Juan Sanchez III

Juan Sanchez III was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Sanchez earned a high school diploma from Belen High School and a bachelor's degree from New Mexico Highlands University in 2014. He also attended New Mexico University. Sanchez's career experience includes working as a consultant, political director, and in land/water stewardship.[3]

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Video submitted to BallotpediaReleased April 14, 2025

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Juan De Jesus Sanchez III is a 13th generation New Mexican who comes from a ranching family in Valencia and Socorro counties. Juan brings a wealth of conservation, land, water, and resource management experience to this campaign. As a former Natural Resources Specialist and Ranger with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a Technical Assistant for the New Mexico Acequia Commission, and long time Political Director for U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich; Juan strives to bring real world land management experience and handed down generational knowledge to the Land Office. This campaign is built on the principle that our lands in New Mexico are special and deserve to be protected and respected today and for generations to come.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Outdoor Access and Conservation

The same division that oversees Agriculture and Ranching within the State Land Office also plays an important role in expanding access to state trust lands for outdoor recreation, including hiking trails, rock climbing, camping options, and hunting and fishing. Juan’s experience as a Natural Resource Specialist at Cochiti with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, with the New Mexico Acequia Commission, and as a passionate advocate for the protection of our outdoor spaces make him uniquely suited to responsibly increase access for New Mexicans to enjoy their state lands and they are conserved for future generations to do the same.Agriculture and Ranching

The State Land Office manages 9 million acres of surface state trust land that has been leased to New Mexico families and tribal communities since statehood. These agricultural, ranching, and grazing lands and their caretakers face a variety of challenges, including drought, erosion, dwindling return on cattle ranching, and invasive plant species threatening grazing. Juan’s professional background in Water Resources, his family’s ranching roots, and his determination to see our rural communities have what they need to preserve their way of life are the exact experiences needed to ensure rural and tribal communities’ interests are represented at the Land Office.Oil and Gas

New Mexico has risen to be the 2nd largest oil producing state in the country. This industry is especially important to the State Land Office as royalties from the production of oil and gas fuel New Mexico’s Land Grant Permanent Fund, sending billions of dollars to our public schools and early childhood education system each year. Mineral acres leased to the industry are constitutionally held in trust for the benefit of future generations of New Mexicans. As your Commissioner, Juan will partner with the industry and the communities in which they are active to the best benefit of New Mexicans. The most prosperous industry in our state should be held to the highest standard of responsible operation in order to protect the land.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Fighting Against Land Sale Off

New Mexico’s 9 million acres of trust lands weren’t targeted in a recent federal attempted Land Sell off, but that doesn’t mean they’re safe from future attacks. If anything, this showed us just how quickly public lands can be in danger. We need leadership that treats our lands not as bargaining chips to be sold, but as a part of our identity, culture, and livelihood to be protected for future generations.

As Land Commissioner, I’ll fight to ensure our lands are managed with long-term benefit in mind. That means keeping access open for New Mexicans. It means listening to communities that rely on these lands. And it means saying, clearly and consistently, that New Mexico’s public lands are not for sale.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The New Mexico State Land Office has a clear and dedicated mission – to protect and preserve state trust land while generating resources for our state institutions, like our public schools, hospitals, and universities. As your Land Commissioner, I will be first and foremost dedicated to protecting public lands, strengthening economies by continuing to generate resources for communities, and ensuring that land and water remain in the hands of those who steward them responsibly today and will continue to do so for generations to come.

In the face of the Trump Administration, we need a Land Commissioner willing to fight the sale of our lands to the highest bidder and keep the best interests of New Mexico communities at the forefront of the Land Office.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Rudolfo Anaya’s 'Bless Me, Ultima' holds a special place in my heart because it tells a story that feels like it could be my own family’s. Growing up in a small town in New Mexico, I saw myself, my neighbors, and my community reflected in its pages. Anaya captured the voices, landscapes, and struggles of our people in a way that validated experiences I had always felt but rarely saw written down in literature.

At its core, Bless Me, Ultima is about identity, how a young New Mexican boy, navigates family, tradition, faith, and the wider world. That journey resonates with me as a 13th-generation New Mexican. I too grew up at the crossroads of influences the ranching lifestyle of my family, spiritual traditions tied to land and water, and the modern challenges of a state shaped by change. Anaya’s story reminded me what makes our heritage so rich and enduring.

The setting of Bless Me, Ultima is also deeply familiar. The llano, the river, the village life it mirrors the landscapes I grew up in and still fight to protect. The Mora Valley, the Rio Grande, the acequias that thread through our valleys, they are all characters in my own story, just as much as they are in Antonio’s.

Finally, one of the most powerful themes in the book is inheritance, not just of land, but of values and ways of being. Antonio struggles with whether he will follow the vaquero life of his father’s family or the farming traditions of his mother’s. In my own life, I’ve felt the weight of inheritance from the Tomé, Atrisco, and La Joya Land Grants, that I am reminded I'm heir too, but the land no long passes down, and long lost dream of a part of our ranch passing down to me. Though inheritance is not simply just property it’s culture, responsibility, and an obligation to carry forward traditions like ranching, acequia stewardship, and community service.

Bless Me, Ultima is my favorite book because it is ours. It is a New Mexican story written by a New Mexican author.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich

U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez

State Senator, Carrie Hamblen

State Senator, Angel Charley

State Senator, Cindy Nava

Las Cruces Mayor Pro Tem, Johana Bencomo

Bernalillo County Sheriff, John Allen

Bernalillo County Commissioner, Barbara Baca

Doña Ana County Commissioner, Christopher Shaljo-Hernandez

Grant County Commissioner, Nancy Stevens

San Miguel County Commissioner, Max Trujillo

Socorro County Commissioner, Craig Secatero

Sandoval County Commissioner, Joshua Jones

Luna County Commissioner, Rey Trejo

Taos County Commissioner, Bob Romero

Taos County Commissioner, AnJanette Brush

Mountainair Mayor, Peter Nieto

Former NM Attorney General, Gary King

Former Lt. Governor, Diane Denish

Orgs

Climate Cabinet