NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – With 30 years in local government under his belt, Ken Miyagishima said it’s been a long-time dream of his to be governor of New Mexico, “I believe I can bring that experience and hit the ground running on day one.”
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Miyagishima served as the longest tenured mayor of Las Cruces from 2007 to 2023, and now, he hopes to lead the state forward. “I’ve lived here since 1969, and I love New Mexico, and I want to make sure it’s the best it can be. But I’m tired of being at the bottom of every list and at the top of crime,” said Miyagishima.
According to his campaign website, Miyagishima wants to create a new state metro police unit to support larger cities. He also plans to create housing incentives to bring in more law enforcement recruits. In collaboration with local sheriffs, he hopes to secure the state’s borders and prevent drugs from entering communities.
“When I walk into classrooms and look into the hopeful eyes of young students. I remember they are the reason,” Miyagishima said in a campaign video.
Miyagishima wants to strengthen the trades in schools, increase pay for teachers, and offer free tuition for aspiring educators to keep them in the state.
As doctors leave New Mexico in droves from high insurance rates, it’s important to Miyagishima to prioritize adding a cap on how much attorneys can make from medical malpractice lawsuit payouts. “When you can’t have medical malpractice caps, doctors aren’t moving here, they’re leaving here,” said Miyagishima.
Miyagishima believes many of these priorities would be made possible by more efficiently managing state funds.
“You know it’s all about budgets,” said Miyagishima. Going on to say, “Oil and gas represents about a third of the state’s 10.8 billion dollar budget. That’s a lot of money. We cannot shut off oil and gas.” And when it comes to renewable energy, he says the state can have both.
“New Mexicans deserve affordable housing, proper healthcare, safer communities,” said Miyagishima.
Miyagishima said he has what the state needs: “Someone who knows business, money, and government. I am the only one with all three disciplines to be able to get us through this.”
Miyagishima will face former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman in the Democratic primary.
