Proposed alcohol tax passes first committee - By Source New Mexico
Lawmakers on Wednesday introduced a proposal to raise New Mexico’s tax on alcohol for the first time in 30 years and re-direct revenue toward treatment and programs.
The House Health and Human Services Committee voted 6-4 to advance House Bill 417, Liquor Tax Changes and Programs. It now heads to the House Taxation and Revenue Committee.
The bill specifically creates a new 6% sales tax — also called a surtax — on alcohol sold in retail establishments, and eliminates distribution of revenue from the existing alcohol excise tax to the general fund, which currently receives a portion of that money.
Instead, the bill creates a new Local Alcohol Harms Alleviation Fund to allocate funding to counties and “target the communities most in need by prioritizing counties with the highest death rates from alcohol use,” a news release on Wednesday said. Counties that receive the funding “could use these funds for grants to raise awareness of the harms and risks associated with substance misuse, promote prevention, get people into treatment, and address issues like impaired driving.”
HB417 also creates a new Tribal Alcohol Harms Alleviation Fund and Program to provide grants to the state’s tribes, nations and pueblos, as well as entities that serve Native Americans.
Lawmakers say the bill arrives after months of discussion. The proposal also follows several years of failed efforts to raise the tax on alcohol, and increasing scrutiny of New Mexico’s top ranking for alcohol-related deaths.
Representatives Micaela Lara Cadena (D-Mesilla), Joanne Ferrary (D-Las Cruces) and Cristina Parajón (D-Abuquerque) and Senators Shannon Pinto (D-Tohatchi) and Antionette Sedillo-Lopez (D-Albuquerque) co-sponsored the bill.
“Far too many of us have lost a loved one to alcohol,” Ferrary said in a statement. “With this bill, we are taking an important step that is many years in the making to help improve access to treatment, reduce excessive drinking, and hopefully begin saving lives.”
A fiscal analysis of the bill estimated that the proposed surtax imposition will generate $45.7 million in FY26, and that HB417 would reduce recurring general fund revenue by $24.7 million by redirecting revenue to the alcohol prevention and treatment programs.
New Mexico again considers ban on immigrant detention - By Austin Fisher, Source New Mexico
A proposal to ban state and local governments in New Mexico from collaborating with the federal government to do immigrant detention passed its first committee on Tuesday afternoon.
The House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee on Tuesday afternoon voted 4-2 to pass House Bill 9, known as the Immigrant Safety Act.
The legislation would prohibit state agencies and local governments from entering into agreements used to detain people for violations of civil immigration law, and would require any existing agreements to end as soon as possible. It doesn’t affect enforcement of criminal law.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is holding approximately 1,500 people inside the three immigration detention centers in New Mexico, said Sophia Genovese, asylum and detention managing attorney with the New Mexico Immigrant Law Center and an expert on the bill.
“We have the power to hold the line in New Mexico and not let the Trump administration and ICE use our state as a laboratory for cruelty,” said Jessica Inez Martinez, director of policy and coalition building for the New Mexico Immigrant Law Center, and another expert on the bill.
The proposal comes as conservative cities and states increase cooperation with the federal government’s deportation plans.
Reps. Eleanor Chávez (D-Albuquerque), Angelica Rubio (D-Las Cruces), Andrea Romero (D-Santa Fe) and Christine Chandler (D-Los Alamos) are sponsoring HB 9.
Chávez told the committee on Tuesday she is concerned that the federal government is using New Mexico counties as “pass-throughs” and “shields” in a scheme to detain immigrants.
She said rather than directly hiring the private prison corporations, ICE enters into contracts with New Mexico counties, who turn around and subcontract with the companies to run the detention centers under documents called Intergovernmental Service Agreements.
ICE does this in order to avoid the Competition in Contracting Act, Chávez said, which requires the federal government to competitively select contractors.
“Agreements with local public entities like New Mexico’s counties create a loophole through the competition and transparency that is otherwise required in federal contracts,” she said.
Democratic senators have twice joined Republicans to reject similar legislation last year and the year before, in starkly different political climates.
HB 9 would also prevent any local government from passing an ordinance that would contradict the law.
It would give the New Mexico Attorney General and local district attorneys the authority to enforce the law through a civil lawsuit.
Federal oversight officials in 2022 told ICE to move everyone out of the Torrance County detention center in Estancia after finding conditions inside to be unsafe and unsanitary. ICE responded less than a month later by moving even more people into the detention center.
