Juan Sanchez III
Juan Sanchez III (Democratic Party) is running for election for New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.[source]
Sanchez completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Sanchez was a superdelegate to the 2016 Democratic National Convention from New Mexico.[1] Sanchez was one of nine superdelegates from New Mexico. Superdelegates to the 2016 Democratic National Convention were not bound by the results of their state’s primary or caucus to support a specific presidential candidate. Ballotpedia was not able to identify whether Sanchez supported Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders for the 2016 Democratic nomination.[2]
Biography
Juan Sanchez III was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Sanchez earned a high school diploma from Belen High School and a bachelor's degree from New Mexico Highlands University in 2014. He also attended New Mexico University. Sanchez's career experience includes working as a consultant, political director, and in land/water stewardship.[3]
Elections
2026
See also: New Mexico Public Lands Commissioner election, 2026
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
General election for New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands
Matthew McQueen, Jonas Moya, and Juan Sanchez III are running in the general election for New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Matthew McQueen (D) | |
| Jonas Moya (D) | ||
 | Juan Sanchez III (D)  | |
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
To view Sanchez's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. To send us an endorsement, click here.
Campaign themes
2026
Video for Ballotpedia
| Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released April 14, 2025 |
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Juan Sanchez III completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Sanchez's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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- Outdoor Access and Conservation The same division that oversees Agriculture and Ranching within the State Land Office also plays an important role in expanding access to state trust lands for outdoor recreation, including hiking trails, rock climbing, camping options, and hunting and fishing. Juan’s experience as a Natural Resource Specialist at Cochiti with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, with the New Mexico Acequia Commission, and as a passionate advocate for the protection of our outdoor spaces make him uniquely suited to responsibly increase access for New Mexicans to enjoy their state lands and they are conserved for future generations to do the same.
- Agriculture and Ranching The State Land Office manages 9 million acres of surface state trust land that has been leased to New Mexico families and tribal communities since statehood. These agricultural, ranching, and grazing lands and their caretakers face a variety of challenges, including drought, erosion, dwindling return on cattle ranching, and invasive plant species threatening grazing. Juan’s professional background in Water Resources, his family’s ranching roots, and his determination to see our rural communities have what they need to preserve their way of life are the exact experiences needed to ensure rural and tribal communities’ interests are represented at the Land Office.
- Oil and Gas New Mexico has risen to be the 2nd largest oil producing state in the country. This industry is especially important to the State Land Office as royalties from the production of oil and gas fuel New Mexico’s Land Grant Permanent Fund, sending billions of dollars to our public schools and early childhood education system each year. Mineral acres leased to the industry are constitutionally held in trust for the benefit of future generations of New Mexicans. As your Commissioner, Juan will partner with the industry and the communities in which they are active to the best benefit of New Mexicans. The most prosperous industry in our state should be held to the highest standard of responsible operation in order to protect the land.
New Mexico’s 9 million acres of trust lands weren’t targeted in a recent federal attempted Land Sell off, but that doesn’t mean they’re safe from future attacks. If anything, this showed us just how quickly public lands can be in danger. We need leadership that treats our lands not as bargaining chips to be sold, but as a part of our identity, culture, and livelihood to be protected for future generations.
In the face of the Trump Administration, we need a Land Commissioner willing to fight the sale of our lands to the highest bidder and keep the best interests of New Mexico communities at the forefront of the Land Office.
At its core, Bless Me, Ultima is about identity, how a young New Mexican boy, navigates family, tradition, faith, and the wider world. That journey resonates with me as a 13th-generation New Mexican. I too grew up at the crossroads of influences the ranching lifestyle of my family, spiritual traditions tied to land and water, and the modern challenges of a state shaped by change. Anaya’s story reminded me what makes our heritage so rich and enduring.
The setting of Bless Me, Ultima is also deeply familiar. The llano, the river, the village life it mirrors the landscapes I grew up in and still fight to protect. The Mora Valley, the Rio Grande, the acequias that thread through our valleys, they are all characters in my own story, just as much as they are in Antonio’s.
Finally, one of the most powerful themes in the book is inheritance, not just of land, but of values and ways of being. Antonio struggles with whether he will follow the vaquero life of his father’s family or the farming traditions of his mother’s. In my own life, I’ve felt the weight of inheritance from the Tomé, Atrisco, and La Joya Land Grants, that I am reminded I'm heir too, but the land no long passes down, and long lost dream of a part of our ranch passing down to me. Though inheritance is not simply just property it’s culture, responsibility, and an obligation to carry forward traditions like ranching, acequia stewardship, and community service.
