Lieutenant Governor Primary Candidates 2026 Candidate Questionnaire
In support of voter education and as a 501(c)(3), food banks can create, distribute, and publish a candidate questionnaire. The Food Bank of Eastern New Mexico cannot support or oppose candidates for office or coordinate activities with political campaigns
This campaign season, New Mexico’s food banks created a food-security questionnaire and sent questions to candidates running for NM governor and Lt. governor. We’re grateful to candidates who took time to participate.
All responses have been unedited and we are sharing them so you can read directly from the candidates on positions related to a healthy, hunger-free New Mexico.
Question 1: The work of New Mexico’s food banks is currently supported partially by GRO funds through the action of the legislature. Given all the demands on state resources, how, if you choose to do so, will you commit to supporting state funding for New Mexico’s food banks in the 2027 state legislative budget?
Aubrey Dunn: No response submitted.
David Gallegos: No response submitted.
Manuel “Manny” Lardizabal: As Lieutenant Governor, I commit to prioritizing state funding for New Mexico's food banks in the 2027 budget, advocating for dedicated line items beyond GRO funds. Guided by Christ's call to feed the hungry (Matthew 25:35), I'll work with legislators to ensure sustainable support amid competing needs, fostering partnerships with churches and nonprofits for maximum impact.
J.C. Lopez: No response submitted.
Sen. Harold Pope, Jr.: I’ve seen firsthand the vital role food banks like The Food Depot play in keeping families fed. Food insecurity it’s something I experienced growing up, and too many New Mexicans still face it today. In the 2027 budget, I will prioritize dedicated, recurring funding so food banks aren’t forced to rely on onetime GRO funds. They need stability to meet rising demand. I will also work to increase appropriations that reflect real need and partner with our federal delegation to expand SNAP and support our farmers. This is about dignity and ensuring no family in New Mexico goes hungry.
Maggie Toulouse Oliver: I believe it is essential to consult with organizations on the ground - like the Food Depot - to learn their priorities and integrate their recommendations into negotiations with the legislature. I plan to use my longstanding working relationships with legislators and advocates to push for bold ideas presiding over the Senate in the Roundhouse. As SNAP cuts threaten food security for New Mexicans who are already living paycheck to paycheck, it is even more important that the state steps up to bridge the gap using every possible resource.
Question 2: In seven New Mexico counties, 40-100% of the population lives in a food desert (limited or no access to grocery stores). How would you approach ensuring that the people in those communities have access to food? (Counties are Harding, Catron, DeBaca, McKinley, Rio Arriba, Colfax, Doña Ana, highest to lowest.)
David Gallegos: No response submitted. Aubrey Dunn: No response submitted.
Manuel “Manny” Lardizabal: I'd launch mobile food markets and incentives for grocers to serve food desert counties like Harding and Catron, partnering with faithbased groups for distribution. Emphasizing local solutions and economic incentives over mandates, we'll bring nutritious food to rural families, honoring our duty to care for neighbors in need.
J.C. Lopez: No response submitted.
Sen. Harold Pope, Jr.: Food deserts are a failure of access and a call to action. In counties like Harding, Catron, DeBaca, McKinley, Rio Arriba,…, we need a communitydriven approach to ensure families can access healthy, affordable food. We should invest in mobile markets, food hubs, and partnerships with food banks, while incentivizing grocery stores and supporting local retailers. We must strengthen infrastructure like transportation, storage, and distribution as well as expand SNAP and WIC, including online access and matching programs. Finally, we should connect New Mexico farmers to local markets. This is about equity, dignity, and ensuring access to nutritious food for all.
Maggie Toulouse Oliver: The state has an active role to play in ensuring healthy food is readily accessible in all parts of New Mexico. Incentivizing new grocery stores and food co-ops with community control and providing funding to lower the cost of stocking healthy foods like fresh produce are policies worth implementing.
Question 3: NM Grown provides state funding to schools, child care centers, senior centers, and food banks to purchase locally grown foods from NM farmers and producers. In FY25, the program generated $7.05 million in total economic output. How would you support the expansion of NM Grown or expand selling opportunities for NM producers?
David Gallegos: No response submitted. Aubrey Dunn: No response submitted.
Manuel “Manny” Lardizabal: I support expanding NM Grown by streamlining funding and creating direct markets for NM producers at schools and senior centers. As a pastor and entrepreneur, I'll champion policies boosting local agriculture, generating economic output while providing fresh food—reflecting stewardship of God's bountiful land.
J.C. Lopez: No response submitted.
Sen. Harold Pope, Jr.: This is a smart investment as it supports farmers, local economies, and delivers food to our communities. I strongly support expanding it. I will advocate for increased, recurring funding so more schools, childcare centers, senior centers, and food banks can participate, especially in rural and tribal areas. We must also strengthen the supply chain by investing in hubs, cold storage, and distribution so producers can access more markets. I’ll expand procurement policies to prioritize local food and partner with our federal delegation to grow support. This keeps dollars in New Mexico, supports farmers, and expands access to healthy, local food.
