From the first day of our administration, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and I have made investing in rural New Mexico a top priority, whether championing billions more in capital outlay funds for public infrastructure, creation of the $46 million Rural Health Care Delivery Fund, new workforce affordable housing monies, or the New Mexico Match Fund to help local governments leverage once-in-a-generation federal dollars. And by emphasizing a close, working collaboration, the executive and legislative branches together have achieved results that promise more resilience and growth for rural communities who need it.
Six years on, we know there is still much work to do because large swaths of rural New Mexico continue to struggle with underinvestment and neglect. The 2025 meeting of legislature offers another opportunity to make a profound boost in infrastructure spending thanks to positive revenue surpluses. We should do it, and make the most of these new resources while we have them.
During my time as Lieutenant Governor, I have made it my goal to regularly visit rural towns and villages to hear first-hand the concerns and needs of residents. Born and raised in rural Grant County myself, and living there still with my two children, it’s a natural thing to do.
