Justin Horwath
The election for the state land commissioner is more important than the governor’s race. In fact, the race not only has the power to transform the character of New Mexico, but possibly that of the entire West—if any of the candidates are able to reshape the office’s focus toward renewable energy. It’s the most important statewide election you’ve never heard of.
That's according to candidates and organizers of a forum in Eldorado on the evening of Monday May 7, where two of three opponents vying for the four-year term as land commissioner made the case to a crowd of faithful Democrats to vote for them in the June 5 primary elections to take on Pat Lyons, the sole Republican, in November. Michael Lucero, a libertarian rancher, is also in the fall contest.
“This position is every bit as important as the governor’s [office],” said Rainy Upton, an Eldorado Democratic Party ward chair told the crowd inside the Performance Space at La Tienda in Eldorado.
There's a crowded Democratic field to succeed current Republican Land Commissioner and US Senate hopeful Aubrey Dunn in the post. Stephanie Garcia Richard, a teacher from Los Alamos who is one of the area's state representatives; Garrett VeneKlasen, a Santa Fe businessman and outdoorsman; and George Munoz, a Gallup state senator and developer are each competing for party votes on June 5.
Munoz did not attend Monday evening because of scheduling conflicts with his family. But he did answer SFR's questions in an interview Tuesday that showed all three Democratic candidates are seeking to wean the Land Office off its reliance on oil and gas revenue. The Democrats also say they'll eye getting more money from oil and gas interests using state trust land.
Such a transformation is a tall order; more than 90 percent of the office's $663 million in revenue in the last fiscal year came from oil and gas interests, according to its latest annual report. Meanwhile, under 1 percent of its revenue came from renewable energy resources. (The office's revenue gets redirected toward beneficiaries that mostly consist of public schools, which received $71.4 million in the last budget year).
Born and raised in Santa Fe, VeneKlasen pitches himself as a conservationist who will work to protect millions of subsurface acres of of state trust land overseen by the office. The former Southwest director of Trout Unlimited, a nationwide organization that seeks to protect trout fishing waters, VeneKlasen is now the executive director of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation.
VeneKlasen says he can use his conservation background to transform the state agency from a 19t-century office to a 21st-century office focused on renewable energy, conservation and recreation opportunities on state trust land. He says such new revenue streams would help pay for ambitious additions to the office, including staffers to work on sustainability, and Native American outreach and education. While the land office generates anywhere from $500 to $800 million annually, VeneKlasen says it can generate much more under his leadership.
“I think it can generate a billion per year,” VeneKlasen says.
Garcia Richard, of White Rock, touts the fact that she’s running with the endorsement of Ray Powell, a former Democratic land commissioner. She also says that she’ll be able to bring together state agencies and others to create education, eco-tourism and outreach activities. As a teacher, Garcia Richard says she recognizes the importance of getting money to the public school beneficiaries.
Garcia Richard says she has a "history of beating Republicans" in her capture of the legislative seat she's giving up to seek this office, and warns that Lyons, the Republican, is not just a 19th-century land commissioner, but that he has appeal to the general electorate.
Garcia Richard says she wants to use leases with private parties seeking to extract minerals from state trust land to do so in an environmentally responsible way. She says she wants to push back on oil and gas developers and not approve any new leases that involve fresh-water fracking.
“The land office has the leverage of the lease,” she says.
VeneKlasen similarly wants to apply more scrutiny to oil and gas development on state trust land. He says he wants to create a mobile phone application that would allow users to see where oil and gas projects are operating on state trust land.
“You as the public should know exactly what oil and gas is doing,” says VeneKlasen.
Munoz says his decade on the state legislature motivated him to find ways to get New Mexico off its reliance on oil and gas revenue, which often fluctuates with booms and busts. He says his work as a developer who has negotiated leases with chains such as Blockbuster has taught him that the “lessor has to be the winner in every lease.”
“Number one is we know our children are our most precious resource and there’s nothing better than giving an education to a child,” he says. “ That’s the number one priority to the land office: making sure funding is there, it’s stable, it’s steady, it’s balanced.”
In April campaign finance reports, Garcia Richard reported that she has $30,000 in the bank; VeneKlasen reported $82,500; and Munoz reports nearly $203,000 in the bank, which includes contributions from oil and gas interests. On the Republican side, Lyons has some $71,800 in the bank. Lucero, the Libertarian, has reported no contributions.
Munoz says donors from the oil and gas industry won't sway his decision-making as state land commissioner.
“In the Legislature, I’ve run bills against oil and gas for reclamation funds—it doesn’t matter who gives you money,” Munoz says.
Asked at the forum what their primary differences are, VeneKlasen says his endorsements distinguish him from Garcia Richard.
“Being endorsed by the conservation voters of New Mexico and Sierra Club, I would consider myself more of an environmental activist; not to say that she isn’t environmentally conscientious,” VeneKlasen says.
Asked the same question, Garcia Richard replies, "I would probably say wildlife protection issues." She supported animal killing and trapping bans in the Legislature.
Early voting in the closed primary began today.
