State Sen. Harold Pope says he is going to run for lieutenant governor. He told me he believes he can do more good in the executive tier than as a legislator.

He might as well hear a dissenting opinion at the early stages of his campaign.

Senators make laws. Lieutenant governors referee when senators bicker or talk over one another during floor debates. Senators filibuster in hopes of killing a bad bill. Lieutenant governors plead with senators to hold down chatter from the sidelines.

Five states don't have a lieutenant governor. New Mexico's 2.1 million residents wouldn't feel a sense of loss if the state constitution were changed to eliminate the position. The public would save money, and government would be just as efficient or equally inept.

Only once in a great while does a lieute

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