To no one's surprise, the new U.S. Attorney for New Mexico is a Democrat — yet among the quickest to commend Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall's choice was his Republican predecessor:

David Iglesias, fired by the Bush administration three years ago for refusing to turn the office into one carrying out selectively partisan prosecutions, calls Kenneth Gonzales "a great choice" — someone who "understands his district" — that district being our state. We're one of 93 districts nationwide.

Officially, the position has been vacant since Iglesias was run out by his wrathful party. That move set off a scandal over politicization that got Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, no relation of Pojoaque native Ken, bounced from the Bush Cabinet.

The acting U.S. attorney, Greg Fouratt, filled in admirably for Iglesias, gaining the conviction of longtime state-legislative powerhouse Manny Aragón. Fouratt remains hot on the trail of assorted other Democratic powerbrokers — and the office's new boss should keep him on staff if, as appears likely, Fouratt chooses to stay.

The big question: will Atty. Gen. Eric Holder keep putting the kibosh on New Mexico prosecutions?

The nomination of Gonzales came after a tricky year for Bingaman, who, as senior senator of the president's party, had the strongest say. The senator was besieged by office-seekers, many of them highly qualified, brandishing evidence of party loyalty. But with fellow Democrats under the prosecutorial cloud, Bingaman knew there'd be hell to pay if he appointed some good ol' boy or girl on whose watch cases might wither away.

Gonzales doesn't fit that mold; he's been working in relative anonymity at the U.S. attorney's Las Cruces office for the past decade or so, racking up an excellent record in drug-gang prosecution. But as a former Bingaman Senate staffer, removed as he might have been from spoils-system politics, he knows he'll be held to a Caesar's-wife standard for scrupulous pursuit of crooks — especially those of his own party. We're confident that he'll meet such a standard.

As inspiration, he might look first to both senators who announced his nomination: Neither Bingaman nor Udall, during their terms as state attorney general, spared fellow Dems in rooting out corruption.

Gonzales must be confirmed by the Senate — but with his track record, and having been thoroughly checked out for his current Justice Department position, that should be a formality.

Sen. Bingaman handled this situation well — and bringing Sen. Udall into the selection process was good politics and good management.

Still in Republican hands is another top job with the Justice Department: U.S. Marshal. Gordon Eden is serving well — but by year's end, Bingaman and Udall could find a fine nominee in Santa Fe County Sheriff Greg Solano, who's term-limited from re-election.

For now, with Greg Fouratt on the ground and Ken Gonzales soon to be running things, New Mexicans have prosecutors worthy of our confidence.