BY KARYL ANN ARMBRUSTER
Los Alamos

It is a little known fact, but the vast power and autonomy of the state land office truly rests in the decisions that come before the land commissioner  every day.  The decisions rest solely on the discretion of the land commissioner and their ability to resist undue pressure and fear mongering from special interests.

Decisions that will directly impact the future of responsible development and revenue in our state.  Decisions that certainly have input and recommendations from land office experts but that are ultimately at the sole discretion of the land commissioner.  So who should we trust with that awesome decision-making power? Should it be someone who accepts or would accept money from gas and oil or someone who would not.

Representative Matthew McQueen has had a lifetime of experience and exposure to the kinds of decisions he will have to make as land commissioner.  His career in law means that he has worked on the very issues that the land commissioner will face in the coming years.  His legislative career has likewise seen him working with the land office staff to change policy that directly impacts the state land office and its success.

But don’t take my word for it, because most of the other candidates don’t actually have that kind of executive level decision-making record for voters to scrutinize, we have to rely on other indicators to determine what kind of decision-makers they will be.  

Indicators like:  Who is endorsing these candidates?  Many of the endorsements in this race are from organizations that are intimately familiar with the land office and its influence over complex issues that we all care about like the future of energy and climate in New Mexico.  They have endorsed the candidate they trust the most to steer us into that future, Matthew McQueen. Rep. McQueen has earned the endorsement by Conservation Voters of New Mexico, the Sierra Club, Animal Protection Voters, and others for that very reason. They trust he is the right man for the job.