Candidates for the 2026 New Mexico Land Commissioner’s race are expected to participate in a public forum in Las Cruces on Nov. 19.
The nonpartisan forum is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Las Cruces Centennial High School auditorium located at 1950 Sonoma Ranch Blvd. It is organized by Audubon Society, Friends of the Organ Mountains – Desert Peaks, the Mesilla Valley Fly Fishers and Trout Unlimited Gila/Rio Grande Chapter.
Democrats Matthew McQueen, Jonas Moya and Juan Sanchez, as well as Republican Michael Perry are scheduled to appear.
McQueen is an attorney and has represented Sandoval and Santa Fe counties in New Mexico’s House of Representatives for six terms.
Moya is a fourth-generation rancher, according to his campaign website, with roots in Tucumcari who served as Biden’s appointed state director for the Farm Service Agency.
Sanchez hails from Valencia and Socorro counties and is generational farmer who has worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and New Mexico’s Acequia Commission.
Perry, the only Republican candidate, has experience as a warden with New Mexico’s Dept. of Game and Fish and has worked with the New Mexico State Land office.
“Among the topics that will be addressed are habitat health, land swaps, multiuse opportunities, and public access to state trust lands,” a news release stated.
The forum is free and open to the public and will be followed by a meet and greet with the candidates.
The 2026 election primary is scheduled for June 2, 2026. Current Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard, the first woman to hold the office, is seeking the office of Lieutenant governor of New Mexico.