Democratic NM land commissioner candidates differ on oil and gas donations, data centers

While Democratic candidates vying in the New Mexico commissioner of public lands primary largely agreed with each other at a forum Tuesday evening in Santa Fe, notable differences about the candidates’ views on fundraising and data centers emerged toward the end of the hour-long discussion.

The June 2 election pits Rep. Matthew McQueen (D-Galisteo), Jonas Moya and Juan de Jesus Sanchez III against each other. One of them will face Republican Michael Perry in the November general election.

The League of Women Voters of Santa Fe County hosted the forum at The Food Depot.

LWF Santa Fe President Hannah Burling acted as moderator, and asked candidates whether they would accept campaign donations from the oil and gas industry, which provides most of roughly $2 billion in revenue annually to the State Land Office.

Sanchez, an outdoorsman and former political director for U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), noted that he had not received any funding from the industry, and that he had not solicited any, either. But he said he would not “close the door completely” on doing so, especially in the general election, should he win the primary.

“After the primary, we’re going to be going up against some big, big dollars,” he said. “They’re going to be coming in.”

McQueen, a lawyer who has served in the Legislature for the last 12 years, ruled out accepting any oil and gas donations.

“I will close that door. I do not and will not take oil and gas money regardless,” he said. “The State Land Office is a de facto regulator of the oil and gas industry. The oil and gas industry uses its campaign donations to influence policy. I will not take the money.”

Moya, a Tucumcari rancher who was state director for the Farm Service Agency under President Joe Biden, noted that he was lagging behind his competitors in terms of fundraising, so he suggested he would accept the donations “in the interest of keeping a diverse ticket.”

“It’s a statewide race, and I’m getting my tail handed to me when it comes to donations,” he said. 

According to the latest Secretary of State campaign filings, Moya received roughly $33,000 campaign donations between October and April. McQueen has raised roughly $220,000, and Sanchez has raised roughly $167,000. 

Burling’s next question related to outgoingCommissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard’s decision to reject an application by a Texas energy company to build a 0.63-mile segment of a 17-mile pipeline on state trust land to fuel the Project Jupiter data center in Southern New Mexico.

Garcia Richard, in a statement, said approving the application “would not be in the best interest of the state’s trust.”

Asked whether he agreed with Garcia Richard, Sanchez said he was unsure if he fully supports the decision, noting that the rejection will likely mean the company will seek approval from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management for the pipeline. That will put the decision before BLM nominee Steve Pearce and President Donald Trump, he noted. 

NM Primary 2026: New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands

“This is more than a yes or no question,” he said, saying data center companies need to reach community benefit and labor agreements, along with closed-loop water systems, before their projects should proceed. “We need to be ready and not be caught on our heels.”

Moya and McQueen both said they supported Garcia Richard’s decision. As for data center projects on state trust land going forward, Moya said he would evaluate proposals on a “case by case” basis. 

McQueen said the state needs firmer guardrails to ensure data centers employ local, union labor, don’t burden the electrical grid and use renewable energy. 

Without standardized, statewide regulations, he said, “These decisions are being made at the local level, and so the data center companies are playing off different communities against each other trying to get the best deal.”

Apart from their different takes on data centers and campaign finance, the Democrats repeatedly noted how similar their views are regarding the future of the State Land Office and shared similar praise for Garcia Richard. They said the primary election largely comes down to each candidate’s experience and background.

“It’s gonna sound like there’s an echo in here, but …we all think pretty much the same,” Moya said in response to a question about what he would do differently from Garcia Richard. “We are very much aligned, and Stephanie has done a great job of being the land commissioner and setting the bar high, and that’s what I want to continue to do.”