Gubernatorial candidates speak before business leaders

For the first time since announcing their campaigns, all but one of the eight gubernatorial candidates sat in the same room to talk policy during a Hispano Chamber of Commerce forum Wednesday night.

The forum, intended to be a meet-and-greet with business leaders and gubernatorial hopefuls, pushed Democratic candidates Deb Haaland and Sam Bregman into the same venue as tensions in the race rise.

The forum also brought out all five Republican candidates: Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull, state Sen. Steve Lanier of Aztec, cannabis entrepreneur Duke Rodriguez of Albuquerque, former Public Regulation Commissioner Jim Ellison of Cedar Crest and business owner Doug Turner of Albuquerque.

Ken Miyagishima, the only independent candidate and former mayor of Las Cruces, did not attend the forum.

The Republicans

While Democrats Bregman and Haaland have garnered the most attention in the race, the forum gave lesser-known candidates in the crowded field of Republicans a platform to pitch their ideas for New Mexico’s future.

“Hear me out, New Mexico is not a poor state, punto,” Rodriguez said to the crowd. “But we are absolutely a poorly run state.”

Rodriguez evoked civil rights leader Cesar Chavez in his speech and declared he would be a candidate for the people.

Just before that, Lanier also appealed to rural New Mexicans.

“My first job, I was 6 years old, shoveling manure,” Lanier said. “So my work ethic, I’m proud of it.”

Lanier cited his role as state senator as proof of his ability to deliver on promises of supporting small businesses, uplifting rural New Mexico and deregulating industries within the state.

Closer to home, Hull touted his more than 10 years in office during his speech.

“I'm very proud of the work that we've achieved in Rio Rancho,” Hull said. “We've been nationally recognized time and time again as the best place to raise a family and the best place to live. Now I want to bring those same results to the state of New Mexico.”

Ellison used his time to strike a more adversarial tone. He said that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham booted him from his commissioner seat and that New Mexico needed a change in leadership.

“I’m an outsider — I’m not a politician,” Ellison said.

Rounding out the last of the Republicans was business owner Turner, who largely focused on New Mexico’s education system.

“If we don't get a hold of what's wrong with this state, improve education, improve the business climate, improve public safety — we won't have a place for our kids,” Turner said. “They won't come back.”

The Democrats

Wednesday’s forum put Democratic rivals Bregman and Haaland under the same roof as the June 2 Democratic primary grows closer.

Bregman has been openly critical of Haaland for turning down opportunities to address him and the public directly. He escalated his criticism after Haaland’s campaign declined a request to debate on KRQE-TV last week.

Wednesday, Bregman took a similar stance, telling the crowd that he’d been waiting 167 days to debate Haaland, as she sat just several yards away from him.

Haaland sidestepped Bregman’s remarks and instead talked about her experience in Washington, D.C., as a representative in Congress and later as Interior Department secretary.

The two Democrats are scheduled for a debate hosted by the New Mexico Public Broadcasting Service in early May.

Gillian Barkhurst is the local government reporter for the Journal. She can be reached at gbarkhurst@abqjournal.com.