That August, a Brazilian asylum seeker named Kesley Vial died by suicide while being held in Torrance.
If not for systemic failures in medical and mental health care, almost all of the people who died in immigration detention in the U.S. between 2017 and 2021 could still be alive today, according to a report released last summer.
Public input sought for Mountain View plan - By Rodd Cayton, City Desk ABQ
Bernalillo County is seeking the public’s input as it moves toward creating a sector development plan for the South Valley’s Mountain View community.
The county will host a kick-off meeting Thursday at Mountain View Elementary School, 5317 2nd Street SW.
Officials will present an overview of the plan, which county staff say will address critical issues such as land use, public facilities, transportation, housing, economic development and environmental concerns.
“We are committed to hearing what the community has to say, and we value their input on the future of the Mountain View neighborhood,” District 2 County Commissioner Frank Baca said. “This plan will guide the community’s growth and ensure that residents’ priorities are reflected in future development, which makes their input of paramount importance.”
Residents of the neighborhood have long complained of unfair development policies that have overburdened them with pollution and its resultant health hazards. The Environmental Protection Agency announced last month it is investigating a civil rights complaint based on those practices.
The meeting will begin with a brief presentation, followed by small-group discussions on planning issues relevant to the community. It is scheduled from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Dinner will be provided, as will children’s activities.
The planning process began last fall and will continue with more public meetings and activities. County officials expect to present draft recommendations this summer, then solicit more feedback. A final plan is expected to be adopted in spring 2026.
Anyone seeking more information or wishing to stay updated on the Mountain View Sector Development Plan may click here.
City goes all in on Route 66 at 100 - By Damon Scott, City Desk ABQ
The Mother Road is poised to get a mother lode of attention and money leading up to its 100th birthday in 2026. City officials and an array of partners met this week to tout plans for the centennial celebration of one of Albuquerque’s (and the country’s) most famous roads — Route 66.
Plans have been brewing for at least two years — primarily led by the city’s Arts & Culture Department — and involve a collection of ideas to pay tribute to the city’s 18-mile stretch, officially known as Central Avenue. During an event at the West Central Route 66 Visitor Center, Mayor Tim Keller used a “crossroads” analogy to illustrate the road’s historic and cultural significance.
“Fundamentally, Albuquerque is a city at a crossroads — that’s why we’re here as a community — and that story actually goes back to time immemorial,” he said. “Of course, as you fast forward, eventually, around 1926, someone decided to pave that
crossroads, and it’s the very same road that became Route 66. It’s the beginning of modern Albuquerque.”
Keller described Route 66’s path through the Rio Grande River, the Southwestern plains and near the Sandia Mountains, including its role as a critical trade route for Indigenous communities. He said it became a representation of the city’s blend of Native American and Hispanic cultures.
“Route 66 was also sort of the ultimate symbol of the Anglo colonization that happened,” Keller said. “But all of that created the city that we know and love today, a city at a crossroads that is the home of the Mother Road.”
Keller said he wants to leverage the centennial lead up to keep momentum on efforts to clean up crime-ridden and trash-strewn stretches of Central Avenue. He said the city would continue to target substandard and dangerous hotels that are “symbols of decay and crime” and clean up streets with dedicated street sweeper vehicles. Keller said he’s counting on state lawmakers to help fund some of the costs.
“We’re going to try and do as much as we can through the heart of our city. It’s an extra challenge,” he said.
100 CANDLES DOESN’T COME CHEAP
While it all takes considerable funds to pull off, officials hope the resources and investments will draw scores of tourists to the city to give small businesses an economic boost. The Route 66 Summerfest scheduled for July 19 will be the first official centennial event.
Plans include hundreds of thousands of dollars for both new and refurbished neon signs, street banners, new art installations and many events — including a lowrider parade. Arts & Culture is also developing a series of large-scale mural and interactive art installations in partnership with Meow Wolf. Visit Albuquerque, the city’s marketing arm, created a $34,000 centennial-focused website for the occasion.
Officials said the city has secured about $1 million in grant funding from the New Mexico Tourism Department, National Park Service and the National Endowment for the Arts for different aspects of the celebration. Other city departments are expected to pitch in on infrastructure improvements and new lighting.
