Governor · New Mexico

List your top priorities, and explain how you will achieve them.

New Mexicans deserve to be able to afford groceries and rent in the same month, feel safe in their communities, see a doctor when they are sick, and for kids to have a quality public education. To put more money in people’s pockets, I will raise wages, expand tax relief for working families, pursue paid family and medical leave, aggressively build and grow affordable housing, and support job creation. To ensure our kids are able to read by third grade, I will prioritize literacy outcomes and expand investment in universal childcare, community schools, and educator recruitment. Finally on public safety and healthcare, I will tackle violent crime, drugs, and gun violence, while overhauling CYFD and expanding behavioral health service.

What measures would you propose to improve Pre-K - 12 education?

My goal is for every step of a child’s education to open doors. My top priority is helping kids read by third grade, because reading sets them up to succeed in every subject. I will invest in literacy support, coaches, summer learning, math screening and intervention, and stronger instruction. I will protect and expand universal childcare with quality childcare options, and make early education easier to access. To support kids who might not want to go to college, I will bring the trades into middle school and more high schools. For educators, I plan to expand teacher residencies, improve pay and benefits, help with housing in rural communities, and expand community schools plus Native language and culture programs for Tribal students.

What measures would you propose to improve Pre-K - 12 education?

New Mexico's reading and math scores rank among the nation's lowest, yet the state has responded by lowering standards rather than raising them. I will reverse that trend by tying a portion of school funding to measurable gains in literacy, math, and graduation rates. I will expand career and technical education so students graduate with industry-recognized skills, establish accessible tutoring programs, and give parents transparent access to curriculum and progress data. I will also address chronic absenteeism and reform the Public Education Department to focus on results.

No utility rate increases & reliable energy for New Mexicans

Require data centers to build their own renewable energy infrastructure to keep energy costs from passing onto consumers and local communities, while also improving energy reliability

Protect New Mexico’s water

Require closed-loop systems and the best available technology to protect New Mexico’s clean water supply. Place effective penalties on any industry overuse or water waste

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How would you address future water needs in an increasingly arid state?

Water security is not optional — it is the foundation of economic growth, agriculture, and stable communities. Rio Rancho led the state with the state’s first-ever aquifer recharge system. As governor, I will invest in brackish water treatment to create new sources of supply, reducing pressure on rivers and freshwater aquifers. I will upgrade aging infrastructure to cut leaks, expand advanced wastewater treatment for safe reuse, and support modern irrigation systems to protect farmers' livelihoods. I will meet our interstate obligations to deliver water downstream and pursue transparent negotiations to resolve outstanding Tribal water rights. Long-term certainty for every water user starts with planning ahead and acting now.

List your top priorities, and explain how you will achieve them.

My top priorities are public safety, economic growth, education, infrastructure and water security, and protecting children. I will increase police presence and enhance border security to address crime and the fentanyl crisis. I will attract high-paying jobs through targeted business incentives and energy expansion. I will hold schools accountable for outcomes while expanding career training. I will invest in brackish water treatment and aquifer recharge for long-term supply. And I will reform CYFD with clear standards, oversight, and stable caseworker staffing.

New Mexico jobs for New Mexico workers

Projects must be built and run with New Mexico labor, ensuring New Mexicans get job opportunities first, that those jobs are union, and that they meet prevailing wage and fringe-benefit rates. Invest in local pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeship programs in partnership with labor unions. Set in-state workforce …

What criteria should be applied when considering proposed large economic development projects?

New developments must be mutually beneficial, creating good-paying jobs for New Mexicans using local labor while protecting families from cost increases. Projects must prioritize community well-being, utilizing transparency, community benefit agreements, accountability, and clawback provisions to ensure promises are kept. Investment must safeguard water, air, land, and public health, require accurate water reporting, and ensure industries support clean energy and grid stability. I aim for New Mexico to lead in energy, tech, film, and outdoor recreation with long-term value for our communities, preventing exploitation by outside corporations seeking short-term gains.

Economy

I will build on that progress by supporting targeted incentives for aerospace, defense, bioscience, energy technology, and precision manufacturing – industries that offer stable, high-skill careers in both urban and rural communities.

Jobs

I support full license reciprocity for professionals licensed in good standing in another state unless there is a clear public safety concern.

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No backroom deals, strong community benefits

Open, transparent, and meaningful conversations without NDAs so that communities have a say ahead of decisions, and ensure strong benefits that support schools, roads, infrastructure, workforce, and meet community needs. Formal Tribal consultation is imperative, as is robust monitoring, follow-up, community oversight …

What qualifies you for this office?

I will bring lived experience and a proven record of results to the Governor’s office. I am a 35th-generation New Mexican, educated in our public schools, and a first-generation college graduate. I’m also a single mom who owned a small business and understands what it means to rely on Medicaid, SNAP, and WIC to keep a family afloat. I was a member of Congress and the Secretary of the Interior, where I managed an $18 billion budget and 70,000 employees. In both positions, I worked across the aisle to deliver infrastructure and broadband investments, protect public lands, launch the Missing and Murdered Unit, advance major clean energy projects, and lead historic pollution cleanup. I know how to make the government work for working people

What qualifies you for this office?

I have been a New Mexico resident for more than 40 years, an entrepreneur, and Rio Rancho's longest-serving mayor, elected three times beginning in 2014. Before entering public service, I built and operated two businesses, gaining direct experience with job creation and regulatory challenges. As mayor, I doubled the police budget, helped Rio Rancho earn recognition as New Mexico's safest city, and attracted more than $6 billion in investment. In 2024, Rio Rancho was named a Best Place to Live for Families and the state's most affordable city. I am ready to bring that same record of results to all New Mexicans.