The two candidates to lead New Mexico’s State Land Office both say they will stand up for rural communities and protect state trust land for the long run, but they would take very different routes, the Santa Fe New Mexican reports.
Democrat Juan de Jesus Sanchez III of Los Chavez is a former political director for U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, who has endorsed him. He has worked as a natural resource specialist for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and served on the New Mexico Acequia Commission. Republican Michael Perry of Roswell spent more than 30 years as a wildlife warden, later served as an assistant commissioner at the Land Office and is now vice chair of the Chaves County Commission.
Sanchez told the New Mexican he wants Democrats to pay more attention to rural areas. He plans to keep Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard’s ban on new uranium mines and her leasing moratorium near Chaco Canyon, pursue revenue from carbon credits and conservation easements, and create an assistant commissioner post focused on stewardship and outdoor recreation.
Perry described himself to the paper as a centrist and an environmentalist. He opposes the uranium ban, wants counties and tribal governments to have more say on mining and energy decisions with environmental safeguards and reclamation plans, and blames poor forest management for severe wildfires.
The office brings in roughly $2 billion a year, most of it for public schools. Garcia Richard, a two-term Democrat, is running for lieutenant governor on Deb Haaland’s ticket.
Why It Matters
The Land Office brings in about $2 billion a year, mostly for public schools. The winner would decide whether the ban on new uranium mines stays in place.
About This Story
Daily Reports is Brant.One’s news roundup. Each day we gather the New Mexico stories worth knowing from newsrooms across the state, sum them up and point you to the source. This one comes from the Santa Fe New Mexican’s reporting, and their original story has the interviews and full details.
Editor’s note: Updated Oct. 31, 2026. This story is now part of Daily Reports, our New Mexico news roundup, and was revised to credit the Santa Fe New Mexican’s original reporting. Learn how Daily Reports works in our editorial standards.
