Hull urges broadband, roads and emergency upgrades at Gallup conference

Gregg Hull used the 89th Annual New Mexico Counties Conference in Gallup to press a campaign theme that lands differently in McKinley County than it does in Rio Rancho: better emergency communications, expanded rural broadband, and serious investment in roads and water systems. The Republican mayor of Rio Rancho and 2026 gubernatorial candidate told county officials and advocates that state policy has to work for both rural communities and urban growth centers, but in Gallup that promise will be measured against whether residents can call for help, reach work and schools on decent roads, and count on water service that does not leave the region on edge.

The four-day conference ran June 15-18 in McKinley County and marked the 100th anniversary of Route 66, a reminder of Gallup’s place at a historic crossroads. New Mexico Counties said the gathering was meant to give county leaders tools to tackle local problems and help lay the groundwork for the 2027 legislative session, a timeline that makes the stakes of Hull’s comments more immediate for the counties most dependent on state infrastructure funding.

Hull’s remarks fit a broader campaign message. Associated Press reporting on his entry into the governor’s race said he was the first Republican to jump into the 2026 contest, and his launch already centered on more state investment in roadways and the health care workforce. He has also argued that Rio Rancho roads were neglected for 30 years and said repairs there are being directed by population, traffic counts and road condition. In Gallup and across McKinley County, residents know the road debate is not abstract: it affects school buses, chapter house travel, hospital access and emergency response.

Broadband has moved from campaign talking point to concrete state project. New Mexico’s Office of Broadband Access and Expansion won federal approval to distribute $382 million in grants expected to reach more than 40,000 locations statewide, while the state also secured a $2 million federal grant to train the next generation of technicians who will connect remote communities. In northwest New Mexico, three broadband projects serving rural communities in Cibola and McKinley counties, funded through the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act, have already been completed. Sacred Wind Communications also finished a redundant fiber line between Albuquerque and Gallup to support hospitals, point-of-sale systems and emergency services.

Water remains the hardest test. The Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project has been in development since 2009 and is meant to provide a more reliable surface-water supply for the Navajo Nation and Gallup area. But the project has faced repeated funding gaps, including a late-2025 estimate of about $600 million after the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation hit a $1.5 billion spending cap. A $62 million contract for the San Juan Lateral Pumping Plant was awarded in November 2025, yet officials still said more money was needed to finish the work, as Gallup groundwater levels were reported to have fallen about 200 feet over 10 years.

That mix of urgent needs made Hull’s appearance in Gallup more than a campaign stop. It put his platform in front of the county that may ask the sharpest questions about whether broadband, roads and emergency upgrades ever arrive fast enough.