Issues

Land, Jobs, and the Economy

New Mexico’s State Land Office manages over 9 million surface acres and 13 million mineral acres, land that generates over $2 billion for schools, hospitals, and other public institutions. We need a Land Commissioner who understands that this is more than land management, it’s economic stewardship.

I’ll work to:

• Diversify and expand how we use public land by supporting clean energy, outdoor recreation, and community focused development; not just extractive industries.
• Ensure fair returns on oil and gas by making sure these companies always pay their fair share and holding polluters accountable, bringing in millions more for our schools.
• Support small and rural communities by exploring opportunities to expand local use of trust land, especially for housing, education, and infrastructure.
• Partner with our ranchers, farmers, and growers on the many unique issues they face in continuing their families generations of production.
• Streamline and modernize leases and permits so that small business, tribal governments, and local governments can more easily work with the Land Office to create jobs and community value.

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Education

As a legislator, I fought to make New Mexico the first state to guarantee the right to early childhood education, funded in part by the Land Grant Permanent Fund. As Land Commissioner, I’ll protect and grow the revenue that makes this possible.

• 95% of all money raised by the Land Office goes to education. I’ll make sure our public schools get every dollar they’re owed by protecting trust lands from corporate giveaways and wasteful deals.
• I’ll prioritize transparency and smart long-term planning so that our trust lands continue to support students and educators, not just in the short-term, but for generations to come.
• I’ll continue to work with lawmakers to responsibly manage and expand the Permanent Fund, which supports early childhood programs, higher education, special education, and more.
• Establish an Education Liaison at the State Land Office to ensure school beneficiaries receive necessary support, research ways to grow revenue, and explore ways to expand support of public education.

Our children’s futures are too important to leave in the hands of special interests. We need someone who knows how to manage this land, and who’s willing to fight for what’s right.

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Energy, Environment, and Water

Our public lands are central to the fight against climate change and the fight for a sustainable economy. I’ve spent my career protecting our air, water, and natural landscapes, from the legal arena, the public sector, the non-profit sector, and the legislature. I’m ready to continue that work at the Land Office.

I’ll focus on:

• Transitioning more trust land toward renewable energy, including solar, wind, and geothermal, while maintaining strong safeguards to prevent environmental damage.
• Preserving open space, wildlife corridors, and cultural resources through thoughtful planning and Tribal collaboration.
• Supporting the methane rule and other accountability measures to reduce emissions, increase royalties, and protect our communities.
• Protecting our water supply by ensuring that land use decisions prioritize sustainability and hold industry accountable for contamination and waste.

The Trump administration and corporate lobbyists have made it clear: they want to extract what they can and leave the rest behind or sell to the lowest bidder. I’ll fight to make sure that doesn’t happen in New Mexico.

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Healthcare and Housing

The Land Office may not run hospitals or clinics, but it plays a vital role in funding them. And it can do even more to support our broader well-being through smart, people-first land use.

I’ll work to:

• Expand the use of trust lands for affordable housing and essential services in communities where the need is greatest.
• Ensure healthcare institutions that rely on Land Office funds continue to receive stable growing revenue.
• Invest in solutions that serve our most vulnerable, including mental health and substance abuse recovery programs supported through Permanent Fund earnings.

By protecting the land, we protect the resources that make our communities healthier and more secure. 

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Ethics and Transparency

Managing  million's of acres of public trust land comes with enormous responsibility. The public deserves to know that the decisions made at the Land Office are honest, fair, and made in the public interest, not behind closed doors.

As your State Representative, I:

• Supported the creation of the independent Ethics Commission to investigate allegations of misconduct and corruption, holding all elected officials accountable to the public.
• Received the Dixon Award from the Foundation for Open Government for increasing transparency in legislative funding.

As Land Commissioner, I’ll bring that same commitment to ethics and accountability by:

• Ensuring that lease, sale, and permit decisions are fully transparent and publicly accessible.
• Requiring clear Tribal consultation protocols when land use decisions impact cultural, sacred, or sovereign interests.
• Publishing annual reports that clearly show where our land revenue is going, and who's benefiting.

New Mexicans deserve leadership they can trust. I’m ready to deliver.