Rio Rancho resident vies for governorship as independent

RIO RANCHO — A former University of New Mexico employee from Rio Rancho who filed an ethics complaint against the institution and others, including Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, wants to be the state’s next chief executive.

Jake Smith, 38, who is the founder and president of The GovernToChange Project — an outreach organization to help people connect with their lawmakers — is running for governor as an independent. He made his candidacy official with the New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office on Sept. 11, according to the office’s website.

Asked about his pitch to voters, Smith — who is joining a crowded field of candidates that includes Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull — invoked “The Land of Mañana,” an affectionate term for New Mexico.

“To me, the ‘Land of Tomorrow’ means that we do everything possible today for the best possible tomorrow for all New Mexicans,” Smith said. “We don’t put off our problems; we address them — and that’s what I’ll do.”

His top priority is education, which includes investing in infrastructure. He said too many schools have permanent portable classrooms.

“These portable classrooms (are) too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter,” Smith said. “How can we expect our teachers to be able to instruct when we’re not even investing in the resources for them to have a proper classroom? How can we expect our students to sit there and learn? We need to get permanent classrooms (and) buildings.”

His other priorities include medical malpractice reform and investing in agriculture.

Smith previously lived in Albuquerque, where he was employed by the UNM College of Nursing as a staffer in the graduate program.

According to an online article he authored, Smith was terminated from UNM in July 2024 after he reported instances of alleged misconduct within the nursing college and improper securement of a caregiver’s criminal history screening program. In response, Smith wrote, numerous university officials allegedly retaliated against him and his wife, who is studying at the college. He responded to UNM administrators by attempting to get a restraining order, which a judge denied.

In June 2025, in connection to his UNM complaints, Smith filed a state ethics complaint against the university, as well as the New Mexico Department of Justice, the New Mexico Department of Health and Lujan Grisham. But the New Mexico Ethics Commission dismissed the complaint due to “lack of jurisdiction.”

Smith and his wife, Nikki, are expecting their first child together. For Smith, the notion of being a father for the first time puts his candidacy and potential governorship into perspective.

“The way that I envision running for and being governor is through family values (and) teamwork,” Smith said. “There will be times when I won’t be there. However, I know with these values, my child will be around more than others as I fulfill these duties. That’s because of who I am as a person.”