US EditionCannabis entrepreneur Duke Rodriguez joins the race for New Mexico governor
Duke Rodriguez plans to self-fund his GOP bid, focusing on health care, education, crime, and public pensions amid eligibility questions and a competitive primary.
- Duke Rodriguez, Ultra Health president and CEO, announced his campaign for New Mexico governor via a Sunday advertisement in The Albuquerque Journal.
- After the New Mexico Supreme Court dismissed his petition this month, Rodriguez said the court's decision influenced his run while prioritizing health care, education, crime, and public retirement safeguards.
- Rodriguez said Monday he's confident the residency requirement is a non-issue, noting he owns homes in Albuquerque and Scottsdale, Arizona, and said, `I grew up here, built my career here, and raised my family here`.
- As he prepares to compete, Rodriguez said he'd likely contribute at least $2 million to his campaign, joining a GOP primary with Gregg Hull and Steve Lanier while the DGA sought to link him to Donald Trump.
- Positioning himself as a GOP frontrunner, Rodriguez eyes the November 2026 contest as he calls attention to the new semi-open primary law allowing roughly 345,000 independent voters to choose major-party ballots, ahead of the June 2 primary and Nov. 3 general election.
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Associated Press News
Cannabis entrepreneur Duke Rodriguez joins the race for New Mexico governor
One of New Mexico’s most successful cannabis entrepreneurs is entering the race for governor. Duke Rodriguez announced his run for the Republican nomination in a series of newspaper advertisements over the weekend.
Ultra Health CEO announces bid for New Mexico governor
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – An executive at one of New Mexico's largest marijuana companies has joined the race to become the state's next governor. Duke Rodriguez has officially announced his candidacy to replace Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, who is in her second term in office and cannot run again. Rodriguez is currently the CEO of Ultra Health, [...]
Duke Rodriguez formally announces Republican bid for governor
Duke Rodriguez, CEO of Ultra Health Cannabis and a former state cabinet secretary, on Dec. 14, 2025, announced his formal bid to be New Mexico's next governor. (Courtesy of Duke Rodriguez)Duke Rodriguez, a cannabis company CEO and cabinet secretary under former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, on Sunday formally announced his Republican candidacy for governor. Rodriguez for months had been publicly weighing whether or not to run. He previously told…
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