One of the biggest ongoing expenses, however, is the $14 million and counting West Central Route 66 Visitor Center, which is still not open to the public even though it was completed years ago. The 21,000-square-foot, two-story facility with sweeping views of the city and the Sandia Mountains is considered by officials to be essential for centennial events, also serving as the site of immersive Route 66 art installations and augmented reality experiences.
The center’s costs were mounting well before the city took it over about nine months ago (and dropped “West Central” from the name). Once it landed under the purview of Arts & Culture, at least $400,000 in upgrades to the still not ready for prime-time facility began — including the installation of a security system, elevator repairs, water leak remediation and fire alarm and fire suppression system inspections that were two-years overdue.
Arts & Culture officials have said the center could open as early as May. Once up and operating, they hope some costs can be recouped over time by hosting public and private events, such as weddings and concerts, at the site. The venue features a high-end commercial kitchen, tap room and ballroom space. The exterior layout includes an outdoor amphitheater and ample parking with space for food trucks.
Bill looks to increase Oil and Gas Act penalties to $10K to discourage bad players - Megan Gleason, Albuquerque Journal
If oil and gas operators are excessively emitting greenhouse gases or contaminating groundwater, state officials want to threaten them back into compliance with an up to $10,000 daily penalty.
That’s a 300% increase from the current $2,500 maximum daily penalty, included in House Bill 259, which would also raise fees imposed on operators applying to drill wells. The bill passed its first of three House committees Tuesday on a 7-4 vote along party lines.
The legislation aims to discourage operators from violating the state’s Oil and Gas Act, which has public and environmental health and safety regulations in place.
The measure also seeks to increase the cap on aggregate civil penalty assessments from $200,000 to $2.65 million. The ask was initially a $3.65 million cap, but the House Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee decreased that number through an amendment.
Since 2019, the Oil Conservation Division has assessed $29 million in penalties, said Ben Shelton, the acting deputy secretary of the state’s Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department. But of that, he said, the state has only collected $8 million, which went to the general fund.
That’s because a goal of the Oil Conservation Division, under the purview of EMNRD, is to bring operators into compliance, Shelton said. The OCD negotiates with operators willing to correct their violations, he said.
“We basically trade dollars for compliance,” Shelton said. “It is important to have this cap raised because currently too many violations, too many polluting actions, are seen as a business proposition.”
In other words, operators are willing to cough up $200,000 because oil sales will make more than that anyway.
Legislators asked a few times how many operators ignore the penalty assessments and continue operating anyway. Shelton said not many, but when it does happen, it’s very costly and harmful to New Mexico. About 5% of operators are repeat offenders, he added.
Lobbyists for operators, including the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association and the Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico, spoke against the bill.
“$200,000 is already enough to limit or significantly hurt, if not threaten, solvency of many independent operators,” said Jim Winchester, executive director of the Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico. “Let’s not continue to send a message to operators that this administration does not want oil and gas here.”
Rep. Rod Montoya, R-Farmington, called the numbers arbitrary and said the bill didn’t include considerations from the oil and gas industry. He added that while the industry is thriving now, it won’t always be flush with cash.
“I’m not saying … that increasing fees is not necessarily somehow warranted. I just know how we got to where our fees are now, and there was input on the industry,” he said.
Under the measure, drilling application fees would increase from $500 to $1,500 — a 200% increase.
Bill sponsor Rep. Matthew McQueen, D-Galisteo, encouraged legislators and advocates not to play “the percentage game” and instead “look at the fee, the penalty, whatever it is, in relation to the economic activity, and is it appropriate in today’s market? Not, ‘Is it a certain percentage compared to an artificially low amount we had before?’”
Travis Kellerman, senior climate policy adviser for the governor, spoke in support of the bill, saying it’s about modernization. It would streamline administrative and regulatory responsibilities at OCD and reduce general fund dependency, he said.
“It makes sense,” he said. “This update is overdue.”
Rep. Meredith Dixon, D-Albuquerque, said she wants more specifics on this bill, like the exact number of operators who refuse to correct their violations, before it goes to the House Appropriations and Finance Committee, which Dixon is the vice chair of.
“I don’t disagree with the premise or what we’re trying to do, but I find that it’s very challenging to change statute without actual facts and figures,” she said.
New Mexico initiates milk testing program for avian flu this week - Danielle Prokop, Source New Mexico
New Mexico veterinary and agriculture officials will begin testing milk this week for a variant of avian influenza passing among dairy cows and raising concerns of spread to humans.
