Without a traditional moderated debate, New Mexico gubernatorial candidates sit for podcast interviews
Deb Haaland and Gregg Hull voice differing views on state income tax
In New Mexico, the podcast Conversations Different is a main way for the state’s oldest newspaper to get information to voters about candidates running for governor.
This election’s candidates, Democrat Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) and Republican Gregg Hull, haven’t scheduled a traditional debate moderated by a news outlet. Representatives from both campaigns told Buffalo’s Fire on Thursday that discussions for a debate are stalled.
With early voting starting Oct. 6, voters have been left to learn about candidates through multiple interview-style formats, including forums hosted by special interest groups, where the two candidates have appeared together but haven’t been allowed to address each other directly.
Most often Haaland and Hull appear separately to pitch their ideas or views to voters. The Santa Fe New Mexican editorial page editor Inez Russell Gomez interviewed Hull on Sept. 23 and Haaland the next day in front of live audiences for her Conversations Different podcast.
She asked questions from newsroom staff and readers. One concerned the candidates’ views on eliminating New Mexico’s state income tax. Hull wants to phase it out; Haaland doesn’t.
“There are a lot of wealthy people in this state that can pay their fair share of taxes,” Haaland told the crowd of predominantly white, retired voters at the live taping.
The podcast episodes, which air just over 30-minutes, will be out later this week.
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