Howie Morales to forego run for governor, but says he's not done with politics
Jun. 8—SANTA FE — After more than 20 years in elected office, Howie Morales is planning to take a break from the political arena.
New Mexico's lieutenant governor said Sunday he would not be running for governor next year, a decision he attributed to a desire to spend more time with his two teenage children.
"I'm at peace not pursuing another statewide race," Morales told the Journal. "Right now, my commitment is to them."
His decision leaves three Democrats in the 2026 gubernatorial contest — former U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman and former Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima.
The race has already seen big fundraising hauls from several candidates, even though there's still roughly a year until next year's primary election. Haaland announced last month she has received nearly $3.7 million in donations, while Bregman said he raked in more than $1 million in the five weeks after announcing his campaign.
The fundraising amounts are both impressive and intimidating, Morales said. He also expressed concern about the role of money in state politics.
As for what might comes next, Morales said he plans to finish out the roughly 18 months left on the term he was elected to in 2022.
He also acknowledged possible interest in the president job at Western New Mexico University, after previous WNMU president Joseph Shepard stepped down in January following an ethics scandal.
Specifically, Morales said he was "watching it closely" as university officials move forward with a presidential search.
A Silver City native and former educator, Morales served as Grant County clerk before being appointed to fill an open state Senate seat in 2008. He ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2014, but won a three-way Democratic primary race to be the party's lieutenant governor nominee in 2018.
Morales, running on a ticket with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, was then elected lieutenant governor that year and reelected four years later.
In the lieutenant governor post, Morales presides over the Senate during legislative sessions and serves as acting governor while Lujan Grisham is traveling outside New Mexico.
Earlier this year, Morales signed more than 30 executive orders freeing up state funding for disaster recovery efforts in the Ruidoso and Roswell areas while Lujan Grisham was on a trade mission in Asia.
Morales, 52, said he's worked well with the governor and described working with rural New Mexico communities as one of his top accomplishments as lieutenant governor.
While Morales ruled out a run for governor next year, he said that doesn't mean he might not run for elected office again in the future.
"I'm not in any way saying I'm retiring from politics," he said in the Sunday interview, citing his relatively young age and political connections.
Meanwhile, Morales is not the only high-profile Democrat to decide against a 2026 gubernatorial campaign after considering such a run. U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich did likewise in January, just two weeks before Haaland announced her candidacy.
Whomever wins next year's Democratic primary will likely be the favorite in the general election race, since no Republican has won a statewide contest since former Supreme Court Justice Judith Nakamura did so in 2016.
The GOP field is still taking shape, with several potential candidates mulling over possible runs. Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull is the only Republican who has confirmed his candidacy so far, though Hull postponed his planned campaign launch earlier this month.
Some groups have already issued endorsements in the Democratic primary race, but Morales said it's still too early to say whether he'll publicly back a candidate.
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