Hull talks 'pillars and beams' of gubernatorial platform

RIO RANCHO — Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull said the office he has been elected to three times is the most rewarding job he’s ever had.

Now he wants residents throughout the state to reward him with the governorship in 2026. And he’s got some plans for them if they do.

Hull, first elected to lead the City of Vision in 2014, opened up in a recent wide-ranging interview about his decision to run, the timing of his announcement, the campaign’s platform, and whether being mayor of New Mexico’s third-largest city qualifies him to be chief executive.

The conversation comes following Hull’s Oct. 14 video announcement in which he ended months of speculation about whether he would run for governor.

Hull declined to comment during the interview on a potential mayoral campaign, which under the law he would be able to conduct alongside his gubernatorial bid.

But of his recent schedule involving the job of mayor while campaigning for higher office, Hull said it’s been a balancing act.

“I’m the mayor of Rio Rancho first, and I am going to always work hard to make sure we’re moving things in the right direction,” Hull said.

The decision/announcementWhat encouraged Hull to run for governor was his work with municipalities throughout the state when he served on the Mayors Caucus and, more recently, the New Mexico Municipal League.

“If there’s one thing that’s frustrated me as mayor, it’s the one-size-fits-all approach that comes out of the Roundhouse — ‘If one thing is broken somewhere, we’re going to fix that, and we’re going to fix it for everybody,’” Hull said. “It became a frustration for me when you’re trying to get work done.”

He thinks the state and municipalities would benefit by having a governor who has the experience of a mayor.

“Understanding what it takes to solve problems from the ground up and not the top down,” Hull said. “That is a huge factor for me.”

Hull originally thought of making a campaign announcement on June 2 at Campus Park, but he was told it would cost approximately $40,000. So he decided to put that money toward campaigning.

”I’m pretty proud of what we’ve gotten done for what we spent — because we spent that money getting banners, printing palm cards and getting general consultants to help us format and set the process in place,” Hull said.

The listening tour involved more than 40 cities and at least 30 parades, according to Hull. Then came the video announcement, filmed at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe. In it, Hull said his decision to run was “not something to take lightly.”

“It’s a tough job, a serious responsibility, and I wanted to make this decision the right way,” he said in the video.

If elected governor, Hull thinks of his top priorities much like “pillars and support beams.”

“They all tie together in a very symbiotic pattern. One relies on the other, but you’ve got to start with your basics,” Hull said.

The pillars of his campaign are education, crime and health care, while the support beams are energy and infrastructure.

EducationHull wants to give school districts the ability to adopt either a five- or four-day instructional week.

“If you feel your district would get higher grades and a better outcome, then I think some flexibility needs to be had there to allow these districts to mold their teachings to a style that is in line with the character and the culture of the community,” he said.

Hull also wants to see the state promote more career and technical education, like Rio Rancho Public Schools did when it opened RioTECH earlier this year.

CrimeHull wants the state to help communities build their own strategic plan around a crime-related issue that is most pressing to them.

”Not all communities in the state are the same,” Hull said.

One common problem the plans might deal with is a shortage of municipal police officers. Hull touted the fact that the Rio Rancho Police Department has added more officers under his tenure.

He added that he would accept federal funds to bring crime under control.

“When you’ve got an out-of-control problem, you take all the help you can get,” Hull said.

Health careHull wants to focus on recruitment and retention of doctors amid a shortage, which experts say is happening, in part, because of the number of medical malpractice claims, the amount of money a patient can receive from a lawsuit, and the amount of attorney fees.

“I would push for caps on those punitive suits,” Hull said.

He would also propose a program similar to the GI Bill that would have the state pay for medical students’ education in exchange for them practicing in New Mexico for a certain period of time.

“That way, we’re not just giving them an education and they’re just packing up and leaving,” Hull said.

The state would have to look at the capacities of medical school facilities and potentially prioritize in-state students over those from out of state, he added.

InfrastructureHull would like the state to help communities on the issue, particularly with water needs. He noted Rio Rancho’s aquifer recharge system could be a model for communities and their water/wastewater treatment facilities.

“A lot of them are in very bad shape — some need over $100 million to fix,” Hull said. “We can make critical investments that will really give us a sustainable future moving forward.”

He hopes if he is elected governor, he can get legislative support to tap into the New Mexico Land Grant Permanent Fund to invest in water-related projects.

”A state without water is not a state at all,” Hull said.

He said infrastructure repairs can help bring more people and businesses into communities throughout the state.

EnergyHull wants to foster relations with oil and gas industry professionals while diversifying the state’s energy portfolio.

“What we need to do is not cut ourselves off at the knees,” Hull said.

He said he’s in favor of renewable energy, the Atrisco Solar Power and Battery Storage, a 2,300-acre project that will power more than 110,000 homes.

Hull would also like to harvest geothermal energy, something he said the state has an abundance of but is not using.

Hull is also in favor of emerging technologies like small modular reactors using for nuclear power.

“It’s probably several years before we’ll see something like that in practical use, but it’s something we have to start exploring as far as an available technology and see how that fits into our long-term energy plan,” he said.

From mayor to

governor?In speaking of his political experience, Hull believes his time with the council-manager form of government in Rio Rancho will benefit him as governor. In that governmental form, policy power rests within the six-member elected Rio Rancho Governing Body, which hires a nonpartisan, full-time city manager to oversee daily operations of the city. The mayor, who also serves full time, acts as the public face of the city, makes committee appointments, and gives input on the council while casting any tie-breaking votes.

“If you can’t get the Legislature to help you, you’re not going to get much done,” Hull said. “If I couldn’t work with the council, I would have gotten nothing done.”

He is undaunted by going into a statewide office after serving as mayor — a position he believes often is discredited.

“People say, ‘Going from mayor to governor — that’s a big step,’” Hull said.

But he pointed to former Republican Govs. Gary Johnson and Susana Martinez, who did not have executive experience before being elected to the state’s top job.

Potential political challengersAnother reason why Hull is glad he did not formally launch his campaign on June 2 — exactly a year away from the primary election — is because it allowed him to watch the gubernatorial candidate field take shape.

The biggest contenders? Sam Bregman, who is the Bernalillo County district attorney, and Deb Haaland, former U.S. Interior secretary during the Biden Administration, will both compete for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in June 2026.

On the Republican side, those that have filed for governor include Las Cruces businesswoman and social media influencer Belinda Robertson, military veteran and businessman Brian Cillessen, and Duke Rodriguez, a cannabis entrepreneur and former secretary of New Mexico’s Human Services Department under former Gov. Gary Johnson. None of them have officially announced or reported campaign contributions.

”With no other challengers, we’re focused on our message,” Hull said.

Through it all, Hull believes he can win the governor’s race because voters will care more about a candidate’s experience than a campaign war chest.

“I’ve got this cornucopia of experience when it comes to being a municipal official — and it’s different,” Hull said.