James R. Baca (born September 6, 1945) is an American politician from

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...

. A member of the Democratic Party, Baca served twice as New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands from 1983 to 1987 and from 1991 to 1993 and as 27th mayor of Albuquerque from 1997 to 2001.

Career

Bureau of Land Management

In 1993, Baca was appointed Director of the Bureau of Land Management in the administration of

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...

, but was fired the next year amidst tensions with

United States Secretary of the Interior The United States secretary of the interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior. The secretary and the Department of the Interior are responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land along with natur ...

Bruce Babbitt The English language name Bruce arrived in Scotland with the Normans, from the place name Brix, Manche in Normandy, France, meaning "the willowlands". Initially promulgated via the descendants of king Robert the Bruce (1274−1329), it has be ...

and

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

state governors.

Campaigns

Baca had run unsuccessfully for mayor of Albuquerque and the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

in 1985 and 1988, respectively. He challenged incumbent Governor

Bruce King Bruce King (April 6, 1924 – November 13, 2009) was an American businessman and politician who for three non-consecutive four-year terms was the governor of New Mexico. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the longest-serving governor in N ...

in the 1994 Democratic gubernatorial primary, but came third behind King and Lieutenant Governor Casey Luna.

Mayor of Albuquerque

He was elected mayor of Albuquerque in 1997, but in his re-election bid he finished a distant fourth place in the 2001 mayoral election, won by his predecessor

Martin Chávez Martin Joseph "Marty" Chávez (born March 2, 1952) is an American politician, businessman, and attorney who served as a member of the New Mexico Senate from 1987 to 1993 and as the 26th and 28th mayor of Albuquerque, New Mexico. He served as th ...

. He ran to reclaim his previous position as Public Lands Commissioner in 2006, narrowly winning the Democratic primary against Ray Powell (who had succeeded him in that office in 1993), but losing the general election to incumbent

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Lands Commissioner Patrick H. Lyons. He then served as state Natural Resource Trustee until his retirement in 2009. As Mayor of Albuquerque, Baca also made an effort to lure the Canadian minor league baseball team the

Calgary Cannons The Calgary Cannons were a minor league baseball team located in Calgary, Alberta, for 18 seasons, from 1985 until 2002. They were a member of the AAA Pacific Coast League (PCL) and played at Foothills Stadium. The Cannons displaced the Calg ...

to Albuquerque with promises of a new $28 million stadium. The effort succeeded and the team was renamed The

Albuquerque Isotopes The Albuquerque Isotopes are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They play home games at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at an e ...

. The move became part of the basis of a 2001 episode of ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...

'', titled " Hungry, Hungry Homer," which features the owners of the Springfield Isotopes attempted to move their team to Albuquerque.

References

* Fray Angélico Chávez, ''Origins of New Mexico Families: A Genealogy of the Spanish Colonial Period, rev. ed.'' (Santa Fe: Museum of New Mexico, 1992)

External links