State Sen. David Gallegos won a three-man race for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor earlier this month and will be the running mate for gubernatorial candidate Gregg Hull on the GOP ticket in November’s general election. A longtime resident of the town of Eunice in the Permian Basin, Gallegos said if he and Hull win he’d use the office to bolster the voices of rural New Mexicans.

In the latest episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast, Gallegos joins Santa Fe New Mexican state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón to chat about the governor’s race, lay out his priorities and discuss his position on President Donald Trump’s policies.

Gallegos, who worked for 30 years in the natural gas industry and is now a manager for his family’s construction company, said he is developing a good relationship with Hull, the former mayor of Rio Rancho. He said the two bring a balance to the GOP ticket, with Hull offering a perspective on urban New Mexico and Gallegos bringing an understanding of a rural way of life.

Gallegos offers his perspective the situation regarding the Democratic ticket, which saw Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver recently suspend her campaign for lieutenant governor due to health issues. A handful of people are now vying to step in and be the running mate for Deb Haaland.

Chacón later questions Gallegos about strife among the state’s Republican Party leadership, and how it impacts the party’s candidates.

Gallegos also shares his thoughts on Trump, saying New Mexico Democrats have prevented the state from receiving federal funds due to being uncooperative with the administration’s policies.