Maggie Toulouse Oliver: Programs like NM Grown should continue to be funded. Their resources should be expanded, especially to achieve the goal of eliminating food deserts in line with the previous question. Funding these programs clearly has an economic multiplier - healthy and local foods provide income for New Mexico’s farmers. Food security frees families from the trap of poverty, helps kids do better in school, and reduces cost burdens on parents. I would work in consult with the governor and the legislature to push for funding legislation to maintain and expand NM Grown.
Question 4: In New Mexico, nearly 615,000 households are struggling to make ends meet, despite being employed. These are healthcare aides, grocery store associates, restaurant staff, and other essential workers who make too much to qualify for assistance programs but not enough to survive. What interventions would you consider to stabilize working families so they can make ends meet? Would raising minimum wage be part of this equation?
Aubrey Dunn: No response submitted.
David Gallegos: No response submitted.
Manuel “Manny” Lardizabal: To stabilize working families, I'd cut burdensome regulations, expand job training via public-private partnerships, and offer tax credits for essentials. Raising minimum wage risks inflation harming the vulnerable; instead, grow opportunities so all can thrive, as Proverbs 14:23 teaches diligence brings reward.
J.C. Lopez: No response submitted.
Sen. Harold Pope, Jr.: Too many working families in New Mexico are doing everything right and still falling behind. Raising the minimum wage to a true living wage must be part of the solution, but we also need a comprehensive approach. We must lower costs by expanding affordable housing, including down payment assistance and tenant protections, and reduce healthcare costs through a public option and lower prescription drug prices. I support targeted tax relief, expanding tax credits, and guaranteed basic income. We must invest in affordable childcare and transportation, and protect workers by enforcing wage laws, strengthening protections, and supporting the right to organize.
Maggie Toulouse Oliver: Yes! The minimum wage must be raised in New Mexico to a living wage. Recent long-term research out of states where the minimum wage was raised show a significant positive impact for workers, with no measurable decrease in employment - proving that raising the minimum wage is not a job killer, as opponents claim. We also must continue to support universal pre-k and childcare, which are already alleviating major cost burdens from families. I will also push for paid family & medical leave, and to build and support more affordable housing.
Question 5: What single measurable outcome on food access or nutrition would define success in your administration, and how would you hold state agencies accountable for achieving this outcome?
Aubrey Dunn: No response submitted.
David Gallegos: No response submitted.
Manuel “Manny” Lardizabal: Reduce food insecurity by 20% in four years, measured via annual HHS surveys. I'd hold agencies accountable through quarterly reports to the Governor's office and public dashboards, ensuring transparency and faithdriven compassion guides our progress.
J.C. Lopez: No response submitted.
Sen. Harold Pope, Jr.: Success in my administration will be measured by one clear outcome: reducing food insecurity in New Mexico by at least 25% within four years. That gives us a real, achievable benchmark. We must align policy and funding by strengthening SNAP, expanding NM Grown, and ensuring consistent, recurring support for food banks and local food systems. Accountability is critical. I will require agencies to set annual targets, publicly report progress, and coordinate across departments, using data dashboards to track results and identify gaps. I also believe in community accountability by working with partners like The Food Depot in real time.
Maggie Toulouse Oliver: Reducing the percentage of New Mexicans classified as “food insecure” is a measurable progress point - currently, NM is above the national average at nearly 14% of residents in 2025. We can hold agencies accountable by providing the funding to achieve measured goals and regularly auditing their progress. I believe there is too little communication and data sharing between state agencies in general, and this results in lost information and distrust. Improving the trust and collaboration element of government is something I prioritized as Secretary of State, and I will continue to do so as Lt. Governor.
Question 6: What experiences have shaped your understanding of food access in New Mexico, whether through your community, your work, or your own life?
Aubrey Dunn: No response submitted.
David Gallegos: No response submitted.
Manuel “Manny” Lardizabal: As a pastor serving Albuquerque's diverse communities and entrepreneur witnessing rural struggles, I've seen food insecurity firsthand through church outreaches feeding families. My corrections work revealed systemic barriers; these experiences, rooted in Christ's love for the least, fuel my commitment to just solutions.
J.C. Lopez: No response submitted.
Sen. Harold Pope, Jr.: Food access in New Mexico is both personal and rooted in service. Growing up as the oldest of five, I experienced food insecurity and sometimes relied on SNAP. I know what it feels like to worry about having enough food, and that drives my work. In the Air Force and now in the Senate, I’ve seen how access to food shapes opportunity and stability. I’ve worked with organizations like The Food Depot and heard from families across the state, especially in rural and tribal communities where access is often limited. Food access is about dignity, equity, and economic justice.
Maggie Toulouse Oliver: From the time I first worked as an organizer for pro-labor and community focused candidates in the 1990s, I have been aware of the challenges New Mexico families face - including my own. As a single mom taking care of two sons, there were times we too lived paycheck to paycheck. No family should worry about where their next meal will come from. I firmly believe New Mexico can provide enough for all our people to live healthy lives free from the burden of food insecurity.