Sen. Gonzales presents Bobby’s Bolo Battle; Sen. Munoz wins and suggests auction with $5,000 minimum

Senator Michael Gonzales presented the winners of “Bobby’s Bolo Battle” during the New Mexico Senate’s announcements and miscellaneous business period, and Senator Munoz was named the contest winner.

The presentation included two judges who helped score entries; Gonzales said scores ranged from 9.5 down through single-digit scores and described the competition as “very competitive.” Gonzales said the winner would receive a bolo tie from his personal collection.

Senator Munoz, accepting the award, described bolo ties as Native American artwork with cultural ties to Gallup and New Mexico. Munoz said the sartorial items are “artwork from native Americans that were born and raised here and and wore their first ties,” and noted the squash blossom as a traditional necklace.

After the award announcement, Munoz and other senators proposed using the winning bolo tie as a fundraising item. Munoz suggested auctioning the tie for a charity of Senator Gonzales’s choice and set a suggested minimum bid of $5,000. A later exchange on the floor raised the question of whether soliciting lobbyists for donations could violate the state’s governmental conduct rules.

The judges asked winners and participating senators to gather for a photograph at the front of the chamber after the presentation.

No formal motion or vote accompanied the presentation or the fundraising suggestion; the auction proposal was offered verbally on the floor and remained a proposal rather than a formal, board-directed fundraising action.

The awards and discussion occurred as part of the Senate’s miscellaneous announcements rather than as a formal item on the legislative calendar.