A LONGTIME FIGURE IN NEW MEXICO POLITICS HAS DIED. FORMER CONGRESSMAN MANUEL LUJAN JR WAS 90. POLITICAL ANALYST JOE MONAHAN SERVED AS LUJAN’S COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER IN THE 70’S AND 80’S…AND SAYS LUJAN WAS THE FIRST REPUBLICAN HISPANIC TO JOIN THE CONGRESSIONAL HISPANIC CAUCUS.
MONAHAN SAYS LUJAN WAS A TRAILBLAZER AND ONE OF THE VERY FEW LATINO CONGRESSMAN AT THE TIME. HE ALSO SAYS LUJAN WAS A GENTLE SOUL WITH AN AFFABLE PERSONALITY WHO MADE CONSTITUENT SERVICES A PRIORITY.
AFTER SERVING IN CONGRESS, LUJAN WAS PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W. BUSH’S INTERIOR SECRETARY FOR ALMOST FOUR YEARS.
