Five Rio Rancho mayoral candidates gathered at a church-hosted forum last weekend and spoke with one voice against sanctuary city status, while staking out sharp positions on drag performances, library materials and the role of city government in policing community morality — drawing sustained applause from a crowd that had gathered explicitly to hear candidates address issues of faith and values.
The Feb. 22 forum at Calvary Rio Rancho, hosted by Better Together New Mexico and the church’s cultural impact team, featured candidates Michael Meek, Zachary Darden, Paul Wymer, Corrine Rios and Aleitress Owens-Smith. The sixth candidate, Alexandria Piland, did not attend.
The March 3 election will determine who succeeds Mayor Gregg Hull, who is not seeking re-election after 12 years in office.
Immigration
Immigration drew the forum’s most pointed responses, described by moderator Pastor Roy Weaver as the single most popular question submitted by residents.
Rios set the tone for the group. “I am not for sanctuary city status. Let me just put that out there,” she said. “We need to continue to work with all agencies, not just federal, to keep you and our family safe, because that is the number one job of government.” She added that she would never introduce an ordinance restricting local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration agencies.
Owens-Smith, pressed by the moderator to clarify her position after initially pivoting to other city priorities, said: “I don’t believe in sanctuary cities. I believe in community cities but not sanctuaries.”
Darden said he does not support sanctuary designations as currently implemented, adding that he believes all parties must be held accountable. “We need to be making sure we’re holding all parties accountable, our residents and our law enforcement agents, making sure that they’re doing the job correctly and lawfully,” he said.
Wymer said he supports ICE being allowed to do its job while opposing overreach. “I believe that ICE should be allowed to do their job, but not overreach their authority,” he said, adding that news coverage has focused on cases involving bad actors.
Meek, a retired fire chief and current Sandoval County commissioner, simply declared himself opposed.
The consensus stood in contrast to the position of absent candidate Alexandria Piland, the only contender in the race who supports sanctuary city status. At an earlier chamber forum, Piland was the only candidate who did not oppose making Rio Rancho a sanctuary city — a policy that would prevent local authorities from reporting undocumented immigrants to federal immigration officials. Piland later told The 528 she supports the designation on principle, framing it in terms of Christian values, though she acknowledged a mayor alone could not enact such a policy.
Drag performances and library content
A 2023 drag queen event at the Rio Rancho Events Center generated pointed responses when candidates were asked whether the mayor and city council should have any role in restricting events that “promote sexual deviancy to children.”
Darden, drawing on his background as a former kindergarten teacher, said children should be shielded from such content until they are mature enough to evaluate it. “You don’t add oil to an unbuilt engine in the same way that we shouldn’t be adding this type of influence and energy to our children — let them decide for themselves when their prefrontal cortexes are fully developed,” he said.
Rios said she had tried to organize a protest of the 2023 event before deciding against it, and tied her answer to her broader record of civic activism. “I stood up [against] pornography in the libraries and I went and spoke at the city council meeting,” she said, referring to her opposition to sexually explicit materials in the library system. “We need to protect our children and we can’t hide it as a first amendment right. Pornography is pornography.”
Wymer said he was disappointed the event was permitted but urged caution about the implications of restrictions. “If we restrict that presentation, then where do we stop restricting?” he said, adding that he believes arena policy should be reviewed and potentially updated.
Meek said he personally dislikes the idea of such events and believes the city should have a clear stance, though he said he was not fully informed about the contractual terms under which the event was booked. “My guess is that it was a moneymaker, and that’s why it was brought in,” Meek said. “But I believe we should have a stance at the city and we should adhere to that.”
On the question of more than 150 books described by the moderator as pornographic and currently available in Rio Rancho public school libraries, all five candidates said the materials should be removed. Wymer noted that schools operate independently of the city and that Rio Rancho’s library system already uses a tiered library card system to restrict minors’ access to certain materials. Rios, however, said she would be willing as mayor to sponsor a city ordinance to protect children if the issue persisted.
DEI and voter ID
Candidates were equally unified on diversity, equity and inclusion policies. All five said they oppose using DEI criteria in city hiring decisions. “I believe every man and woman should stand up on their own character,” Meek said.
Darden put it more pointedly: “I’d rather the pilot flying my plane be skilled instead of being black — but we need black pilots, too.”
Rios offered a sardonic closing on the topic: “Being that I’m running for mayor, I think it’s time we have a really short female mayor — I’m just kidding. Don’t go around saying on Facebook I’m for DEI. I’m not for DEI. The best person for the job is who needs to get the job.”
All five candidates also expressed full support for Rio Rancho’s voter ID requirement, which survived a repeal attempt last year. Meek warned the policy nearly disappeared: “We were at the risk of losing it had it not been for last-minute action by the citizens.” Darden offered a succinct endorsement of the requirement: “I have to show my ID to get a library card. So of course, yes, I support voter ID.”
On the Second Amendment, candidates competed to outdo each other. After Rios said she supports constitutional carry “100 percent,” Meek Owens each said “10” on a scale of one to 10. Darden said 12 out of 10 and Wymer topped them all: “15 out of 10.”
The March 3 election requires a candidate to surpass 50% to avoid a runoff. If no candidate reaches that threshold, the top two vote-getters will meet in a runoff April 14. 14 voting sites will be open throughout Rio Rancho on election day from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Photo identification is required.
Thank you for your reporting on this forum as I did not attend it. Your reporting is always unbiased unlike other news outlets which are usually accentuate their leftist views.