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Lt. Gov. Howie Morales announces he will not run for governor
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – With only one year left in his term, Lieutenant Governor Howie Morales has announced his next steps following his time in office. He made a formal announcement on Sunday, stating that he will not be seeking a bid for the governorship next year after serving alongside Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham for seven years.
'After careful consideration and extensive communication with my family and supporters across the state, I have made the decision not to run for governor this election cycle. I am grateful for the time I've been able to serve in the executive as lieutenant governor,' said Morales.
Morales has been the lieutenant governor since 2019, when he and Governor Lujan Grisham won the election and were subsequently re-elected in 2022. Before joining the executive branch, Morales served as a state senator representing western New Mexico from 2008 to 2019.
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One of the main reasons Morales cited for his decision not to run for governor was his family. 'My son is in eighth grade, and my daughter is going to be a junior in high school. I am very involved in their activities; I coach their teams, and we do homework at night—all those type of things that really are valuable to me. Running a statewide campaign really takes a lot of time, a lot of demands that would take me away from them. And I want to make sure that I can focus that time with them because you never get those years back.'
Regarding his future plans, Morales reassured that he is not retiring. There was previously speculation that he might seek the presidency of Western New Mexico University, and he stated that option remains on the table.
Over the next year, Morales plans to work with state leaders to address critical issues facing New Mexico, particularly regarding crime and the expansion of mental health resources.
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With only one year left as lieutenant governor, Morales emphasized that much work still lies ahead. 'Why not focus more on mental health, behavioral health opportunities? Why not have more access for housing? These are the type of things that we're going to continue to work on, as well as addressing public safety. I think that's a concern to people across the state. And we're going to continue to work together with the legislature to come up with some solutions,' says Morales.
While Morales may not be pursuing a new elected office this election cycle, he encourages those in public service to remember why they run for office and to keep the voices of New Mexico as their primary focus. Prior to his public office, Morales was an educator in Silver City.
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