David Gallegos

Defining the job: The lieutenant governor has relatively few duties specifically assigned by the state Constitution. Beyond presiding over the Senate and serving in the governor’s absence, what do you believe the lieutenant governor should actually do, and what specific responsibilities would you seek in the administration?

The lieutenant governor's constitutional duties are narrow, but the office has a statewide mandate, and I intend to use all of it. My first priority is to make the office New Mexico's ombudsman: the place any citizen, small business, or local government can turn when a state agency stalls, loses paperwork, or simply stops answering the phone. That means a professional constituent-services team, real case tracking, and follow-through until problems are solved.

Within the administration, I would ask Governor Hull for three specific portfolios. First, rural economic development and small business. We lost too many families and employers to Texas, especially in southeastern New Mexico, and I want to lead the effort to bring them back. Second, energy. I spent three decades in the natural gas industry, and I understand the jobs and revenue the Permian Basin provides to every classroom in this state. I want a seat at the table on energy policy and regulation. Third, education. I served 26 years on the Eunice school board, and I know what local districts need from Santa Fe and what they don't.

I also bring something no outsider can: years of experience inside the Roundhouse, in both the House and the Senate. A lieutenant governor who knows the legislators, the committees, and the budget process is an asset to any governor. I intend to be a working partner, not a ceremonial one.

Independence from the governor: The governor and lieutenant governor run as a team, but they are separately elected officials. On what issues would you be willing to disagree publicly with the governor, and what responsibility does a lieutenant governor have to provide an independent voice within an administration?

Gregg Hull and I share the same goals: a safer, more prosperous New Mexico and an end to one-party rule in Santa Fe. My voice will always be for rural New Mexico. Mayor Hull knows how to run a growing city. I know the oil patch, farm country, and small towns where the nearest state office can be a hundred miles away. If any policy, budget decision, or regulation would treat rural communities as an afterthought, I will say so.

The same goes for energy. The oil and gas industry funds a huge share of our schools, roads, and public services. I will not stay quiet if any proposal, from any source, would put those jobs and that revenue at risk.

I believe a lieutenant governor's first duty inside an administration is honesty. A governor is best served by a partner who tells him what he needs to hear, not just what he wants to hear. I have spent my career representing people who expect plain talk from their elected officials, and they will get it from me.

Loyalty to the governor and loyalty to New Mexicans are not in conflict. When they ever appear to be, New Mexicans come first.

The Legislature: As president of the New Mexico Senate, what role should the lieutenant governor play in moving legislation through a politically divided Legislature, and what issue or legislation would be your highest priority when working with lawmakers?

The president of the Senate has a gavel, a tie-breaking vote, and, most importantly, relationships. I have served alongside many of these senators for years, and last session I was the chair of the Republican caucus. I know who to call, how committees really work, and where compromise is possible. That makes me uniquely able to help a Republican governor work with a Legislature that will very likely remain under Democratic control.

My approach is straightforward. Preside fairly, keep the process open, and respect every senator, regardless of party. Then do the work behind the scenes: bring both sides together early, find common ground before bills reach the floor, and make sure the governor's priorities get a fair hearing. Divided government does not have to mean gridlock. It can mean better, more durable laws, if someone is willing to build the bridges.

My highest priority with lawmakers will be making New Mexico competitive again so families and employers stay here. Too many of our neighbors have moved across the state line for better jobs, lower costs, and fewer obstacles. I want to see legislation that eases the regulatory and permitting burdens on small businesses, gives employers a reason to locate here rather than in Texas or Arizona, and protects the energy industry that funds so much of our state budget. Economic opportunity is not a partisan issue. Every senator has constituents who want a good job close to home, and that is where I will start every conversation.

Serving communities outside Santa Fe: Many New Mexicans, particularly in rural communities, say state government can seem distant or difficult to navigate. How would you use the lieutenant governor’s office to help communities and individuals resolve problems with state government, and what would you do to ensure Southern New Mexico has a meaningful voice in the administration?

I live in Eunice, not Santa Fe, and I know how far away the capital can feel. When a rancher can't get a permit answered, a family is stuck in a benefits backlog, or a small town can't get a straight answer about road funding, they deserve someone who will pick up the phone and fight for them.

I will build the lieutenant governor's office into a true ombudsman operation, with staff whose job is to take cases from citizens and local officials, push them through the right agency, and track them until they are resolved. Agencies will know that when my office calls, we expect results and a timeline.

I will also take the office on the road. That means regular office hours in county seats across the state, from Clayton to Silver City and Jal to Farmington, and a permanent presence in Rural New Mexico so people don't have to drive to Santa Fe to be heard. I will meet with county commissions, sheriffs, school boards, and chambers of commerce where they live and work.

Southern New Mexico produces much of the state's energy wealth, feeds much of its agricultural economy, and guards its border. Yet it too often gets the least attention. As lieutenant governor, I will make sure the south has a voice at the cabinet table every week, not just during campaign season. I will be that voice, because these are my neighbors.

The Bulletin asked each Dona Ana County candidate four questions to allow voters to assess where the candidates stands on important issues heading into the election. The questions vary for each office, but are the same for every candidate running for the same office.