It's 11 months until voters weigh in. Are the primaries for governor set?

Next June, New Mexico voters will head to the polls to determine which candidates for major parties will get their name on the general election ballot.

Since it's still nearly a year until the primary, let alone the general election, why am I looking at the race for governor?

It takes time to raise money and organize for a statewide seat, especially for governor. You can do some planning and unofficial campaigning, but the big work can't happen until you officially file.

That's why candidates file to run so early.

For the 2018 campaign cycle, Michelle Lujan Grisham announced she would run for governor in December of 2016, nearly two years in advance of the general election.

She was the earliest, but others also filed early.

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In fact, let’s look at the dates each of the primary candidates announced their candidacies for the 2018 general election for governor (the last time it was an open race).

Michelle Lujan Grisham (D): Dec. 12, 2016

Steve Pearce (R): July 10, 2017

Jeff Apodaca (D): May 2, 2017

Joseph Cervantes (D): July 5, 2017

Another Democrat, Peter DeBenedittis, ran for governor but failed to make the primary ballot after announcing his candidacy on May 15, 2017. 

For good measure, 2022:

Mark Ronchetti (R): Oct. 27, 2021

Rebecca Dow (R): July 7, 2021

Greg Zanetti (R): June 14, 2021

Jay Block (R): April 17, 2021

Ethel Maharg (R): Unknown

Ronchetti is the outlier, the only candidate in the last two cycles who launched his campaign after July of the year ahead of the primary. He had the advantage of being a local celebrity (he was on KRQE-TV each most nights a week as the station’s chief meteorologist) and a previous candidate (he ran for U.S. Senate unsuccessfully in 2016).

He also had the advantage of no other big name announcing their candidacy before him.

That echoes this year, keeping the door open for rumored potential candidates like former Gov. Susana Martinez, former state Chief Justice Judith Nakamura, former Lt. Gov. John Sanchez and others—but the longer they wait, the tougher it is to build things up.

A brief history of New Mexico's recent governors

This year is an open race, since Lujan Grisham is prohibited from running for a third consecutive term.

In 2018, Lujan Grisham beat Republican Steve Pearce 57.2 percent to 42.8 percent. In 2022, Lujan Grisham beat Republican Mark Ronchetti 52 percent to 45.6 percent.

This came after Martinez won two elections easily in 2010 and 2014. Ahead of her was two terms of Democrat Bill Richardson and preceding him, two terms of then-Republican Gary Johnson.

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No party has held the governor’s mansion for three terms since Democrats held the position for four consecutive terms in the 1970s and 1980s: 

• Bruce King: 1971-1975
• Jerry Apodaca: 1975-1979
• Bruce King: 1979-1983
• Toney Anaya: 1983-1987

At the time, statewide officials could not serve consecutive terms.

Who is running this year?

That said, here’s who wants to replace Lujan Grisham (listed alphabetically by last name).

Democrats

Sam Bregman

Sam Bregman is a promnent Albuquerque attorney, former Democratic Party of New Mexico chairman and currently a District Attorney.

Bregman became the District Attorney in the 2nd Judicial District (aka the Bernalillo County District Attorney) in 2023, when he was appointed to replace Raúl Torrez after Torrez became state Attorney General.

Bregman ran for a full term as District Attorney in 2024, defeating Damon Martinez in the Democratic primary. Bregman was unopposed in the general election.

Fun fact: Bregman’s son is MLB star Alex Bregman, a two-time World Series champion and three-time All Star. 

As of the last campaign finance report, Bregman reported $632,557.89 in campaign contributions.

Deb Haaland

Deb Haaland replaced Sam Bregman as Democratic Party of New Mexico chair in 2015 after he didn’t seek another term. Haaland was the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor in 2014, when Susana Martinez defeated Gary King.

She then won the election to U.S. House in the state’s 1st Congressional District in 2018. After winning reelection in 2020, she left the seat when she became Secretary of the Interior under President Joe Biden. 

Haaland was the first Indigenous cabinet secretary in the country’s history.

As of the last campaign finance report, Haaland reported $2,890,540.51 in campaign contributions.

Ken Miyagishima

Ken Miyagishima was the longest-serving mayor in Las Cruces history. 

Miyagishima served as mayor from 2007 until 2023, when he opted not to run for a fifth term. He served as a Las Cruces City Councilor before this, becoming the first New Mexican of Japanese descent to win elected office in 1992.

Miyagishima filed to run after the last campaign finance deadline, so he has not reported any campaign contributions as of yet.

Republicans

Brian Gregory Cillessen

Brian Cillessen filed to run for office in May. Cillessen, who is from Farmington, told Santa Fe New Mexican columnist Milan Simonich that he filed his paperwork too soon and hasn’t decided if he will go through with a run.

Cillessen is a retired Marine who received a Silver Star for actions while in Afghanistan. After this, he starred in the outdoor adventure TV show “Beyond Rubicon.”

He filed to run after the last campaign finance deadline, so he has not reported any campaign contributions as of yet.

Gregg Hull

Gregg Hull is a businessman and mayor of Rio Rancho. 

Hull first won election to mayor in 2014, and has since won reelection twice, becoming the longest-serving mayor in Rio Rancho’s history. Hull was the first Republican candidate to file to run for governor.

As of the last campaign finance report, Hull reported raising $209,144 in campaign finance contributions.

Belinda Robertson

Belinda Robertson filed to run. She is a NPC bikini wellness, sports model according to her Instagram and Facebook pages. She has no apparent political experience.

Duke Rodriguez

Duke Rodriguez is a top cannabis producer and former cabinet secretary under Gov. Gary Johnson.

Johnson, a former two-term Republican governor, has since left the Republican Party to become a Libertarian. Rodriguez served as Human Services Secretary under Johnson, 

Rodriguez has most recently gained attention as CEO of Ultra Health, the state’s largest cannabis company.

He filed to run after the last campaign finance deadline, so he has not reported any campaign contributions as of yet.

Other

Gene Pettit

Gene Pettit is a nondenominational pastor in Radium Springs.

Pettit has never sought elected office before and is seeking office as a nonpartisan candidate.

No candidate outside of Democrats or Republicans have won a statewide office in New Mexico in recent history, if ever.

Pettit filed to run after the last campaign finance deadline, so he has not reported any campaign contributions as of yet.