Coach Lenny Roybal enters commission race
'Fierce competitor' with long career in local schools 'made a study' of his life after DWIs
Phaedra Haywood | The New Mexican
Posted: Monday, October 12, 2009 - 10/13/09
Posted: Monday, October 12, 2009 - 10/13/09
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Game on: Santa Fe High School basketball coach Lenny Roybal has officially announced his candidacy for the District 1 Santa Fe County Commission seat.
Roybal has named his campaign effort "TeamLenny2010" and cites his experience as a coach and educator as his greatest strength.
"All of my life I've been known as a fierce competitor, both in athletics and in my support of Democrat candidates for public office," Roybal said in a statement he provided. "But my strongest belief and my first commitment has always been to be part of a team."
Roybal, 69, was born in Nambé and attended public schools in Santa Fe. He graduated from Santa Fe High School and has a bachelor's degree in physical education from the College of Santa Fe and a master's degree in coaching from New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas.
He has worked as a teacher, coach and administrator — sometimes concurrently — at the College of Santa Fe, Santa Fe High School, Española Valley High, B.F. Young Junior High and Carlos Vigil Middle School.
He served as president of the National Education Association of Española while working at Española Valley High School in the late 1990s, according to his release, but he has held no other public offices.
The married father of three children — two grown and one in high school — now lives in Cuarteles, a small settlement on N.M. 76 between Española and Chimayó.
In his announcement, Roybal said he is committed to "pay attention to our Northern Santa Fe County communities — not just listen, pay attention."
Roybal was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in 2000 and again in 2006. He pleaded no contest to the charge in 2000 and performed community service. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of reckless driving in 2006 and paid a $300 fine.
Roybal said both arrests occurred after routine traffic stops.
He said he "made a study" of his life after the 2006 arrest and resolved to change his lifestyle. Roybal said he has since cut down on drinking. "Now I never drink more than one or two beers or a glass of wine or something with dinner," Roybal said.
The primary election is June 1, and the district is heavily Democratic, so the primary race winner usually assumes the seat.
The District 1 race is shaping up to be a crowed one.
Commissioner Harry Montoya cannot run again because of term limits. But Roybal will have to contend with Montoya's protégé, Jon Paul Romero, who was the first to announce his intentions to campaign to for the seat. Several others — including former County Commissioner Paul Duran and Public Regulation Commission Chairman Daniel Mayfield — also have hinted they'll run.
District 1 includes a small portion of Española and the northern settlements of La Puebla, Pojoaque, Nambé, Cuyamunge, Tesuque and Rio en Medio, in addition to part of the northeast side of the city of Santa Fe.
Roybal plans to kick off his campaign at 5 p.m. Thursday in the parking lot outside the Poeh Center in Pojoaque. The event is open to the public and will include hot-dog grilling and other refreshments.
Contact Phaedra Haywood at 986-3068 or phaywood@sfnewmexican.com.
Roybal has named his campaign effort "TeamLenny2010" and cites his experience as a coach and educator as his greatest strength.
"All of my life I've been known as a fierce competitor, both in athletics and in my support of Democrat candidates for public office," Roybal said in a statement he provided. "But my strongest belief and my first commitment has always been to be part of a team."
Roybal, 69, was born in Nambé and attended public schools in Santa Fe. He graduated from Santa Fe High School and has a bachelor's degree in physical education from the College of Santa Fe and a master's degree in coaching from New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas.
He has worked as a teacher, coach and administrator — sometimes concurrently — at the College of Santa Fe, Santa Fe High School, Española Valley High, B.F. Young Junior High and Carlos Vigil Middle School.
He served as president of the National Education Association of Española while working at Española Valley High School in the late 1990s, according to his release, but he has held no other public offices.
The married father of three children — two grown and one in high school — now lives in Cuarteles, a small settlement on N.M. 76 between Española and Chimayó.
In his announcement, Roybal said he is committed to "pay attention to our Northern Santa Fe County communities — not just listen, pay attention."
Roybal was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in 2000 and again in 2006. He pleaded no contest to the charge in 2000 and performed community service. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of reckless driving in 2006 and paid a $300 fine.
Roybal said both arrests occurred after routine traffic stops.
He said he "made a study" of his life after the 2006 arrest and resolved to change his lifestyle. Roybal said he has since cut down on drinking. "Now I never drink more than one or two beers or a glass of wine or something with dinner," Roybal said.
The primary election is June 1, and the district is heavily Democratic, so the primary race winner usually assumes the seat.
The District 1 race is shaping up to be a crowed one.
Commissioner Harry Montoya cannot run again because of term limits. But Roybal will have to contend with Montoya's protégé, Jon Paul Romero, who was the first to announce his intentions to campaign to for the seat. Several others — including former County Commissioner Paul Duran and Public Regulation Commission Chairman Daniel Mayfield — also have hinted they'll run.
District 1 includes a small portion of Española and the northern settlements of La Puebla, Pojoaque, Nambé, Cuyamunge, Tesuque and Rio en Medio, in addition to part of the northeast side of the city of Santa Fe.
Roybal plans to kick off his campaign at 5 p.m. Thursday in the parking lot outside the Poeh Center in Pojoaque. The event is open to the public and will include hot-dog grilling and other refreshments.
Contact Phaedra Haywood at 986-3068 or phaywood@sfnewmexican.com.
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All users are expected to abide by the forum rules and and be courteous to other users. Comments can be accepted up to eight days following publication. After that, comments can be read but no new submissions made. Send questions to webeditor@sfnewmexican.com
IMPORTANT: Comments must be posted under your own full, real name. Anonymous comments and those posted under a pseudonym can be removed. Please consult the forum rules. If you have questions, e-mail webeditor@sfnewmexican.com.
