New Mexico
Republican governor candidate calls for eliminating New Mexico’s gross receipts tax on retail sales – New Mexico Political Report
Duke Rodriguez, a Republican candidate for New Mexico governor wants to eliminate the state’s gross receipts tax on retail sales entirely — and says the state can afford it right now. Rodriguez, a former state cabinet secretary and hospital executive, reiterated the idea during Friday’s Albuquerque Journal Republican gubernatorial debate, arguing the state’s surplus reserves of $3 to $4 billion cover the estimated $1.2 to $1.5 billion cost of elimination.
Rodriguez was careful to draw a distinction: his proposal targets only the state’s portion of the tax, leaving intact the local rates cities and counties levy to fund police, fire and other services. “It’s the state portion of New Mexico gross receipts tax,” Rodriguez said. “I still say cities and counties should have their local control.”
Fellow candidate Gregg Hull called the personal income tax the “lowest-hanging fruit” for reform but cautioned that eliminating the gross receipts tax required protecting municipal revenue streams that fund police and fire departments. Doug Turner, who is also running for the Republican nomination, didn’t put a specific number on the shortfall from GRT elimination, but said “that cost could be as much as two billion or three billion dollars that the state would have to come up with.”
Rodriguez pushed back against the estimate of a $2 billion shortfall, arguing that the actual $1.2 billion to $1.5 billion cost of his targeted tax cut is already covered by the state’s massive revenue windfall. “We have a surplus now that goes directly into our reserves closer to three to four billion,” Rodriguez explained, noting that the state could easily afford the elimination “before even talking about cutting services.” Instead, he argued the state is failing because it puts money “in the wrong places.” His proposed solution is to implement better accountability and demand better results from the money that is already being spent. He’s also initiated lawsuits to undo the universal childcare program, a new spending program he opposes.
Rodriguez’s plan is not without precedent. When the state legislature and Governor Bill Richardson eliminated the sales tax on groceries in 2005, they created a “hold harmless” payment to cities and counties paid from other state funds to make up for the lost sales tax revenue.
Vote in the June 2 Primary
Early voting is open now through May 30.
- Now through May 15 — Early voting and same-day registration available
- May 16–May 30 — Early voting and same-day registration expand to additional locations
- All early voting locations closed Monday, May 25 in observance of Memorial Day
New this year: The June 2 primary is New Mexico’s first under a semi-open system. Voters with no party affiliation may choose a Republican or Democratic ballot at the polls without changing their registration.
Find early voting locations: NMVote.org
Find your county clerk: sos.nm.gov
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Native Vote 2026
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A Laguna Pueblo woman is the front runner to be New Mexico’s next governor.
Shortly after polls closed Tuesday night, Deb Haaland was declared the winner over Bernalillo County district attorney Sam Bregman in the state’s semi-open Democratic Party primary. As of 11:00 p.m., Haaland carried support from 72% of the Democratic primary voters to Bregman’s 28%, according to unofficial results from the New Mexico Secretary of State.
“We’re showing everyone that a better future in New Mexico is possible,” she told supporters gathered in Albuquerque’s historic Old Town Plaza. “New Mexicans want a leader who will stand up for working people, and who is ready to take on Donald Trump. I proudly accept your nomination as a Democratic nominee.”
Haaland spoke for 13 minutes, at times through a scratchy throat that required her to pause for water breaks. “Excuse me, I’ve been talking with voters all day,” she said while grabbing a water bottle before hitting her campaign stump notes on affordability, health care and public safety.
She will face Republican Gregg Hull, a former mayor from suburban Rio Rancho that won his party’s three-way primary with 47% of the vote, according to unofficial results from the New Mexico Secretary of State.
Haaland will be the Democratic Party nominee in a state dominated at every level by Democrats, and is expected to be heavily favored in the general election. With that insight she said her campaign message does translate to Republicans and Independent voters.
“We want our kids to thrive. We want our kids to have a quality, public education. We want every New Mexican to have health care. Everybody wants to feel safe in their neighborhoods, and everybody wants to be able to afford to put a hot meal on their table every night and have a roof over their children’s heads,” she said. “Those issues transcend whatever political spectrum we’re trying to slice and dice people into.”
Shortly after the race was called, Haaland campaign staff, major donors, surrogates, and their families walked from a building on the west side of Albuquerque’s Old Town Plaza to the historic plaza core, where the Haaland campaign had set up a stage and reserved the entire plaza for its victory celebration.
“We are now witnessing history in the making,” New Mexico state Rep. Derrick Lente (Sandia Pueblo) said to supporters immediately after Haaland was declared the winner.
Denise Wilie (Dine) also joined the celebration of Haaland’s victory. Wilie said she worked on get-out-the-vote efforts with the Native American Voters Alliance in McKinley County.
“It just is so exhilarating to even think about, a woman and a Pueblo woman,” she said. “Indigenous all the way, is how I feel. I’m like, yes, let’s get more of our voices.”
Haaland was introduced by her two sisters and walked to the stage escorted by a mariachi band.
Speaking to reporters after the event Haaland reflected on voting for a Pueblo woman (herself) for governor.
“I got emotional, quite frankly, when I went to vote for myself because you do that when you’re a candidate,” she said. “We’ve never had a Native American governor in New Mexico. We’re a multicultural state. I think representation matters, especially in a political era such as this one. So, I’m really proud and honored to carry on the legacy of my ancestors, who worked so incredibly hard to make sure that I had a place here today.”
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When a famly unexpectedly loses a loved one, or has someone go missing, the details of what comes next can be overwhelming.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – When a famly unexpectedly loses a loved one, or has someone go missing, the details of what comes next can be overwhelming.
But they don’t have to do it alone thanks to an organization helping New Mexico families with some of those burdens.
Watch the video above for more.
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