Sanchez wins land commissioner race, keeps State Land Office under Democratic control

Juan de Jesus Sanchez will lead the New Mexico State Land Office for the next four years. Unofficial results from the Secretary of State’s Office, posted around 9 p.m. on Tuesday, showed Sanchez holding a 59-41 lead over Republican Michael Perry of Roswell. This victory maintains Democratic control of the office after Stephanie Garcia Richard, a Democrat, left the position after serving two terms.

The State Land Office manages 9 million surface acres and 13 million mineral acres. The agency leases this land for extraction, recreation, and grazing. In the 2025 fiscal year, these leases generated nearly $2.6 billion in rent and royalties for schools and other public institutions. The majority of that revenue came from oil and gas operations. The land commissioner also serves on the State Investment Council, which manages the office’s financial assets.

Sanchez, 34, served as political director for U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich for five years. He stated in interviews that he intends to continue many of Garcia Richard’s policies. These include banning uranium mining on state trust land and restricting oil and gas drilling near Chaco Canyon in northwestern New Mexico. Chaco Canyon contains pre-Columbian Indigenous ruins. However, Sanchez broke with his predecessor on one issue. He said he would consider allowing a natural gas pipeline to cross 0.6 miles of state trust land to supply the Project Jupiter data center in Doña Ana County.

Perry, a resident of Roswell, argued during the campaign that Sanchez was too young and inexperienced for the role. A poll released in August by the Albuquerque Journal showed Sanchez leading by 13 points. Both candidates promoted their connection to the outdoors in campaign materials, appearing in portraits wearing cowboy hats. Sanchez is a 13th-generation New Mexican who grew up on ranchland in Valencia and Socorro counties. He graduated from Belen High School and New Mexico Highlands University.

Aubrey Dunn Jr. was the last Republican to hold the office, serving from 2015 to 2018. Following the election, Perry sent a text message expressing pride in his campaign’s effort. He said he spent the night at dinner with family before going home to light a fire. Sanchez has the endorsement of Sen. Heinrich, who praised his long tenure as a political director.

The next step involves Sanchez officially assuming the duties of the land commissioner. He will work with the State Investment Council to direct revenue from the 9 million surface acres under the office’s management.