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New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands
| New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $149,714 |
| 2025 FY Budget: | $26,320,500 |
| Term limits: | 2 terms |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | New Mexico Constitution, Article V, Section I |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder(s) | |
New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands
Stephanie Garcia Richard | |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | 2026 |
| Last election: | 2022 |
| Other New Mexico Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Commissioner of Public Lands • Secretary of Education • Agriculture Secretary • Insurance Superintendent • Secretary of Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources • Secretary of Workforce Solutions • Public Regulation Commission • Public Education Commission | |
The New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands is an elected constitutional state executive officer in the New Mexico state government. The commissioner leads the New Mexico State Land Office, which is responsible for administering nine million acres of surface and 13 million acres of subsurface land for the beneficiaries of the New Mexico State Land Trust.[1]
The office's mission is "to use state trust land to raise revenue for New Mexico public schools, hospitals, colleges, and other public institutions."[1]
New Mexico elects the commissioner of public lands during midterm elections. Commissioners serve for a term of four years with a limit of two consecutive terms.[2]
Current officeholder
The current New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands is Stephanie Garcia Richard (D). Richard assumed office in 2019.
Authority
The New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands' authority is derived from Article V of the New Mexico Constitution.
Article V, Section 1:
| "The executive department shall consist of a governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state auditor, state treasurer, attorney general and commissioner of public lands ..."[2] |
Qualifications
Article V, Section 3 of the New Mexico Constitution establishes the qualifications of the office:
| "No person shall be eligible to any office specified in Section One, hereof, unless he be a citizen of the United States, at least thirty years of age, nor unless he shall have resided continuously in New Mexico for five years next preceding his election ..."[2] |
- A citizen of the United States.
- At least 30 years of age.
- Has resided continuously in New Mexico for five years preceding the election.
Elections
2022
General election
General election for New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands
Incumbent Stephanie Garcia Richard defeated Jefferson Byrd and Larry E. Marker in the general election for New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Stephanie Garcia Richard (D) | 54.7 | 379,621 |
 | Jefferson Byrd (R) | 44.8 | 310,853 | |
| Larry E. Marker (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.6 | 3,950 | ||
| Total votes: 694,424 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands
Incumbent Stephanie Garcia Richard advanced from the Democratic primary for New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Stephanie Garcia Richard | 100.0 | 116,641 |
| Total votes: 116,641 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands
Jefferson Byrd advanced from the Republican primary for New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jefferson Byrd | 100.0 | 92,318 |
| Total votes: 92,318 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Aubrey Dunn (R)
Term limits
The land commissioner is limited to serving two consecutive four-year terms.
Past elections
Vacancies
Details of vacancy appointments are addressed under Article V, Section 5 of the New Mexico Constitution. In the event of a vacancy, the governor fills the position by appointment. The appointee serves until the next general election.[2]
Duties
- See also: Energy policy in New Mexico
The land commissioner is responsible for managing state trust land. The money generated is used to support public schools, hospitals, and other public institutions.[1]
Revenues are generated by the land commissioner by leasing lands for outdoor recreation opportunities, agriculture, commercial use, oil and gas drilling, renewable energy, and other activities.[1]
Divisions
The New Mexico State Land Office includes the following divisions and subdivisions:
- Administrative Services[3]
- Accounting
- Facilities Management
- Print Shop
- Human Resources
- Information Technology
- Records Management
- Commercial Resources[4]
- Business Leasing
- Office of Renewable Energy
- Rights of Way
- Mineral Resources[5]
- Oil, Gas and Minerals Leasing
- Royalty Management
- Surface Resources[6]
- Agricultural Leasing
- Legal[7]
- Engagement[8]
State budget
- See also: New Mexico state budget and finances
The budget for the New Mexico State Land Office in Fiscal Year 2025 was $26,320,500.[9]
Compensation
- See also: Compensation of state executive officers
The salaries of state executive officers are established by the New Mexico State Legislature as mandated in the state constitution.[2]
2023
In 2023, the officer's salary was $149,714, according to New Mexico Statutes.[10]
