The Food Depot 2026 Candidate Questionnaire
House District 70 Primary Candidates
In support of voter education and as a 501(c)(3), food banks can create, distribute, and publish a candidate questionnaire. The Food Depot cannot support or oppose candidates for office or coordinate activities with political campaigns
This campaign season, The Food Depot created a food-security questionnaire and sent questions to candidates running for NM governor, Lt. governor, and candidates in contested House district races in our service area. 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?
Ambrose Castellano: No response submitted.
Rep. Anita Gonzales: I will continue to prioritize funding for NM’s food banks because food security underpins every other policy priority such as education, housing stability, healthcare, and economic opportunity. In the 2025 1st Special, I (along with colleagues) supported critical funding to food banks and local pantries to meet urgent community needs, and I will build on that commitment in the 2027 budget. Especially in rural districts like mine, these programs are essential lifelines. I will advocate for consistent, reliable funding while also supporting infrastructure investments that strengthen food distribution and access.
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.)
Ambrose Castellano: No response submitted.
Rep. Anita Gonzales: Tackling food deserts require a mix of access, infrastructure, and local solutions. In rural New Mexico, distance, not just poverty, is a major barrier. In my district, both San Miguel and Torrance counties reflect this challenge. To address this, I support expanding mobile food distributions, investing in regional food hubs, and strengthening partnerships with schools, senior centers, and local providers to bring food directly into communities. We also need infrastructure investments, like storage and distribution facilities, and incentives for rural grocery access. Solutions must be flexible, community-driven, and tailored to the realities of rural and frontier counties.
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?
Ambrose Castellano: No response submitted.
Rep. Anita Gonzales: I strongly support expanding NM Grown because it strengthens both food access and our local agricultural economy. I co-sponsored HB 229 (2025) and supported GRO funding for a local community center in my district that is building a large farmers market initiative creating direct sales opportunities for producers while increasing access to fresh, local food. I will also continue to support legislation that eases the burden on NM producers such as simplifying procurement and reducing barriers to participation, while prioritizing locally grown products in state purchasing. Expanding these markets keeps dollars in New Mexico, supports farmers, and ensures communities have access to healthy, locally grown food.
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?
Ambrose Castellano: No response submitted.
Rep. Anita Gonzales: Too many working families are caught in the gap of earning too much to qualify for assistance but not enough to cover basic costs. I support a balanced approach that reduces household expenses while increasing earning power. We’ve already taken steps by investing in affordable housing programs and expanding access to healthcare and insurance, which directly ease financial pressure. I also support policies that strengthen wages, including thoughtful increases to the minimum wage, paired with support for small businesses. In addition, I would prioritize tax credits, childcare assistance, and workforce development so families can build stability while staying in the workforce.
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?
(This question is from a board member of The Food Depot.)
Ambrose Castellano: No response submitted.
Rep. Anita Gonzales: A clear measure of success would be a meaningful reduction in food insecurity rates among our most vulnerable, especially children and seniors. If we can measurably lower those rates year over year, that signals real progress. To achieve this, I would prioritize programs that directly serve these populations, including school-based, year-round nutrition programs, senior meal services, and partnerships with food banks and community providers. I would hold state agencies accountable by setting measurable targets, requiring regular public reporting, and tying funding to outcomes. Success means not just investing in programs, but ensuring those investments translate into fewer children and elderly New Mexicans going without consistent, nutritious food.
Question 6: What experiences have shaped your understanding of food access in New Mexico, whether through your community, your work, or your own life?
(This question is from a volunteer with The Food Depot )
Ambrose Castellano: No response submitted.
Rep. Anita Gonzales: My understanding of food access comes from both personal experience and hands-on service in my community. I have family members who rely on commodities and have needed food assistance at different times, giving me a very real perspective on how critical these programs are. Through volunteer work with community food distributions and school pantries, I’ve seen that food insecurity affects not only those who are unhoused, but also working families and students. In HD70, I have also supported District GRO funding and capital investments for food insecurity services and distribution infrastructure. These experiences shape my commitment to practical, dignified solutions.