U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez
State Senator, Carrie Hamblen
State Senator, Angel Charley
State Senator, Cindy Nava
Las Cruces Mayor Pro Tem, Johana Bencomo
Bernalillo County Sheriff, John Allen
Bernalillo County Commissioner, Barbara Baca
Doña Ana County Commissioner, Christopher Shaljo-Hernandez
Grant County Commissioner, Nancy Stevens
San Miguel County Commissioner, Max Trujillo
Socorro County Commissioner, Craig Secatero
Sandoval County Commissioner, Joshua Jones
Luna County Commissioner, Rey Trejo
Taos County Commissioner, Bob Romero
Taos County Commissioner, AnJanette Brush
Mountainair Mayor, Peter Nieto
Former NM Attorney General, Gary King
Former Lt. Governor, Diane Denish
Orgs
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign finance summary
Campaign finance information for this candidate is not yet available from OpenSecrets. That information will be published here once it is available.
Superdelegate tenure
What is a superdelegate?
Superdelegates in 2016 were automatic delegates to the Democratic National Convention, meaning that, unlike regular delegates, they were not elected to this position. Also unlike regular delegates, they were not required to pledge their support to any presidential candidate, and they were not bound by the results of their state's presidential primary election or caucus. In 2016, superdelegates included members of the Democratic National Committee, Democratic members of Congress, Democratic governors, and distinguished party leaders, including former presidents and vice presidents. All superdelegates were free to support any presidential candidate of their choosing at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.[4]
New Mexico superdelegates
New Mexico had a total of nine superdelegates in 2016. All of them are listed below beneath the candidate they are known to have supported. As of June 7, 2016, six New Mexico superdelegates were known to have expressed their support for Hillary Clinton, while the support of three superdelegates was unknown. At the time, there were no known superdelegates from New Mexico supporting Bernie Sanders for the Democratic nomination.
Clinton
- Joni Marie Gutierrez
- Martin Heinrich
- Michelle Lujan Grisham
- Raymond Sanchez (New Mexico)
- Tom Udall
- Ben Ray Luján
Unknown
New Mexico primary results
New Mexico's Democratic primary election took place on June 7, 2016.
| New Mexico Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Delegates | |
 Hillary Clinton |
51.5% | 111,225 | 18 | |
| Bernie Sanders | 48.5% | 104,656 | 16 | |
| Totals | 215,881 | 34 | ||
| Source: The New York Times and New Mexico Secretary of State | ||||
Delegate allocation
New Mexico had 43 delegates at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Of this total, 34 were pledged delegates. National party rules stipulated how Democratic delegates in all states were allocated. Pledged delegates were allocated to a candidate in proportion to the votes he or she received in a state's primary or caucus. A candidate was eligible to receive a share of the state's pledged delegates if he or she won at least 15 percent of the votes cast in the primary or caucus. There were three types of pledged Democratic delegates: congressional district delegates, at-large delegates, and party leaders and elected officials (PLEOs). Congressional district delegates were allocated proportionally based on the primary or caucus results in a given district. At-large and PLEO delegates were allocated proportionally based on statewide primary results.[5][6]
Nine party leaders and elected officials served as unpledged delegates. These delegates were not required to adhere to the results of a state's primary or caucus.[5][7]
See also
2026 Elections
External links
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Candidate New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Ballotpedia's list of superdelegates to the 2016 Democratic National Convention is based on our own research and lists provided by the Democratic National Committee to Vox.com in February 2016 and May 2016. If you think we made an error in identifying superdelegates, please send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.
- ↑ To find out which candidate a superdelegate supported, Ballotpedia sought out public statements from the superdelegate in other media outlets and on social media. If we were unable to find a public statement that clearly articulated which candidate the superdelegate supported at the national convention, we listed that superdelegate as "unknown." If you believe we made an error in identifying which candidate a superdelegate supported, please email us at editor@ballotpedia.org.
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 12, 2025
- ↑ Congressional Research Service, "The Presidential Nominating Process and the National Party Conventions, 2016: Frequently Asked Questions," December 30, 2015
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Democratic National Committee, "2016 Democratic National Convention Delegate/Alternate Allocation," updated February 19, 2016
- ↑ The Green Papers, "2016 Democratic Convention," accessed May 7, 2021
- ↑ Democratic National Committee's Office of Party Affairs and Delegate Selection, "Unpledged Delegates -- By State," May 27, 2016
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