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $90,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[11]
2021
In 2021, the commissioner received a salary of $90,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[12]
2020
In 2020, the commissioner received a salary of $90,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[13]
2019
In 2019, the commissioner received a salary of $90,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[14]
2018
In 2018, the commissioner received a salary of $90,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[15]
2017
In 2017, the commissioner received a salary of $90,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[16]
2016
In 2016, the commissioner received a salary of $90,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[17]
2015
In 2015, the commissioner received a salary of $90,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[18]
2014
In 2014, the commissioner received a salary of $90,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[19]
2013
In 2013, the commissioner received a salary of $90,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[20]
Historical officeholders
There have been 29 commissioners of public lands since 1899. Of the 29 officeholders, 21 were Democratic, seven were Republican, and one was a Libertarian. The first commissioner, Alpheus A. Keen, was appointed. The second, Robert P. Ervein, was initially appointed and later elected.[21]
| List of Former Officeholders from 1899-Present | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Tenure | Party | ||
| 1 | Alpheus A. Keen | 1899-1906 |  Republican
| ||
| 2 | Robert P. Ervein | 1907-1918 | Republican
| ||
| 3 | Fred Muller | Oct.-Dec. 1918 |  Democratic
| ||
| 4 | N.A. Field | 1919-1922 | Republican
| ||
| 5 | Justiniano Baca | 1923-1925 | Democratic
| ||
| 6 | E.B. Swope | 1925-1926 | Democratic
| ||
| 7 | B.F. Pankey | 1927-1929 | Republican
| ||
| 8 | Austin D. Crile | 1929-1930 | Republican
| ||
| 9 | J.F. Hinkle | 1931-1932 | Democratic
| ||
| 10 | Frank Vesely | 1933-1936 | Democratic
| ||
| 11 | Frank Worden | 1937-1940 | Democratic
| ||
| 12 | H.R. Rodgers | 1941-1944 | Democratic
| ||
| 13 | John E. Miles | 1945-1948 | Democratic
| ||
| 14 | Guy Shepard | 1949-1952 | Democratic
| ||
| 15 | E.S. “Johnny” Walker | 1953-1956 | Democratic
| ||
| 16 | Murray E. Morgan | 1957-1960 | Democratic
| ||
| 17 | E.S. “Johnny” Walker | 1961-1964 | Democratic
| ||
| 18 | Guyton B. Hays | 1965-1968 | Democratic
| ||
| 19 | Alex Armijo | 1969-1974 | Democratic
| ||
| 20 | Phil R. Lucero | 1975-1978 | Democratic
| ||
| 21 | Alex Armijo | 1979-1982 | Democratic
| ||
| 22 | Jim Baca | 1983-1986 | Democratic
| ||
| 23 | W.R. Humphries | 1987-1990 | Republican
| ||
| 24 | Jim Baca | 1991-1993 | Democratic
| ||
| 25 | Ray Powell | 1993-2002 | Democratic
| ||
| 26 | Patrick Lyons | 2003-2010 | Republican
| ||
| 27 | Ray Powell | 2011-2014 | Democratic
| ||
| 28 | Aubrey Dunn | 2015-2019 |  Libertarian[22]
| ||
| 29 | Stephanie Garcia Richard | 2019-Present | Democratic
| ||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms New Mexico Commissioner Lands. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
Contact information
The New Mexico State Land Office
Physical address: 310 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe NM 87501
Mailing address: P.O. Box 1148, Santa Fe, NM 87504
Phone: 505-827-5760
Fax: 505-827-5766
Email: Click here
See also
| New Mexico | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 New Mexico State Land Office, "The New Mexico State Land Office," accessed Jan. 25, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 New Mexico Secretary of State, "NM Constitution," accessed Jan. 25, 2021
- ↑ New Mexico State Land Office, "Administrative Services Division Staff," accessed Jan. 25, 2021
- ↑ New Mexico State Land Office, "Commercial Resources Division Staff," accessed Jan. 25, 2021
- ↑ New Mexico State Land Office, "Mineral Resources Division Staff," accessed Jan. 25, 2021
- ↑ New Mexico State Land Office, "Surface Resources Division Staff," accessed Jan. 25, 2021
- ↑ New Mexico State Land Office, "Legal Division," accessed Jan. 25, 2021
- ↑ New Mexico State Land Office, "Engagement," accessed Jan. 25, 2021
- ↑ New Mexico State Legislature, "New Mexico General Appropriation Act of 2024," accessed January 22, 2025
- ↑ Justia US Law, "2023 New Mexico Statutes Chapter 8 - Elected Officials Article 1 - Compensation Section 8-1-1 - Compensation of elective state officers," accessed January 22, 2025
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
- ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 28, 2022
- ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States," accessed Jan. 25, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2019," accessed Jan. 25, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2018," accessed Jan. 25, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2017," accessed Jan. 25, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed December 3, 2014
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Table 4.11 Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 31, 2014
- ↑ New Mexico State Land Office, " Past commissioners," accessed Jan. 25, 2021
- ↑ Commissioner Aubrey Dunn was elected as a Republican and later switched his political affiliation to Libertarian on January 27, 2018.
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