Rio Rancho forums set for Sandoval County primary candidates next week

Sandoval County voters will get a close look at the sheriff’s race and the District 3 county commission contest when primary forums bring candidates to Rio Rancho Public Schools Training Center Room at 500 Laser Road NE.

The Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Rio Rancho Observer are set to host the county forums on Wednesday, April 29, with Sandoval County Commission District 3 candidates at 5 p.m. and sheriff candidates at 6 p.m. The forums follow another pair of political events the night before, when the chamber will host Joshua Hernandez and Zachary Anaya at 5 p.m. for the District 60 House race and the League of Women Voters will host a gubernatorial forum at 6 p.m.

The sheriff’s race is one of the most closely watched contests on the Sandoval County ballot, with Democrats John Paul Trujillo, Martin Arellano and Jose Eloy Gonzales Jr. running against Republicans Victor Rodriguez and Alvin Eric Miller. The county also has a competitive commission field this year, and District 3 is drawing particular attention because it sits at the intersection of taxes, growth and county spending decisions that shape daily life in Rio Rancho and the rest of the county.

In District 3, Edwin Paul Linson is scheduled to participate in the forum. Republican primary opponent Daniel J. Stoddard will not attend because of a scheduling conflict, leaving voters with one side of the race represented at the podium. For residents weighing who should guide county policy, that contest matters well beyond party labels: county commissioners help set the tone on development, infrastructure and the budget in one of New Mexico’s fastest-growing counties.

The gubernatorial forum on April 28 is also expected to draw attention, with Republicans Gregg Hull, Duke Rodriguez and Doug Turner and Democrats Deb Haaland and Sam Bregman slated to take part. The overlapping events underscore how much of the Sandoval County ballot is centered on races with direct local consequences, from policing to land use to state funding priorities.

County election staff said 30 candidates filed during the March 10 filing day, a sign of a crowded primary already in motion. Sandoval County has about 117,000 registered voters, according to Deputy Clerk Joey Dominguez, and the county’s own history says it was created in 1903 and now spans about 3,714 square miles and roughly 154,000 people. Early voting for the primary is set for May 16 through May 30, with primary election day on June 2.