ELECTION 2026
Democrats select Garcia Richard as lieutenant governor candidate
State land commissioner replaces Maggie Toulouse Oliver on the November ballot
Published
Modified
New Mexico Democrats have chosen State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard as their candidate for lieutenant governor in the upcoming election.
The state Democratic Party on Thursday announced Garcia Richard won the State Central Committee election with 255 votes, or 53%, while runner-up state Sen. Harold Pope Jr. of Albuquerque garnered 218 votes. The party said Toni Pinedo and Geoffrey Luehring received three votes and one vote, respectively.
Garcia Richard will join gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland on the Democratic ticket in the November election.
Garcia Richard had dropped out of the lieutenant governor鈥檚 race in October, citing her husband鈥檚 cancer battle. She got another chance when Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver suspended her campaign weeks after beating Pope in the June primary.
A Tucumcari native raised in Silver City, Garcia Richard was the first woman elected as the state鈥檚 commissioner of public lands, winning two terms. Prior to that, she served three terms representing District 43 in the state House after her election in 2012.
Garcia Richard was still catching up on the news Thursday.
鈥淚t's kind of been a bit of a whirlwind process, but you know I'm feeling very exhilarated and hopeful and looking forward to November,鈥� she said.
If elected, Garcia Richard said her experience leading the State Land Office and working in the Legislature will be of great benefit in tackling issues such as affordability and healthcare, the latter hitting close to home.
鈥淚've just been through a whole healthcare experience with my husband who was diagnosed with cancer,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t just opened up my eyes, firsthand, to what New Mexicans are facing in their struggle to access quality healthcare 鈥� for rural and urban New Mexicans.鈥�
Garcia Richard, a former teacher, said education is also top of mind: 鈥淚'm very passionate about ensuring that we are bringing quality education to New Mexico as well in terms of supporting students and teachers in the classroom.鈥�
She said she is feeling confident they can win in November and looked forward to spending the next three months meeting with voters across the state to 鈥渉ear from them what their struggles are, what their challenges are 鈥� because no two places are the same.鈥�
In a statement, Haaland congratulated Garcia Richard.
鈥淭hroughout Stephanie鈥檚 years of public service, she has brought billions of dollars to our public schools, increased renewable energy production, and safeguarded our public lands,鈥� according to the statement. 鈥淭ogether, we will bring decades of combined state and federal experience to win the general election in November.鈥�
Voting of the State Central Committee ran from Saturday to Wednesday, with 97% of the 500 eligible State Central Committee members casting ballots. In a statement Thursday, the state Democratic Party said members 鈥渃ould not be more excited.鈥�
鈥淲ith valuable experience in the State Land Office, State Legislature, and the classroom, Stephanie Garcia Richard will bring a highly capable and qualified voice to the Roundhouse alongside our next governor, Deb Haaland,鈥� according to the statement.
State GOP Interim Chair Mike Nelson said with the selection of Garcia Richard, 鈥淚 am even more confident in our ability to flip New Mexico red in 96 days.鈥�
鈥淯nlike any of the Democratic candidates on the ballot, Gregg Hull and David Gallegos are ready to change the direction of our state on day one,鈥� according to Nelson鈥檚 statement, adding that the candidates brought 鈥渕ore experience than any other Republican ticket in years.鈥�
Nelson also called the Democratic selection process 鈥渁 complete sham鈥� that ignored the tens of thousands of votes cast for Pope in the primary.
Pope said Thursday he was disappointed in the outcome but was looking ahead to the upcoming legislative session and working with Haaland and Garcia Richard to tackle issues like data centers, housing and water conservation.
鈥淲e are Democrats, we want the same thing,鈥� he said. 鈥�... I鈥檓 not going anywhere.鈥�
Pope said the party needs to tailor priorities to overlooked municipalities like Santa Rosa and Clayton, not just Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
More than anything, Pope said he is focused on keeping New Mexico blue.
鈥淲e have to ensure that we don't have a Republican governor in our state with what's going on in Washington, that鈥檚 going to be my goal,鈥� he said.