New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture Jeff Witte told Source NM that the program allows officials to detect the virus before cows may be symptomatic.
“The milk testing program is an opportunity for us to lean forward in identifying if there’s any issues with [Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza] in New Mexico, be able to isolate it and basically help the dairy farmers recover sooner rather than later,” Witte said between committee meetings at the Roundhouse.
In December, federal officials announced a milk-testing program and asked states to either create their own or join the U.S. Department of Agriculture program. New Mexico opted to conduct its own, according to State Veterinarian Samantha Holeck.
Seven New Mexico herds are already enrolled in a weekly testing USDA program called the Dairy Herd Status Program. Holeck said the state program would monitor the other 98 licensed diaries in the state.
“We do have it built into our plan that if a herd has a detection, they will not be allowed to market milk unless it is pasteurized,” Holeck said in a phone call.
WHAT DOES NEW MEXICO’S MILK TESTING PROGRAM DO?
New Mexico Department of Agriculture, which regulates the dairy industry, will have dairy inspection agents collect 10 milliliters of milk from bulk tanks before they are sent to processing plants as part of a weekly sampling routine. Each tank holds approximately 6,000 gallons of milk. The samples will be sent to the state diagnostic laboratory for testing.
If a sample tests positive, it will be forwarded to the National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa.
Results will not be published publicly, Holeck said; instead, farmers will be notified individually about positive cases, and positive herds will then need to enroll in the federal Protect the Herd program and test weekly. If they subsequently test negative, they can continue with the federal program or return to the state milk-testing program, she said.
The plan is to test for the next three consecutive weeks, Holeck said. Depending on test results, the program may only test monthly, or continue testing each week.
“We’ve not put anything up publicly as far as identifying farms that are positive,” Holeck said. “If we have detections, we have reported it down to the county level and we made that apparent early on in the outbreak, but that really really is probably as far as we’ll report it publicly.”
WHAT’S GOING ON WITH AVIAN INFLUENZA?
In January, President Donald Trump ordered government agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to stop public health communications at least through the end of the month. That order came even as avian flu continued to spread to 16 states and close to 1,000 herds since the outbreak was first detected in April.
Last week, when communications resumed, the CDC released a report about the spillover of the virus into humans, including in states with no documented outbreak in dairy cows. As of Feb. 14, 67 human cases, including 40 with dairy cattle exposure, have been confirmed.
The new study examined blood samples from 150 cattle veterinarians from around the country. Researchers found three had antibodies to the H5N1 virus, indicating they were recent infections. None recalled experiencing symptoms or conjunctivitis — a reddening of the eyes — which was identified in other people with avian influenza.
The report concluded that milk testing may be more effective in identifying infections in dairy cows.
Federal health officials reportedly also have concerns about the infection of cats and the concern of spread to humans. According to the New York Times, the CDC posted data on that topic earlier this month, and then deleted the post. Of the 85 domestic cats found infected with avian influenza since 2022, seven were from New Mexico, all identified in 2024, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.
Federal judge won't immediately block Elon Musk or DOGE from federal data or worker layoffs - By Lindsay Whitehurst, Associated Press
A federal judge refused Tuesday to immediately block billionaire Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency from accessing government data systems or participating in worker layoffs.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan found that there are legitimate questions about Musk's authority but said there isn't enough evidence of grave legal harm to justify a temporary restraining order.
The decision came in a lawsuit filed by 14 Democratic states challenging DOGE's authority to access sensitive government data. The attorneys general argued that Musk is wielding the kind of power that the Constitution says can be held only by those elected or confirmed by the Senate.
The Trump administration has maintained that layoffs are coming from agency heads and asserted that despite his public cheering of the effort, Musk isn't running DOGE's day-to-day operations himself.
DOGE has tapped into computer systems across multiple agencies with the blessing of President Donald Trump, digging into budgets and searching for what he calls waste, fraud and abuse, even as a growing number of lawsuits allege DOGE is violating the law.
Chutkan recognized the concerns of the states, which include New Mexico and Arizona.
"DOGE's unpredictable actions have resulted in considerable uncertainty and confusion," she wrote. Their questions about Musk's apparent "unchecked authority" and lack of congressional oversight for DOGE are legitimate and they may be able to successfully argue them later, she found.
