Edwin Mechem
| Edwin L. Mechem | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Former U.S. Senator from New Mexico From: November 30, 1962 – November 3, 1964 | |||
| Predecessor | Dennis Chavez | ||
| Successor | Joseph Montoya | ||
| Former Governor of New Mexico From: January 1, 1961 – November 30, 1962 | |||
| Lieutenant | Tom Bolack | ||
| Predecessor | John Burroughs | ||
| Successor | Tom Bolack | ||
| Former Governor of New Mexico From: January 1, 1957 – January 1, 1959 | |||
| Lieutenant | Joseph Montoya | ||
| Predecessor | John F. Simms | ||
| Successor | John Burroughs | ||
| Former Governor of New Mexico From: January 1, 1951 – January 1, 1955 | |||
| Lieutenant | Tibo J. Chávez | ||
| Predecessor | Thomas J. Mabry | ||
| Successor | John F. Simms | ||
| Former State Representative from New Mexico From: 1947–1948 | |||
| Predecessor | ??? | ||
| Successor | ??? | ||
| Information | |||
| Party | Republican | ||
| Spouse(s) | Josephine Mechem | ||
Edwin Leard “Big Ed”[1][2] Mechem (July 2, 1912 – November 27, 2002) was an FBI agent and Republican from New Mexico who served as the state's governor and U.S. senator, previously being a state representative. He was later appointed by President Richard Nixon to a district court in 1970.
Contents
Political career
Mechem was elected to the New Mexico House of Representatives in 1946 and served from 1947–48.[1]
Governor of New Mexico
Mechem successfully ran for governor in 1950,[3] and was re-elected in 1952.[4] After a failed Senate bid in 1954,[5] he was elected governor again in 1956,[6] defeating Democrat incumbent John Field Simms, Jr.[7] Very narrowly defeated for re-election in 1958,[8] he ran yet again and won in 1960.[9]
As governor, Mechem worked to investigate the murder of Ovida "Cricket" Coogler, a waitress from Las Cruces.[2] However, the case was never solved.
U.S. Senate
After the death of incumbent Democrat senator Dennis Chavez, Gov. Mechem appointed himself to fill the vacant seat.
Mechem was one of six Senate Republicans (the others being Barry Goldwater of Arizona, Bourke Hickenlooper of Iowa, Milward Simpson of Wyoming, Norris Cotton of New Hampshire, and John Tower of Texas) who voted against the final passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.[10] He ran for a full Senate term that year, losing in the general election to Joseph M. Montoya by nine percentage points.[11]
He missed 10% of all roll call votes during his short Senate tenure.[12]
District court
Mechem was nominated by President Richard Nixon to a district court in early September 1970, where he served until his death in 2002. He became the senior judge of the court in 1982.
Mechem made several notable rulings on high-profile cases. He found out that there was sex discrimination in the Albuquerque Police Department as well as disabled children in the city being denied an appropriate public education.[1][2] On issues related to Native Americans, he ruled that their lands could not be regulated by statewide fish and game laws, and further granted them the right to sell wares in Santa Fe at the Palace of the Governors portal.
Legacy
Even some Democrats in New Mexico regarded Mechem as a "great citizen".[2] Former Republican U.S. representative Steve Pearce introduced legislation twice to name a federal courthouse in Las Cruces after him, stating:[2][13]
| Edwin Mechem is an iconic and prolific leader whose legacy should live on in the state. His service to our state as a United States senator, governor and federal judge deserves recognition. |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Associated Press (November 30, 2002). Edwin Mechem, 90, a Governor of New Mexico. Associated Press via The New York Times. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Simonich, Milan (December 24, 2011). Bill to name courthouse for Edwin Mechem. Alamogordo Daily News via Internet Archive. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ↑ NM Governor. Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ↑ NM Governor. Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ↑ NM US Senate. Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ↑ NM Governor. Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ↑ JOHN F. SIMMS, 58, EX‐GOVERNOR, DIES. The New York Times. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ↑ NM Governor. Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ↑ NM Governor. Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ↑ HR. 7152. PASSAGE.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ↑ NM US Senate. Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ↑ Sen. Edwin Mechem. Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ↑ ABQJournal News Staff (March 18, 2013). Pearce wants court named for Mechem. Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
