With Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham term-limited, New Mexico voters will choose between two candidates to succeed her. Republican Gregg Hull, who served as mayor of Rio Rancho for 12 years, says that record has prepared him to run the state. He made the case in an interview with KUNM, ahead of Election Day on November 3.
Water was the first issue Hull raised. He pointed to this year's dry Rio Grande, saying many communities were "woefully unprepared." Some had to declare water emergencies, he said, and in others wells ran dry. Hull wants to use the state's strong revenues to invest in a sustainable water future, arguing that New Mexico has had plans and ideas but has not carried them out. He noted that Rio Rancho was the first city in the state to bring aquifer recharge online, a process in which reused water is cleaned to drinking quality and banked back into the aquifer.
Asked how he would balance oil and gas revenues with the state's climate and environmental goals, Hull said the two can coexist. He argued the industry should be held accountable for following regulations while the state protects the revenues and royalties it receives, which he said primarily fund education.
On wildfire, Hull said he favors prevention. He called for a stronger approach with federal and state governments to thin forests and allow some grazing, so that fires burn less hot and do less damage to watersheds. He said work should be focused on areas closest to homes and communities, citing the fire that burned much of a community in Los Alamos several years ago. Drawing on his time as mayor, he said residents want supplies and resources delivered quickly during an emergency so life can return to normal.
On relations with the Trump administration, Hull said he would push for the maximum benefit for New Mexico, noting the state's large amount of federal land and the Pueblos' ties to Washington. He added that if he wins, the current administration would have only two years left in office, so he would also need to work with the next one. He said he is committed to working with any federal administration to meet the state's needs.
Hull said the biggest difference between him and Haaland is experience. He acknowledged she has federal government experience, but said his own comes from working with mayors across the state on crime, infrastructure, road repaving, fire and police departments, and 911 call centers. He also cited work with state agencies, legislators and the federal delegation. In his words, the federal government is "a lot easier to navigate from the inside than it is from the outside," and he said he has succeeded from the outside on several occasions.
Hull said mayors from both parties around the state have endorsed him because they have seen how he works with communities, large and small. Early voting ends on Saturday, and Election Day is November 3.
