OPINION: Relentless campaigner finally takes office at age 77

Oct. 24—Stephanie DuBois is riding a streak that would have driven almost anyone else to the bleachers.

In a quarter century, she has lost elections for Tularosa village trustee, Otero County clerk, Otero County commissioner, the state Senate, the state House of Representatives and twice for the state Public Regulation Commission.

DuBois' defeats were predictable. She is a Democrat who always competed in areas that were candy-apple crimson.

"I ran for a reason. The reason being no one else would step up," she said.

After all those losses, 77-year-old DuBois finds herself holding public office for the first time. Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham appointed DuBois to replace notorious Republican Couy Griffin on the Otero County Commission.

A state District Court judge last month removed Griffin from office for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Griffin, founder of Cowboys for Trump, became a national figure after the judge ruled he took part in an insurrection and therefore cannot hold public office.

With a Democratic governor in power, DuBois was the logical choice to fill the seat Griffin lost in a courtroom. DuBois is the Democratic nominee for Otero County commissioner, District 2, in the Nov. 8 general election.

DuBois will not participate in her first meeting as a commissioner until two days after the election. There's a strong probability she will be a lame-duck commissioner by then. Republican Amy Barela is a heavy favorite to defeat DuBois, based on the GOP's dominance in Otero County.

DuBois deliberately does not analyze election statistics, as they might demoralize her. State records show Otero County has 36,700 registered voters. Republicans make up 45 percent of that total, compared to 27 percent for Democrats. Most of the other registered voters declined to affiliate with either major party, but they traditionally favor Republican candidates.

"What are my chances?" DuBois said when asked about her race against Barela. "Mine are as good as anybody's. At least she's got a challenger."

Jeff Swanson, chairman of the Otero County Democratic Party, says Griffin's ouster and DuBois' ascension to power are worth a celebration, brief though it may be.

"It's a shining moment. We'll see if the moments continue," Swanson said.

DuBois is the daughter of Navy veteran Stephen DuBois. He survived the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and also served in the Korean War. Stephen DuBois, who died at age 95, was a lifelong Democrat and member of the party's State Central Committee.

Stephanie DuBois saw a personal responsibility to try to elevate the party her father believed in. She ran in impossible races, figuring voters would forget about Democrats if none appeared on Otero County ballots.

"Stephanie is undaunted," Swanson said. "She has an impulsive feistiness that could be an Achilles' heel."

DuBois says she learned about rough politics before she ever entered a campaign. She was a professional handler who showed dogs throughout the East Coast. The judging could be as unfair as any campaign advertisement.

She has operated a dog-grooming business in Tularosa since 1990. DuBois calls her shop Halsam, code for healthy and lovable Samoyeds.

Though DuBois is probably a short-timer on the Otero County Commission, she is ready to push a proposal she believes would make it more representative. Dubois favors expanding the commission from three members to five.

"As it is, two people can control everything," she said as she prepares to serve alongside two Republican commissioners.

Adding commissioners would mean a bigger staff and higher payroll expenses. It wouldn't necessarily change anything but the bottom line. If two commissioners control the government now, three could dominate it under an expansion.

Still, DuBois' idea of installing a larger government is far less radical than Griffin's baseless political maneuvers.

The June primary election in New Mexico was conducted without controversy, but Griffin still persuaded fellow Republican Commissioners Gerald Matherly and Vickie Marquardt not to certify Otero County's results. Griffin, like Trump, made unfounded claims that Dominion voting machines couldn't be trusted.

Matherly, Griffin and Marquardt became the Curly, Moe and Lurleen of New Mexico politics. They tried to scuttle an election without citing a single deficiency.

Gutless followers Matherly and Marquardt feared retribution, leading them to abandon Griffin and later certify the election.

The spectacle gave Democrats hope. DuBois might still have a future in politics if she loses again in next month's election. That's a lot more than can be said for Griffin and his cowboy crusaders.

Ringside Seat is an opinion column about people, politics and news. Contact Milan Simonich at msimonich@sfnewmexican.com or 505-986-3080.