Turner touts Rio Rancho endorsements in crowded GOP governor race
Doug Turner leaned on four former Rio Rancho officials as he tried to blunt Gregg Hull’s hometown edge in Sandoval County’s GOP governor fight.
Doug Turner leaned on four former Rio Rancho elected officials as he tried to prove he can break Gregg Hull’s hometown grip on Sandoval County in the June 2 Republican governor primary. The endorsements were more than a routine show of support: in a city that anchors the county and remains New Mexico’s third-largest, they served as an early test of whether Turner can build real local machinery around him.
That matters because Hull is not just another rival in the three-way race with former state Human Services Secretary Duke Rodriguez. He spent 12 years as Rio Rancho mayor, from 2014 to 2026, and only recently handed the office to Paul Wymer after April’s runoff election. Turner’s campaign is betting that support from people who once held city power can help him reach voters and donors who still pay attention when former Rio Rancho officials take a side.
The contest remains unsettled. A KRQE poll of likely Republican primary voters, taken April 18 and 19, showed Hull at 21 percent, Rodriguez at 10 percent and Turner at 9 percent, with 61 percent undecided. That leaves room for movement, especially in Sandoval County, where Turner is trying to erode Hull’s advantage before the first semi-open primary in New Mexico history gives independents the option to vote in either party’s contest.
Turner has also tried to change the race’s financial and political math. His campaign reported more cash on hand than his two Republican opponents combined in spring 2026, and it circulated internal polling showing him ahead when voters were told about his background and policy proposals. His message has centered on taxes, schools, crime and business competitiveness, a mix aimed at Republicans who want a candidate they believe can compete beyond the party base.
Hull still carried the strongest delegate showing at the Republican pre-primary convention in March, though Turner also secured a ballot spot. That keeps the race fluid but also underlines the stakes in Rio Rancho: whichever candidate can command support in Sandoval County, especially among local Republicans and unaffiliated voters now able to participate, will have a stronger argument in a state where no Republican has won a statewide race since 2016.
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