Still, at this point, it remains unclear exactly how DOGE's work will affect the states, and judges can only issue orders to block specific, immediate harms, she found.
Chutkan, who was nominated by Democratic President Barack Obama, previously oversaw the now-dismissed criminal election interference case against Trump in Washington, D.C.
The states' lawsuit seeks to bar DOGE from the federal Office of Personnel Management and the departments of Education, Labor, Health and Human Services, Energy, Transportation and Commerce.
In other DOGE lawsuits, two other judges in Washington have similarly declined to immediately block DOGE from access to agency systems. A federal judge in New York has blocked DOGE's access to Treasury Department data for now.
Texas measles cases are up, and New Mexico now has an outbreak. Here's what you need to know - By Devi Shastri and Morgan Lee, Associated Press
The measles outbreak in rural West Texas has grown to 58 cases as of Tuesday, and eight people in neighboring eastern New Mexico also have been diagnosed with measles.
New Mexico health department spokesman Robert Nott said Tuesday that the agency hadn't "identified any direct contact" between cases in its state and cases in Texas.
Measles is a highly contagious disease. Here's what you should know about how to protect yourself against measles, as well as what's happening in Texas and New Mexico.
WHERE IS MEASLES SPREADING?
The West Texas cases are concentrated in Gaines County, which has 45 infections. Terry County to the north has nine confirmed cases, while Lubbock and Lynn counties have a case each and Yoakum County has two.
The Texas Department of State Health Services said Monday that 13 people are hospitalized with measles.
State health officials say this outbreak is Texas' largest in nearly 30 years. Health department spokeswoman Lara Anton said last week that cases have been concentrated in a "close-knit, undervaccinated" Mennonite community — especially among families who attend small private religious schools or are homeschooled.
The New Mexico cases are in Lea County, which borders Gaines County in Texas. The cases include a family of five that's in isolation, the state health department said Tuesday, but none of those infected have needed to be hospitalized. Six people who have measles are not vaccinated, officials said.
New Mexico officials also said people may have been exposed at a grocery store, an elementary school, a church, Nor-Lea Hospital and a Walgreens in Hobbs.
WHAT IS MEASLES?
Measles is a respiratory virus that can survive in the air for up to two hours. Up to 9 out of 10 people who are susceptible will get the virus if exposed, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Most kids will recover from the measles if they get it, but infection can lead to dangerous complications like pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.
IS THE VACCINE SAFE?
Yes, the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe and highly effective in preventing measles infection and severe cases of the disease.
The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old. The vaccine series is required for kids before entering kindergarten in public schools nationwide.
Before the vaccine was introduced in 1963, the U.S. saw some 3 million to 4 million cases per year. Now, it's usually fewer than 200 in a normal year.
There is no link between the vaccine and autism, despite a now-discredited study and health disinformation.
WHY DO VACCINATION RATES MATTER?
In communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — diseases like measles have a harder time spreading through communities. This is called "herd immunity."
But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.
The U.S. saw a rise in measles cases in 2024, including an outbreak in Chicago that sickened more than 60. Five years earlier, measles cases were the worst in almost three decades in 2019.
Gaines County has one of the highest rates in Texas of school-aged children who opt out of at least one required vaccine, with nearly 14% of K-12 children in the 2023-24 school year. Health officials say that number is likely higher because it doesn't include many children who are homeschooled and whose data would not be reported.
What are public health officials doing to stop the spread?
Health workers are hosting regular vaccination clinic and screening efforts in Texas. They are also working with schools to educate people about the importance of vaccination and offering shots.
New Mexico medical providers are being urged to watch for and report measles infections, while state health authorities are attempting to trace and notify people who may have been exposed. The state health department is also doing free vaccination clinics in Hobbs and Lovington this week.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
NM Supreme Court stands by DEI - By Source New Mexico
In a statement released Tuesday, the New Mexico Supreme Court reaffirmed its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion within the justice system.
The court’s statement comes amid the Trump administration’s actions cutting DEI initiatives and funding.
The Court opened a public letter by observing that the wood above where the justices sit in the courtroom has the words “Dedicated to the Administration of Equal Justice Under Law” carved into it.
“For 123 years, these words have served as a guidepost to the Justices and a promise to all New Mexico,” the Court wrote. “As we face challenges and pushback at the federal level against inclusivity efforts, the Supreme Court of New Mexico affirms our commitment to these values. As stewards of justice, we recognize that a just legal system must reflect and respect the diverse
communities that it serves.”
