Voters never favored Santa Fe mayoral candidate Letitia Montoya. She is zero for five in campaigns for public office.

Montoya, 63, described her futility with this week's most incongruous quote. "I never lost. I came in second," she said.

Moral victories might count in Little League. Elections are different. Losing candidates don't set public policy.

Montoya's defeats included races for state Senate, secretary of state and three campaigns for Santa Fe County clerk. She never reached a general election, always losing in Democratic primaries.

She claims partisan politics worked against her, as she faced candidates with backing from party honchos. Because Santa Fe's nonpartisan mayoral election has no primaries, Montoya said she can win.

"This race opened up the world for me. My first no

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