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Courtesy Photo Sam Bregman, candidate for Governor, to hold Listening Session in Questa on February 21

Bernalillo County DA, Gubernatorial Candidateto Hold Community Conversation in Questa

Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman, a candidate for New Mexico governor, is scheduled to meet with residents in Questa on Feb. 21 for a community conversation focused on water, public safety, education and the town’s economic future following the closure of the Questa Mine.


The event will take place from 11 a.m. to noon at the Questa VFW Hall along New Mexico Highway 522 and Sagebrush Road. Residents of Questa and Taos County are invited to attend. The discussion will follow an informal town hall format and will be livestreamed on the Questa del Rio News Facebook page.


Organizers said the event is designed as a listening session rather than a campaign rally, giving residents an opportunity to raise concerns directly with the gubernatorial candidate.


“We invited Sam Bregman here today for one reason: to listen to Questa,” moderator Louis Herrera says. “This is not a rally. This is a conversation about our water, safety, and our future after the mine closure.”


Bregman, who has served as Bernalillo County’s district attorney since 2023, is expected to begin with brief opening remarks before responding to questions from residents. Bregman intends to focus on the challenges facing rural communities and the role of state government in addressing them.


Water issues are expected to be a central topic of discussion, including the protection of acequia systems, concerns about interstate water compacts, and the use of produced water. Residents are also expected to ask about scientific research from New Mexico State University regarding produced water meeting federal and state environmental standards.


Economic recovery following the mine closure is another major focus. Questions will address the state’s responsibility to communities affected by mine shutdowns, affordable housing initiatives, and proposed development projects that include housing and manufacturing facilities.


Organizers said the conversation will also address how rural voices can be included more consistently in state decision-making beyond election cycles.


Bregman is the first politician to hold an event directly in Questa while gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland hosted an event in Taos on Tuesday, June 17 of 2025.


Candidates running for governor of New Mexico in the November 2026 election include former U.S. Interior Secretary and former U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland, a Democrat; Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman, a Democrat; former Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima, a Democrat; Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull, a Republican; state Sen. Steve D. Lanier, a Republican; and Duke Rodriguez, a Republican business leader and former state cabinet secretary.