According to Greggory Hull, the Republican candidate for New Mexico governor, this could be the year his party wins the election for the state’s top office. The Daily Record spoke to Republicans at this event and reached out to local Democrats by telephone the same evening who didn’t attend.
Hull and David Gallegos, the Republican seeking the lieutenant governor seat, visited Roswell on Tuesday. They met with residents at The Valley Cafe, which is located in Chaves County, just outside of the city. The smaller room of the restaurant was set aside for the event, but both men also circulated around in the main dining area and spoke with people eating lunch in the main part of the restaurant first.
Plates of appetizers were laid out in the smaller room, and Hull encouraged those who came in to hear him speak to also have some of the offerings.
“The election is only three weeks away,” Hull reminded everyone in the room and those positioned just outside the door. “This is a winnable race.”
His goal, he said, is to motivate local Republicans to vote. A good number of those who came to hear from the candidates said they were ready to vote. Some were also geared up to also encourage others they know — friends, family and people online — to do the same.
Hull pointed out that he could have been at home in Rio Rancho instead of running for governor this year if more voters from Southeast New Mexico had participated in the 2022 General Election, because the margin between Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and Republican Mark Ronchetti wasn’t a wide election result. The New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office reported that the candidates were less than seven points apart, 51.97% vs. 45.59%, with an overall voter participation rate of less than 53%.
The 2026 General Election could have been Ronchetti seeking a second term as governor against a Democrat — if more voters had participated in 2022, he also said.
Hull also talked about some of the things he wants to see happen in state government if elected. His “Four Steps to Zero” plan is meant to eventually end personal income tax for New Mexicans, starting with exempting the first $25,000 of eligible taxable personal income for single filers and $50,000 for married couples filing jointly during the initial year.
On his campaign website and during his appearance here, Hull explained that “classrooms, healthcare and public safety” must all be funded as needed and retain eligible refundable credit and rebate formulas before each of the step plan levels are enacted.
The fourth year would be when personal income tax collection would end under this plan.
As the mayor of Rio Rancho (2014-26), the police and fire departments received substantial budget increases of more than double and nearly double, respectively, according to Hull and his campaign material that describes his tenure leading the city and its city council. Hull also said that during his administration the city improved infrastructure and encouraged economic development for Rio Rancho.
Gallegos is from Eunice and has been the 41st district state senator since 2021. Before that, he served for more than 25 years on the Eunice School District Board.
Both of the candidates would work with the state’s rural communities to deal with their crime and homelessness issues through strategic planning, if elected.
Hull also said that Gallegos’ long school board experience will add solid knowledge about public education to the state government’s executive branch.
Another taxation issue Hull brought up affects many older New Mexicans.
“We shouldn’t be taxing any Social Security,” Hull also said. Ending this type of taxation isn’t “a tax break for the wealthy.”
He said that the media didn’t direct enough attention to his Democratic opponent, Deb Haaland’s acceptance of campaign donations from parties involved with Project Jupiter, the artificial intelligence data center in Dona Ana County that would be developed over 1,400 acres. The amount provided to Haaland’s campaign totaled at least $87,000, as stated in recent news reports.
He also noted the state Democratic Party and some others now refer to him as “Hyperscale Hull,” after he announced that he wouldn’t support a moratorium on data centers that Haaland proposed. He said it was done to curb criticism after Project Jupiter-related campaign contributions went public.
Hull was referring to Haaland not attending the Oct. 8 debate hosted by KOB-4, which ended up as a conversation between him and the members of the television station’s on-air staff. KOB-4 stated that before a date had been set, both candidates had originally agreed to debate. Various dates had been offered by both candidates, but a date that was a good fit for both candidates wasn’t reached. The TV station ultimately chose Oct. 8.
Haaland’s staff responded in an announcement that she had prior campaign commitments in the southern part of the state on that day that had been made months before.
When asked what he thought about the presentation by Hull and Gallegos, Kevin Berry, the chairman of the Republican Party of Chaves County, said, “I thought it was great.”
What Berry singled out was that the candidates focused on “the importance of getting out the vote.”
Steve Wisdom, an attendee from Roswell, had walked out of the smaller room into the main part of the restaurant as some of the other people were leaving. He explained that he moved to Roswell about a year ago, after living in Alaska for about 40 years.
Wisdom said he found Hull’s understanding about spending in this state to be something that makes him feel “very encouraged” about the state government’s possible direction.
The candidate wants to get “things under control,” he noted.
He also said Alaska’s government officials already understand that maintaining a good relationship with the oil industry is important and that Hull also demonstrated that during his speech.
Katelyn Turner-Reis, who chairs the Democratic Party of Chaves County, said she has been more concerned with getting Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters energized and seeing Haaland become the next governor than keeping an eye on what Hull was doing day to day.
And Sarah McArthur, who recently stepped down as the local Democratic Party’s secretary, said Hull’s plan to do away with the state’s personal income tax is counterproductive for long-term planning. Hull pointed to a $2 billion budget surplus and said state residents should be able to personally choose how this money is spent.
“New Mexicans are lucky to have a surplus,” McArthur said. “It’s there to help them when we need it most.”
Haaland has proposed increasing both the New Mexico Child Tax Credit and Work Families Tax Credit instead of a tax repeal or rebate.
