Pete Domenici, New Mexico's longest-serving U.S. senator, dies at 85

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Pete Domenici, New Mexico’s longest-serving U.S. senator, died Wednesday in Albuquerque. He was 85.

Domenici, a Republican from Albuquerque, served in the U.S. Senate from 1973 to 2009.

The Albuquerque Journalreported Domenici had recently undergone abdominal surgery. He had suffered a setback during his recovery and had been in intensive care, the Journal reported.

Domenici announced in October 2007 that he wouldn’t seek a seventh Senate term because he had been diagnosed with an incurable brain disorder, frontotemporal lobar degeneration.

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“The progress of this disease is apparently erratic and unpredictable. It may well be that seven years from now, it will be stable,” Domenici said in announcing his retirement. “On the other hand, it may also be that the disease will have incapacitated me. That’s possible.”

The Albuquerque-born son of Italian immigrants carried a consistent message of fiscal restraint from his first term in 1972 until leaving office in early 2009 — regardless of which party was in power. He even refused once to buckle to President Ronald Reagan, who wanted him to delay the budget process.

The Senate is saddened today w the news of the passing of our friend Senator Pete Domenici. We offer our deepest condolences to his family.

— Leader McConnell (@SenateMajLdr) September 13, 2017

His death came on the first day of the Domenici Public Policy Conference in Las Cruces. The 10th annual conference, named for the former senator, will focus on United States foreign policy with China, Mexico and Russia, equity in education and 21st century workforce development issues.

Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima is attending the conference and said he heard of Domenici’s passing Wednesday morning.

“Yes, I am sitting at his table reminiscing about old times,” he said. “He had surgery a few weeks ago. In fact, I had sent him a plant to his residence there in Albuquerque.”

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J. Paul Taylor, former Democratic representative from Doña Ana, N.M., to the state legislature, said the news of Domenici’s passing comes as a heavy blow. 

“He was a wonderful senator and did a great deal for New Mexico and the nation. He’s going to be greatly missed,” said Taylor. 

The Domenici Institute for Public Policy at New Mexico State University is named after Domenici. The university said it created the institute to continue Domenici’s legacy of service to both the state and the country. 

Taylor said Domenici would always make time to speak to him whenever Taylor would stop by to see Domenici in Washington, D.C.

“If he had an office full, he’d make room for me and I think that’s the way he treated everyone.” 

Domenici, who helped shape the national budget during his term in the Senate, was always even-handed with federal money although “he certainly took care of the New Mexico people,” Taylor said. 

Contributing: The Associated Press. Follow Las Cruces (N.M.) Sun-News on Twitter: @CrucesSunNews

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