Bipartisan pressure on state Public Regulation Commissioner Jerome Block Jr. to resign mounted Tuesday as all four fellow PRC members signed a statement asking him to step down from his $90,000-a-year elected position.

In addition, the Democratic Party chairpersons in eight counties within Block's PRC District 3 signed a letter calling on the 34-year-old Democrat to resign.

Meanwhile, the Republican leader in the state House of Representatives, Rep. Tom Taylor, R-Farmington, sent a letter asking House Speaker Ben Luján, D-Nambé, to appoint a committee to determine whether there's enough evidence to impeach Block.

As investigations into possible misconduct and even criminal activity mounted in the past week, Republican Gov. Susana Martinez and state Democratic Party Chairman Javier Gonzales already had called on Block to voluntarily quit the body responsible for regulating such industries as utilities, insurance and transportation.

Block wasn't present at the Tuesday PRC meeting where the statement was discussed and signed. Neither he nor his lawyer, Cammie Nichols, could be reached for comment. Both PRC Chairman Patrick Lyons and PRC Executive Director Johnny Montoya said Block didn't tell them he would miss the meeting. Lyons said Block hadn't returned phone calls to him in recent days.

"Given the allegations and recent evidence that has surfaced, we encourage and urge Commissioner Block to immediately resign his position as soon as possible," said the statement signed by Commissioners Pat Lyons, Ben Hall, Jason Marks and Theresa Becenti-Aguilar.

Records show a gasoline card and identification number issued to Block were used to rack up thousands of dollars in questionable charges to the state at gas stations in the Santa Fe and Española areas. Block also apparently used a state-owned vehicle while his driver's license was suspended.

Also, Santa Fe police on Monday called Block a suspect in a stolen-car case. Block is accused of taking a car from a Santa Fe dealership for a test-drive and failing to return it or respond to messages from the dealership for weeks.

Block and his father, former PRC member Jerome Block Sr., also face criminal charges related to alleged misuse of public campaign funds during the commissioner's 2008 run for office.

Tuesday's statement from fellow PRC members also said, "We wish the best for Jerome and his family while he deals with these issues and sincerely hope that he receives whatever help he needs to get through this."

A move to replace Block with Hall as vice chairman of the PRC is on the agenda for a Thursday meeting. Lyons and Hall voted in favor of that change Tuesday, but Becenti-Aguilar voted against it and Marks abstained. They said such a motion needs to be put on the regular agenda and advertised in order to satisfy the state Open Meetings Act.

"I wanted him to be here," Lyons told reporters. "When he's here and voting, he's a pretty good commissioner." But, Lyons noted, Block has a high rate of absenteeism.

Richard Ellenberg, Santa Fe County Democratic Party chairman, said Tuesday that he signed the letter asking Block to resign because "public officials ought to be at a high level of ethics. (Block's) recent behavior is well short of that."

The letter from Democratic county leaders says, "The recent allegations of credit card misuse at area gas stations have compounded tangled legal issues already facing you, Commissioner Block. We, the leaders of our county parties, feel it is in the best interest of all concerned, especially of your constituents, that you step down. We foresee it will be a difficult decision for you to make, but we are hopeful you will make the right, honorable decision. With a heavy heart, but mindful of the people we serve; it is our hope you understand our position."

In addition to Ellenberg, the letter was signed by the Democratic chairpersons of Rio Arriba, Los Alamos, Sandoval, Mora, Colfax, Union, Harding and DeBaca counties.

Taylor said he wants the speaker to appoint an impeachment committee during a special session of the Legislature expected in September.

"We have a serious situation that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later," Taylor said in a news release. "It is up to the Legislature to determine whether or not the allegations surrounding Commissioner Block warrant further action."

Rep. Nate Gentry, R-Albuquerque, said he envisions a committee similar to the House panel that investigated former state Treasurer Robert Vigil in 2005. That committee hired a staff lawyer, former Supreme Court Justice Paul Kennedy, and was considering specific charges against Vigil when the treasurer decided to resign.

Speaker Luján, who was out of the state Tuesday, did not dismiss the idea. He said that when he receives Taylor's letter, he'll talk with the Legislative Council Service to determine what would need to be done.

If Block resigns or is impeached, Republican Gov. Susana Martinez would appoint someone to fill out the rest of his term. The seat is up for election next year.

Three Democrats — Santa Fe County Clerk Valerie Espinoza, Democratic Party activist Martin Suazo of Las Vegas, N.M., and Santa Fe mortgage banker Brad Gallegos — have announced they are running for the seat. Danny Maki, a former staffer for U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., said Tuesday that he will announce later this month. Ellenberg said Santa Fe County Commissioner Virginia Vigil also is running. She couldn't be reached for comment.

Rick Lass, who ran as a Green Party candidate against Block Jr. in 2008 but has since registered as a Democrat, said last week that he hasn't decided whether he will run again.

No Republicans have announced. In 2008, the GOP didn't even field a PRC candidate in the district, in which Democrats have better than a 2-1 voter-registration edge.

In connection with the stolen-vehicle investigation, Block Jr. told the Albuquerque Journal that he borrowed the car from a friend's dealership, intending to get it checked before buying it. But he said he lost the keys while at a conference in Los Angeles, and the car was reported stolen before the keys could be mailed back.

Law-enforcement officers also said they found what appeared to be a suicide note in the car. Block told the newspaper he may have left a journal in which he described having "really bad days" in the car, but that he is not suicidal.

He did say that he has been seeing a therapist to deal with depression since the charges were filed over his use of campaign funds.

"It's really been a bad 2 1/2 years, to be honest with you," he told the Journal.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Contact Steve Terrell at 986-3037 or sterrell@sfnewmexican.com. Read his political blog at roundhouseroundup.com.