Stephanie Dubois likely appointee to Couy Griffin's Otero County Commission seat

This is a developing story. Follow us at www.alamogordonews.com for more information. This story was edited Oct. 14 to correctly reflect that the appointment process is currently underway and a definite appointee had not yet been named by the governor's office.

Stephanie DuBois, the Democratic candidate for Otero County District 2 Commission, is likely to fill a seat previously held by Couy Griffin.

DuBois said she received a call from the Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's office on Thursday.

"I'm a little overwhelmed I will say," DuBois told the Alamogordo Daily News Friday.

The governor's office said only that a review process was underway and expected to be completed soon followed by a public announcement of the appointee. DuBois said that she was still in the process of completing paperwork following the notification as part of that process.

DuBois is a dog groomer and former Democratic Party of Otero County Chairwoman.

More:Barela wins GOP Otero County Commission primary, will face DuBois in November

"In a very red county to appoint a Democrat is monumental," she said, as the County is just weeks from Election Day in which DuBois is facing a well-known Republican opponent.

DuBois said she continued to campaign against Republican Amy Barela for the seat, even as Otero County opened its early voting process to voters.

The Alamogordo Daily News connected with Barela briefly, who said she preferred not to comment until she had verified the appointment herself.

Barela owns and operates North 54 Salvage and up until recently served as the head of the Republican Party of Otero County.

In a comment about the approaching election, DuBois said "anything can happen in politics."

If DuBois is appointed but fails to secure the election in November she would hold the seat only until January when the new commissioner is sworn in.

Regardless, she said, she was looking forward to the challenge of representing the district formerly represented by Griffin, a Republican.

More:Couy Griffin removed from Otero County Commission, disqualified from holding further office

Griffin was removed from his seat earlier this year by District Judge Francis Mathew under the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment's Disqualification Clause, which states that an elected official may be removed from their position for acts against the government, including insurrection which some experts have labeled the events of the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riots.

"I made a statement back when Couy lost his seat that I felt badly about it not only for him but for the constituency that was counting on him to be a worthy commissioner," DuBois said.

Jessica Onsurez can be reached at jonsurez@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JussGREAT.

This article originally appeared on Alamogordo Daily News: Stephanie Dubois likely appointee to Couy Griffin's Otero County Commission seat