Two candidates toss in names for 2026 lieutenant governor race
Stephanie Garcia Richard, the state's current land commissioner, is one of two candidates filed to run for lieutenant governor in the 2026 elections. (Courtesy image)
Two candidates have filed to be considered for New Mexico's next lieutenant governor in the 2026 elections.
Current Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard — who is term-limited in that position — is running as a Democrat while Manuel Lardizabal, a former candidate for the New Mexico Senate, will seek the Republican nomination, according to state candidate filings.
In the November general elections, the governor and lieutenant governor run on the same ticket, but each office has separate party primaries in June. The lieutenant governor has both executive and legislative roles. Lieutenant governors are second-in-command and stand in for governors during their absences. The lieutenant governor also serves as president of the New Mexico State Senate, overseeing the body's business during the legislative session and determining issues of decorum or rules.
The lieutenant governor holds a tie-breaker vote, according to the state Constitution, but only in the Senate.
Garcia Richard announced her bid in March. She told Source NM this week that the pending federal cuts to New Mexico spurred her to run, noting the high percentage of New Mexicans on Medicaid, along with the state's reliance on federal funds for special education. She said she hopes to enhance the office's ombudsman role.
'We need to be leaning on statewide leaders to be showing the way for New Mexico in this time, pushing back on the federal government when it's required, making sure New Mexicans are protected from federal threats,' she said.
Garcia Richard said she was inspired by former Democratic Lt. Gov. Diane Denish's role on the children's cabinet and the way current Democratic Lt. Gov. Howie Morales managed unemployment requests during the COVID-19 pandemic.
'The office really can be a powerhouse for constituent services,' she said. 'I'm really running to make the office more responsive and as an agent for positive social change for New Mexicans.'
Two Democratic candidates have announced gubernatorial runs in 2026: Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman and former Congresswoman and U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland.
Garcia Richard, who served for three terms in the New Mexico House of Representatives, said she is on good terms with both of the announced candidates.
'I have great relationships with them,' she said. 'I feel like my skill sets could really complement theirs, and I understand that success is relationship-dependent.'
According to the latest campaign filings, Garcia Richard has a $32,528 cash balance on hand, a combination she said of a transfer from her campaign for land commissioner and recent donations.
Only one candidate, Democrat Juan Sanchez, has jumped into the race for Garcia Richard's land commission seat. Statewide candidates have until Feb. 2, 2026 to file.
Garcia Richard also noted that a $600 fine assessed for a late filing from the New Mexico Secretary of State's office was due to a clerical error.
'I filed under my previous office,' she said, and then transferred the account.
When reached by phone, Lardizabal told Source NM he's only submitted the initial filing paperwork and would announce his campaign launch and website soon. Lardizabal reported no expenditures or contributions so far.
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