Gov. Bill Richardson, nominated this week to be secretary of commerce by President-elect Barack Obama, said Thursday that he expects to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate in mid-to-late February and will remain in the Governor's Office until then.

That means that Richardson will be governor for a large portion, perhaps more than half, of the legislative session, which begins Jan. 20 — the same day Obama is inaugurated.

At a joint news conference with Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, who will become governor once Richardson steps down, Richardson told reporters, "I intend to perform my role as governor fully during that period."

"I think what's important here is to remember that Governor Richardson is the governor as we move into the legislative process, and while we'll be fully briefed and looking at the budget, clearly, he'll be governor," Denish said.

Even so, Richardson said he will have to split his time between New Mexico and Washington, D.C., during the transition and confirmation process. He said he was leaving for Mexico immediately after the news conference for a few days and would have to be in Washington for part of next week.

Although Richardson told reporters he was going to Mexico to visit his mother, who lives in Mexico City, The Associated Press later reported he met with businessmen at the private University of the Americas in Cholula, a town just east of Mexico City.

Both Richardson and Denish pledged several times during the conference to have a "smooth and seamless transition" and downplayed any difficulty that might be created by changing governors in the midst of a legislative session in a year of projected budget shortfalls and other financial difficulty.

Richardson said Denish will be part of all budget briefings. "I'll make the decisions, but she's going to have a role," he said. "How that moves forward will be determined in the ensuing days."

Asked how their differences in style would impact the Legislature, Richardson said, "Look, we're different people. There'll be differences in approach. But philosophically, we've been very similar on our policies. She's been an integral part of our initiatives."

Denish added, "I've had six years (as lieutenant governor). I know the legislative bodies well. They know my style; they know the governor's style. They know how we work together and how we work with them. So I'll be ready when the time comes to step in. I think they'll be very generous in working with me because they do know me."

Richardson said Obama had approved his plan to give the state-of-the-state address when the Legislature opens. "Yesterday, I discussed with President-elect Obama my responsibilities and the potential conflict between the inaugural, his inaugural and the start of the Legislature on Jan. 20. ... The president-elect concurs that I should stay in New Mexico to deliver my final state-of-the-state address, which will outline my legislative priorities for the session."

Richardson said he appointed his chief of staff, Brian Condit, as the head of his transition team and said he hopes to take Condit with him to the Commerce Department. Before joining the Richardson administration, Condit worked as executive director of the New Mexico Building Trades Council. He also is a former president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in the state.

Asked which other staff members he wants to take to Washington, Richardson replied, "You know, negotiations take place between the cabinet secretary and the Obama White House. The Obama White House will win. ... We haven't gotten into any of those discussions yet. ... There's a lot of talent in my staff that I'd like to take with me."

Denish, when asked about changes she might make in the Richardson cabinet and other key positions, said, "We have a lot of expertise and a lot of talent in our cabinet. And I value that expertise and talent. Any changes in the cabinet or personnel changes will be done on an individual basis."

Asked about opposition to his nomination by a group of Chinese Americans who are demanding an apology from Richardson for his handling of the Wen Ho Lee case, the governor said, "I expect to be confirmed." But he added, "I expect plenty of questions. I've had a long career."

Lee is a former nuclear scientist in Los Alamos who once was charged with espionage. Richardson, who then was energy secretary, fired Lee. After nine months in solitary confinement in the Santa Fe County jail, Lee was cleared of all spying charges but pleaded guilty to improperly downloading nuclear data.

In his 2005 autobiography, Between Worlds, Richardson didn't apologize for the Lee case. But he wrote that Lee was badly treated. "Here was the government putting this skinny sixty-year-old guy into solitary confinement for nearly a year. I have come to realize that it was wrong and I should have spoken out more, although I did try to influence the Justice Department on their incarceration of Lee."

However, a letter from Richardson to then-Attorney General Janet Reno, dated May 10, 2000, said, "I understand the conditions of (Lee's) confinement are in no respect more restrictive than those of others in the segregation unit. Based on this information, I am satisfied that his civil rights are being adequately protected."

Henry Der of San Francisco, one of the organizers of the opposition campaign, told The Associated Press on Thursday that more than 4,000 signatures have been collected on a petition protesting Richardson's nomination. Der said Richardson opponents plan to talk to senators about their objections before his confirmation hearings.

Contact Steve Terrell at 986-3037 or sterrell@sfnewmexican.com.

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On the Net:

Governor's Office: http://www.governor.state.nm.us/

Obama transition: http://www.change.gov

Group opposed to Richardson nomination: www.wenholee.org