his children and on his practice.  They aren't new reasons.  They are the same he cited when he left the NM FOG.

One wonders therefore, why he waited until the last minute to make his intentions known.  All his delay accomplished is to limit the number of people who might run against the board.

From 1913-1962, elections were held every two years but a non-incumbent was rarely elected to the board.
(If an incumbent board member decided not to stand for re-election, he or she would resign early. The board itself, including the departing member, would select the replacement, who would then run as an incumbent in the upcoming election.)

This last happened when Jon Barela was appointed to replace Gordy Rowe*, link. 

*In the end, Barela did not run for re-election.  My thought; he had enough integrity that when he realized what he had stepped into,. he couldn't get out fast enough.

It will be interesting to see who the board has found to run for his seat.

The Journal reports;

(Esquivel) also bemoaned the fact that school board elections are largely ignored by Albuquerque residents.

“It’s not a good reflection on anyone that only 3 percent of our electorate votes in these elections,” Esquivel said.

(School Board President Analee Maestas agreed the low voter turnout is troubling given the importance of the school board.

She also said Esquivel was an asset to the board, especially given his knowledge of the law.

Trust me, the problems with the APS are not
that they haven't enough legal expertise.



photo Mark Bralley