Pope and Garcia Richard race to the bottom in radical Democrat primary

The race for New Mexico’s next lieutenant governor is already shaping up to be another bruising Democrat slugfest, with two far-left figures vying for power: State Sen. Harold Pope and State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard.

On Monday, Pope—an Albuquerque Democrat known for pushing fringe legislation—formally announced his candidacy for the state’s second-highest executive post. Though the news comes as little surprise—Pope had already filed a campaign committee—his campaign rollout confirms a broader attempt by far-left ideologues to entrench themselves deeper in New Mexico’s executive leadership.

Pope told Source New Mexico that he’s running to have a “full-time voice” in the executive branch, claiming he can do more “on the fourth floor” than as a legislator. But his record tells a different story.

Pope has repeatedly aligned with the most radical policies in Santa Fe. He pushed legislation to force sexual education standards onto children as young as 11, regardless of parental consent. He voted to funnel taxpayer-funded college tuition to illegal immigrants through House Bill 64. He backed a payroll tax scheme (Senate Bill 3) that would’ve slammed both small businesses and workers. And he supported legislation that would have imposed centralized housing mandates across the state and cemented extreme environmentalist policies that threaten New Mexico’s oil, gas, and agricultural sectors.

These are not the positions of a moderate or a reformer—they’re part of a nationalized left-wing agenda that is already bleeding New Mexico dry. It also doesn’t help that he jumped on TikTok to advocate for a violent MS-13 gang member, among a slew of other wild takes that have been fully archived by the Piñon Post and will surely be pure gold come the general election, if Pope wins the nomination. 

But Pope isn’t alone. His top Democrat opponent so far is Stephanie Garcia Richard, the scandal-prone Commissioner of Public Lands. Her tenure has been riddled with controversy, including repeated clashes with New Mexico ranchers, lease mismanagement, and failure to balance the state’s economic interests with environmental stewardship. Instead of maximizing returns for New Mexico’s public schools—one of her core responsibilities—Garcia Richard has pursued a rigid green agenda that has alienated key industries and rural communities alike.

Garcia Richard also grabbed headlines for trying to strip the New Mexico State Land Office of transparency and legislative oversight, drawing sharp criticism even from within her own party. Her long track record of pushing anti-development policies makes her a hard sell outside progressive strongholds like Santa Fe.

Also in the race is Jackie Lee Onsurez, a village councilor from Loving, and Republican Manuel Lardizabal, who previously ran for a state Senate seat in Albuquerque.

But the real battle—for now—is within the Democrat Party, where Pope and Garcia Richard are expected to clash in what is shaping up to be a bitter primary. Both represent the far-left flank of the party, and both come with glaring vulnerabilities. While Pope barely held onto his Senate seat in 2024, Garcia Richard continues to face scrutiny over her political decisions and failed stewardship of state lands as she continually jumps from office to office.

With a primary set for June 2, 2026, New Mexico voters will once again be asked to choose between competing versions of the same radical playbook—unless common-sense leadership steps in to break the cycle.

As the Democrat candidates trip over each other to race to the left, conservatives are watching closely. The 2026 election may be the best opportunity yet to finally reverse the state’s dangerous slide toward California-style policies that have already caused so much harm.