Conference returns to elevate the discourse national topics

For more than a decade, New Mexico State University was host to the one of the Southwest’s most prestigious and impactful public policy conversations each fall. The Pete V. Domenici Public Policy Conference grew out of the university’s strong connection to New Mexico’s longest-serving U.S. Senator – exemplified by the establishment of our Domenici Institute for Public Policy and our Library’s status as host to the late Senator’s official congressional archive.

It’s been a few years since the university put on this conference, which drew some of the most recognizable names in government and politics, from U.S. cabinet secretaries to White House staffers and quite a few of the Senator’s former Congressional colleagues.

There were myriad reasons that NMSU chose to sunset the conference after 2018, not the least of which was the global pandemic. But the university’s role as a public institution means that it must remain committed to expanding access to ideas, expertise and dialogue – and under the leadership of President Valerio Ferme, we’re bringing the Domenici Conference back to do just that.

As the first director of the Domenici Institute at NMSU, first in my role as dean of the College of Business, and later as chancellor of the NMSU system, I was involved in the conference from its inception in 2008, following Domenici’s retirement from the Senate. To honor the legacy of my longtime friend, I’ve been pressed into service again to chair an advisory and planning committee that included faculty, staff, and a number of NMSU retirees who were involved in past conferences.

Conference topics over the years focused on issues important to the late Senator during his time in office, including energy, national security, behavioral health, and others. This year’s conference, which will take place Sept. 8 and 9 at the Las Cruces Convention Center, will feature speakers examining the future of democracy, artificial intelligence, national security, energy geopolitics and the 2026 elections.

We’ll open the conference with a dinner and keynote talk from University of Texas-El Paso President Heather A. Wilson, and hear from another keynote speaker, U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján, Jr. during lunch on the conference’s full day of talks Sept. 9.

One of the highlights of previous conferences, our panel of Domenici Scholars, will again lead question-and-answer sessions with each speaker. These students, who this year come from across the NMSU system, are currently conducting research on each speaker and preparing a handful of thoughtful questions for each, ready to engage in further discussion on the topics presented by each speaker.

Our past speakers have frequently told us that the opportunity to engage with these inquisitive scholars is the best part of presenting at the Domenici Conference, and it’s certainly one of my favorite ways that we connect students at all levels with these issues that will shape their futures.

The conference also presents a unique opportunity to engage with candidates for state and federal offices in New Mexico. Our afternoon sessions Sept. 9 will feature candidates in the gubernatorial and congressional general election races in New Mexico, concluding with a national perspective on the 2026 midterm election from pundits Paul Begala and Charlie Black.

This year’s topics couldn’t be more timely or relevant, and our speaker lineup features experts who can give our audience crucial insight into the potential impact these issues may have on our future.

I hope you’ll join us for the launch of what promises to be a new era for the Domenici Public Policy Conference. Online registration is now open at nmsu.edu/domenici. Cost to register is $50. The event is free to university students, but registration is required. For more information, contact the NMSU President’s Office at president@nmsu.edu or 575-646-2035.

Garrey Carruthers is chair of NMSU’s Domenici Public Policy Conference Committee, former chancellor of the NMSU system, and the 27th governor of New Mexico.