“We remain devoted to eliminating barriers to justice, promoting equal access, and ensuring that every individual is treated with dignity and fairness regardless of race, ethnicity, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, indigency status, physical, mental, or developmental disability or condition, age, English language proficiency, parenting status, or pregnancy.”
Read the full letter here.
A news release from the Administrative Office of the Courts noted that the creation of its Commission on Equity and Justice in 2020, followed by:
- an order requiring state courts to use an individual’s name and their designated personal pronouns and salutations.
- a statewide Equity, Inclusion and Justice Program within the Administrative Office of the Courts that has made presentations to magistrate, municipal, probate and district court judges to help them identify and address inequity in the judicial process.
Two bills to make life easier for renters are headed to NM House floor - By Patrick Lohmann, Source New Mexico
Bills that would crack down on rent price-gouging and expunge old eviction records successfully cleared their second committee hearings Monday evening and are now headed to the House floor for consideration.
House Bill 215, sponsored by Reps. Andrea Romero (D-Santa Fe) and Angelica Rubio (D-Las Cruces), prohibits the use of artificial intelligence to manipulate rent prices. The bill seeks to prevent out-of-state companies from using an algorithm to coordinate rent prices, which has been done in other areas with housing shortages.
Committee Chair Christine Chandler (D-Los Alamos), in announcing her support of the bill, compared it to the ways airlines use “dynamic pricing” for tickets to maximize profits in periods of high demand.
“It’s all in this algorithm. A black box. It’s run by a company, and they can help the landlord squeeze out every penny in a profit,” she said. “I do think we need to start getting a handle on this stuff.”
The committee passed the bill, a substitute for an earlier version, on a 6-4 vote. The new version specifies that algorithms used by governments or for research are exempt.
Later Monday evening, the committee passed another bill that would expunge eviction records for an aspiring tenant after five years. That bill passed 5-4.
Sponsors Rep. Janelle Anyanonu (D-Albuquerque) and Rep. Wonda Johnson (D-Church Rock) said the bill is necessary to help renters move past an old eviction and into stable housing.
Now that they’ve passed the House Judiciary Committee, both bills now head to the House Floor.
Another bill, also of interest to renters, would prohibit landlords from refusing to rent to tenants who receive Section 8 or other subsidies. So-called “source of income discrimination” ordinances have been adopted in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and other cities.
House Bill 339, also sponsored by Reps. Rubio and Romero, is on the calendar today at 1:30 p.m. in the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee. It’s been introduced for the last several years but tabled.
Former Las Cruces mayor says he’s eyeing a run for governor - By Nicole Maxwell, New Mexico Political Report
Former Las Cruces mayor Ken Miyagishima, a Democrat, is thinking about running for governor.
Miyagishima, whose political days in Doña Ana County go back to 1992, is thinking about opening an exploratory committee to see about his viability as a candidate.
Candidates in New Mexico are not required to create exploratory committees, but Miyagishima feels like he needs more input before throwing his hat in the ring.
“Candidacy may not be there, but I would at least like to look at it from that point of view,” Miyagishima told NM Political Report via telephone on Tuesday. “I want to help change the environment here in New Mexico and hopefully that would lead to a better life for our residents. And I feel like I need to at least give it a try.”
If Miyagishima decides to run for governor he said he would try to help with people’s issues of financial security, homelessness, housing affordability — including renting a property versus owning it — and tackling crime.
Miyagishima was elected to the Doña Ana County Commission becoming the first Mexican-American of Japanese descent to hold public office in New Mexico. He was re-elected in 1996. He was commission chairman twice in both those terms.
He then successfully ran for Las Cruces City Council in 2001 and won re-election in 2006. The following year, he was elected Las Cruces mayor and was the longest-serving mayor in Las Cruces’ history, serving four consecutive four-year terms.
Miyagishima is one of several people who have either announced their candidacy or noted their interest in a possible run.
Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, a Democrat, announced she was officially running for governor and is currently on a campaign blitz across the state through March 2.
Republican Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull is also contemplating a run for governor in 2026 and Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman is rumored to be running, but has publicly said he is currently focused on his job as a prosecutor.
The 2026 gubernatorial election is still about 16 months away.