ALBUQUERQUE — Gov. Bill Richardson left New Mexico to attend the Kentucky Derby on Saturday without telling the lieutenant governor, who takes over in his absence from the state, that he was leaving.

"I think it would be better if I were notified," Lt. Gov. Diane Denish told the Albuquerque Journal for a copyright story published Sunday.

Richardson's one-day trip included a stop at the Kentucky Derby, where he campaigned for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, and an appearance in Philadelphia, where he accepted an award from an international gay-rights organization at an event called Equality Forum 2008.

Denish serves as acting governor when Richardson is away.

Richardson spokesman Gilbert Gallegos called Richardson's silence on his trip an "oversight." He said the governor was back in the state late Saturday night.

Denish said it's not the first time she's been left out of the loop.

Had she known Richardson would be away, she would have made better advance arrangements to get updates on the Trigo Fire burning in the Manzano Mountains.

She said she got the updates once she knew Richardson was gone.

"I do feel like I would not want to be caught off-guard if something happened — or if something happened to the governor," Denish said.

Gallegos said that even though Richardson was away, he was still in close contact with fire and homeland-security officials.

"The governor is still governor when he's out of state," Gallegos said. "He's still making decisions."




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