 |
| Sanchez, McQueen & Moya |
Six term Santa Fe county state Rep. Matthew McQueen, 56, is giving up the HD 50 seat he has held since 2015 to make the run. He is a House committee chairman, an attorney and equipped with a resume longer than the train on Lauren Sanchez's wedding gown.
Tucumcari area rancher Jonas Moya, 34, served as executive director of the New Mexico Cattle Growers' Association, is a former Biden-appointed state director for the Farm Service Agency and has an air of confidence about him.
Juan Sanchez, 32, has deep family roots in Socorro and Valencia counties and experience as natural resource specialist and ranger for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. However, he is best known in political circles as a former top political aide to US Sen. Heinrich who has already endorsed him.
If elected, any one of this trio is set to be an aggressive administrator of the State Land Office which oversees some 9 million acres of state trust land benefiting the public schools, universities and hospitals.
RACE OUTLOOK
McQueen came into the race this week with good timing, becoming the solo Anglo candidate against the two Hispanic hopefuls. His background is rock solid with progressives. That record includes the break he made with MLG over hydrogen development, a bane to the enviros.
Sanchez's endorsement by Heinrich is a mixed blessing. It should help with fundraising but Heinrich's flirtation with a possible run for the Dem Guv nomination against Deb Haaland stings with some progressives. Also hovering is Heinrich's unsuccessful endorsement of a Dem primary candidate for land commissioner in 2018. Sanchez is also making note of his service as vice-chairman of the NM Dem party when Haaland was chair.
Moya would seem to come at the office with a slightly more moderate approach than his rivals, given his background as a rancher and former head of the cattle group. If McQueen and Sanchez start splitting votes up maybe he could pass them by. He is not a lightweight.McQueen is the only one of the three with a political base and it's in important Santa Fe. He also has stature among state and national environmental groups for being the real deal and that aforementioned independent streak. He could be positioned to win the pre-primary convention.
Stephanie Garcia Richard has completed two terms as land commissioner and is now running for the Dem nomination for lieutenant governor. Skeptics questioned her credentials for the land office job but she proved capable over her eight year run.
As for the Republicans, none has announced a run yet. With three notable entrants the Dems don't appear likely to loose their grip on the office.
This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.