Governor names rancher to Senate seat

Curry County rancher John "Pat" Woods has been named by Gov. Susana Martinez to fill a vacant state Senate seat in eastern and northeastern New Mexico. Woods will be sworn into office at 4 p.m. Friday at the Curry County courthouse in Clovis. Republican Clint Harden of Clovis held the seat until he resigned from office earlier this month after nearly 10 years in office. He had announce plans to retire from the Senate at the end of his term in December. Woods is the only candidate for the office on the Nov. 6 ballot after defeating a Martinez-backed candidate in the June Republican primary. He is a farmer and rancher and operates the family's 100-year-old farm near Broadview about 30 miles north of Clovis...more