NEWS
Search begins to fill open seat on New Mexico Public Regulation Commission
Governor can reappoint Gabriel Aguilera or pick a candidate from any political party for the open seat
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham can select a member of any party to replace state Public Regulation Commissioner Gabriel Aguilera.
The governor can even reappoint Aguilera himself, a Democrat who announced at a New Mexico Public Regulation Commission meeting last week that he would reapply for the position. Lujan Grisham selected Aguilera in 2023 鈥� the year the commission transitioned from an elected to an appointed body.
Aguilera鈥檚 four-year term expires at the end of this year, and so the PRC鈥檚 nominating process has been set in motion for the first time in two years.
A nominating committee tasked with reviewing the candidates convened in an open meeting at the state Capitol on Tuesday. Members of this committee are appointed by the governor, members of her Cabinet, as well as lawmakers in the House and Senate.
The committee鈥檚 members 鈥� Michael Barrio, Cydney Beadles, Zach Cook, Kenneth Costello, Ronald Lovato, Catherine Nicolaou and Rikki Seguin 鈥� said they hope to submit a list of nominees to the governor by December.
After changing the language surrounding political affiliation, members of the nominating committee decided to publish the application for a new PRC commissioner on job sites and publications across the state.
The commission will accept applications and winnow those candidates down to a shorter list of people who can answer questionnaires. Afterward, interviews will begin. The nominating committee will hold open meetings each month.
鈥淭he Committee operates openly, and public participation is welcomed throughout the recruitment process,鈥� the commission said in a statement.
State law prohibits more than two members of the same political party from serving on the commission at the same time. Aside from Aguilera, a Democrat and a Republican sit on the commission. Thus, Lujan Grisham can appoint a member from any political party.
A spokesperson for the governor has not answered emails asking if Lujan Grisham 鈥� a Democrat 鈥� has a political party preference for her PRC nominee.
The six-year term for Commissioner Greg Nibert, a Republican appointed in 2025, expires at the end of 2030. Commission Chair Patrick O鈥機onnell is a Democrat whose six-year term expires at the end of 2028.
In 2023, the commission became a three-member body with gubernatorial appointees. Previously, five commissioners were elected by voters.
To qualify, a candidate must have a bachelor鈥檚 degree and at least 10 years of professional experience in a field regulated by the commission or have attained a professional license or postgraduate degree in such fields.
A candidate 鈥渕ust be independent of the industries regulated by the Commission and possess demonstrated competence,鈥� according to state law. Annual pay is $190,000.
Justin Horwath covers tech and energy for the Journal. You can reach him at jhorwath@abqjournal.com.
