Land Commissioner Election: 9 Million Acres Change Hands

Juan de Jesus Sanchez secured the New Mexico land commissioner seat on Tuesday, locking in a four-year Democratic tenure for the agency that controls the state's most valuable natural resources. Unofficial results posted by the Secretary of State’s Office around 9 p.m. placed Sanchez at 59% against Republican challenger Michael Perry of Roswell, who finished with 41%.

Sanchez, 34, replaces Stephanie Garcia Richard, who left office after serving eight years. He intends to maintain key policies from his predecessor's administration, including the ban on uranium mining on state trust land. He also plans to keep protections in place for the area surrounding Chaco Canyon, preventing oil and gas drilling near the pre-Columbian Indigenous ruins in northwestern New Mexico.

The State Land Office manages 9 million surface acres and 13 million mineral acres. These lands are leased for extraction, recreation, and grazing. In fiscal year 2025, the office generated nearly $2.6 billion in rent and royalties for public institutions, with the majority of that revenue coming from oil and gas operations. The commissioner also holds a seat on the State Investment Council, which manages the office's financial assets.

While Sanchez aims for policy continuity, he diverges from Garcia Richard on one major project. He said he will consider allowing a natural gas pipeline to cross 0.6 miles of state trust land. The line would supply the Project Jupiter data center in Doña Ana County. A poll released in August gave Sanchez a 13-point lead, though Perry campaigned on the argument that the former political director was too young and inexperienced for the role.

Sanchez served as political director for U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich for five years and raised on ranchland in Valencia and Socorro counties. He is a 13th-generation New Mexican who graduated from Belen High School and New Mexico Highlands University. Perry, the last Republican to hold the office before the current administration, was Aubrey Dunn Jr., who served from 2015 to 2018.

Both candidates emphasized their connection to the outdoors during the campaign, appearing in portraits wearing cowboy hats. After the results came in, Perry sent a text message expressing pride in his campaign's effort. He noted he was not at a watch party but at dinner with family, planning to go home and light a fire.