State rep. changes party during legislative session

January 26, 2011

There have been a handful of lawmakers who have switched between Democrats and Republicans in state history, but no one has ever quit a party to become an Independent in the middle of a session, until Tuesday. Representative Andy Nunez (I-Hatch) met with Secretary of State Dianna Duran to change his party affiliation to Independent on Tuesday afternoon. He says the change means he won't be affiliated with either party so he can vote exactly how he feels. Nunez was the only Democrat that didn't vote for Speaker of the House Ben Lujan on the first day of this year's session. Nunez was the most vocal to back an unsuccessful, bipartisan effort to replace Lujan with Rep. Joseph Cervantes (D-Las Cruces).