NM-GOV: Former Las Cruces mayor (D) announces run for governor
LAS CRUCES — The third Democrat to announce a run for governor in 2026 admitted Tuesday that his name “sounds like an obstacle course.”
As it happens, most of the supporters packing Ken Miyagishima’s announcement on Tuesday know him as “Mayor Ken,” the four-term mayor of Las Cruces who left city hall at the end of 2023. Miyagishima, who runs an insurance firm and has taught business courses at New Mexico State University, opted not to run for a fifth term.
In February, he announced he was exploring a run for the Democratic nomination for governor, and at Tuesday’s event he made it official, announcing his campaign with a 30-minute address emphasizing tougher criminal penalties, increased affordable housing and improved health care.
Miyagishima joins a primary field with Deb Haaland, the former U.S. Interior secretary, and Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman. Haaland, the first candidate to declare, has a head start on fundraising, taking in nearly $3 million already with $1.7 million on hand, while Bregman and Miyagishima have not yet had to file campaign finance reports. The primary election is in June 2026.
https://www.abqjournal.com/election/article_c914b656-0fc0-44e4-9079-1249974e69d1.html