Five candidates from the Democratic and Republican parties are competing for their spots in New Mexico’s gubernatorial race as the open primary is set on June 2, 2026, and new rules allow voters not affiliated with major parties to participate.
Political analyst Brian Sanderoff said this year’s race is notable for very competitive primaries in both major parties, which is a rarity in recent decades.
“This election cycle, for the first time since 1994, we have a contested Democratic primary and a contested Republican primary for governor,” Sanderoff told KOAT on April 16. “Hopefully that’ll bolster turnout. Oftentimes in the primaries, the gubernatorial candidate runs unopposed.”
Primary winners from each party will face off in the general election on November 2.
An independent gubernatorial candidate, former Las Cruces mayor Ken Miyagishima, will skip the primaries and go straight to the general election ballot on November 2. He withdrew from the Democratic primary in February.
New voting dynamics gubernatorial race
The open primary could reshape turnout, especially among New Mexico’s substantial bloc of independent voters.
As of March 31, 2026, New Mexico reported 573,554 registered Democrats; 443,598 registered Republicans; and 371,380 registered independent voters, according to the New Mexico Secretary of State’s voter registration statistics.
Sanderoff said the new rules allowing independents to vote without changing affiliation could significantly influence both party contests. “For the first time, unaffiliated or independent voters will be allowed to vote in the Democratic or Republican primary without having to change registration,” he said.
The new rules expanding the participation of independent voters stem from the “Non-Major Party Voters in Primary Elections” law signed in April 2025 by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. The law allows voters not affiliated with major parties — including those registered as Decline-to-State — to vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary without requiring them to switch party registration.
Bernalillo County Clerk Michelle Kavanaugh said early participation in the primary is crucial. Kavanaugh warned that skipping the primary effectively leaves the decision to others.
“If you choose not to participate in the primary, you’re allowing other voters to decide who gets onto that general election ballot,” Kavanaugh said. “Don’t let other people make that choice for you.”
Gubernatorial contenders
Democrats:
- Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman
- Former U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland
Republicans:
- Rio Rancho Mayor Greg Hull
- Business owner Doug Turner
- Former state cabinet secretary and cannabis executive Duke Rodriguez
The June 2 primary will determine who will advance to the general election in November.
