23-04-2025
Former Las Cruces mayor ‘exploring' Democratic bid for governor
Courtesy of Ken Miyagishima
Ken Miyagishima, the former mayor of Las Cruces, over the weekend filed official paperwork with the Secretary of State's office for the Democratic primary campaign for New Mexico governor, but would not officially announce his candidacy.
'I'm technically exploring, but ever so close,' he told Source NM Wednesday. 'We're working on various things, the narrative of the entire campaign,' he said.
Miyagishima, an insurance agent and the mayor of Las Cruces between 2007 to 2023, also held two terms on both the Las Cruces City Council and the Doña Ana County Commission.
On his website, Miyagishima said some of his policy positions would include: having the state build and sell homes at cost to 'police, fire and correctional officers as well as teachers and eligible Native Americans.'
Miyagishima said he would also want to establish a new police force using retired officers to 'assist larger cities with local policing.' Another crime policy, he said, would be having state government pay the federal government to house any person convicted of a crime resulting in the death of a police officer, firefighter or correctional officer.
'I believe the perpetrator should serve a mandatory life sentence at the SUPERMAX facility in Colorado,' his website says.
So far, the June 2, 2026 Democratic primary for governor has two official candidates: Former Interior Secretary and Congresswoman Deb Haaland and Bernalillo County district attorney Sam Bregman. Current Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham cannot run for reelection due to term limits.
There is only one Republican candidate announced so far, Rio Rancho mayor Greggory Hull.
Miyagishima reported no expenditures or his donations in the campaign account, telling Source NM that he planned to make contributions soon.
'This will all be new money, I'll probably be lending myself a good chunk,' he said. According to the most recent campaign finance reports, Hull raised nearly $210,000; Bregman reported just over $632,000 and Haaland has raised more than $2.8 million.
