A New Mexico Democratic legislator won back her leadership position Saturday despite losing it two years ago after calling Republican Gov. Susana Martinez “the Mexican on the fourth floor.”
New Mexico House Democrats elected state Rep. Sheryl Williams Stapleton to the position of minority whip in Saturday’s balloting despite her December 2011 blast at Ms. Martinez and another Republican, state Rep. Nora Espinoza.
Ms. Stapleton was majority whip three years ago when she touched off an outcry by accusing Ms. Espinoza of serving as the governor’s lackey, saying, “You’re carrying the water for the Mexican on the fourth floor,” according to Ms. Espinoza.
Ms. Stapleton later apologized publicly for her “hurtful words,” but refused Republican calls to resign her leadership position. In 2012, however, she lost the post to fellow House Democrat, state Rep. Antonio “Moe” Maestas.
“Stapleton apologized a day after her outburst, but the episode went a long way toward her losing the whip position two years ago,” the Santa Fe New Mexican said in a Saturday report.
On Saturday, the newspaper reported that Ms. Stapleton defeated Mr. Maestas and two other Democrats to win the post of minority whip. Democrats lost the state House in the Nov. 4 election for the first time in 60 years, with Republicans taking a 37-33 majority.
The New Mexico Republican Party said Monday in a statement that, “We did find her [Stapleton’s] statements offensive and we do understand that she apologized. The Democrats’ selection of their caucus leadership is their decision.”
Ms. Martinez, who became the first female Hispanic governor in U.S. history when she took office in 2011, was born in Texas to parents of Mexican descent. She won re-election in the Nov. 4 vote.
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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