Gregg Hull

Education: Despite significant increases in education spending, New Mexico continues to struggle with student achievement. What specifically would you change about the way the state approaches public education, and how would you determine whether those changes are working?

New Mexico doesn’t have a spending problem in its classrooms. It has a results problem. We have put billions more into education, and too many of our kids still can’t read or do math at grade level. Money without accountability has not worked.

As governor, I’ll focus on three things. First, reading. Every child should read at grade level by the end of third grade. I’ll make sure our schools use proven, phonics-based instruction and help struggling readers early, before they fall behind. Second, dollars that reach the classroom. More of every education dollar should go to teachers and students, not administrative overhead, and parents should be able to see where that money goes. Third, choices for families. Parents know their kids best, and they deserve real options when a school isn’t working for their child.

How will we know it’s working? We’ll measure what matters and publish it. Every school and district should report clear, comparable results each year on reading and math proficiency, attendance, and graduation, and any parent should be able to find them easily. When a school improves, we learn from it. When a school falls behind, we step in with support and expect a plan to turn it around.

As mayor of Rio Rancho, I learned that results come from setting clear goals and holding people accountable for meeting them. Our children deserve that same standard from Santa Fe.

Crime, drugs and behavioral health: New Mexico continues to struggle with violent crime, fentanyl and substance abuse, while many communities lack adequate behavioral health services. What would your administration do differently to address these problems, and where do you see the appropriate balance between law enforcement, incarceration, prevention and treatment?

Public safety is the first job of government, and too many New Mexicans don’t feel safe. As mayor of Rio Rancho, I doubled our police budget, because people won’t build lives and businesses in a community where they don’t feel secure. I’m proud to have the endorsement of the New Mexico Fraternal Order of Police, and I’ll bring that same commitment to the whole state.

My approach starts with accountability. Repeat violent offenders should not be back on our streets within days of an arrest. I’ll push for pretrial detention of the most dangerous defendants, fully staffed police departments, and tough penalties for the fentanyl traffickers who are killing our neighbors.

Enforcement alone won’t solve this, though. Many of the people our officers encounter are struggling with addiction or mental illness, and too many communities have nowhere to send them. I’ll work to expand behavioral health and treatment capacity across the state, especially in rural areas. A person in crisis should be able to get help before they end up in jail or the emergency room.

The balance I believe in is simple. Violent and repeat offenders face real consequences. People with addiction or mental illness get real treatment, and the system is held accountable for delivering it. Prevention, treatment, and enforcement work together, and right now New Mexico is falling short on all three.

Families in every corner of this state deserve to feel safe again. I’ll deliver that.

Economy and affordability: New Mexico has benefited from strong oil and gas revenues but remains economically dependent on that industry and federal spending, while many residents struggle with the cost of housing, food and other necessities. What would you do as governor to make New Mexico more affordable while building a broader and more sustainable economy?

Oil and gas built much of New Mexico’s prosperity, and I’ll stand with the workers in that industry. But we can’t tie our future to the price of a barrel. When oil prices fall, our budget falls with them, and families feel it.

Affordability starts with letting New Mexicans keep more of what they earn. I’ve put forward a plan to phase out the state personal income tax, starting with the first dollars working families earn. It is paid for only with recurring revenue that passes strict fiscal tests, and it never touches our reserves or the permanent fund. Four years is our goal, and every step has to prove it’s affordable before it happens.

We also need to lower the cost of living. That means building more housing by cutting red tape that slows it down, protecting ratepayers from rising utility costs, and making it easier for small businesses to grow here.

A broader economy means competing for the jobs we lose to Texas and Arizona today, in advanced manufacturing, aerospace, and every kind of energy. As mayor of Rio Rancho, I helped grow our city from about 93,000 residents to nearly 113,000. The sales tax rate was the same when I left office as when I came in. We recruited employers like Castelion and its 300 high-paying jobs, and we championed the Atrisco Solar Project, which now helps fund our public schools.

I’ve done this as a mayor. I’m ready to do it for New Mexico.

Water and development: Water scarcity is a long-term challenge for New Mexico at the same time the state is pursuing economic development, including agriculture, energy production, manufacturing and large projects such as data centers. What policies would you pursue to protect New Mexico’s water supply while allowing communities to pursue economic growth?

Water is New Mexico’s most precious resource, and every decision about growth has to start with it. Farmers, ranchers, families, and businesses all depend on the same limited supply. The next governor has to protect it for the next generation, not just the next election.

I’ll start by investing in the infrastructure we already know we need. That means fixing aging systems that lose water before it reaches a tap, expanding water reuse and treatment, and mapping our aquifers so decisions rest on real data. I’ll also stand up for our agricultural communities and their water rights, which are part of who we are as a state.

For new development, including large projects like data centers, I don’t support a statewide moratorium, and I don’t support a blank check either. Every project should be judged on its own merits. Does the community have the water and infrastructure capacity to support it? Does it come with real accountability for water use and energy impact? Do local residents have a genuine voice in the process? Projects that recycle water, use less of it, or bring their own supply should be welcome. Projects that would put a community’s water at risk should not move forward.

Growth and conservation are not opposites. In Rio Rancho, we grew while planning carefully for what our community could support. As governor, I’ll make sure every community can pursue opportunity without gambling with its water future.

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.