Michael Perry grew up in Roswell with an interesting aspiration for a child — he wanted to be a game warden.

One of his grandfathers was a director with the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and took Perry quail hunting all over the state. After studying wildlife science at New Mexico State University, Perry followed in his grandfather’s footsteps and served as a game warden for the department for more than two decades.

Perry now has a new goal — to become the New Mexico state land commissioner.

Formerly an assistant commissioner over state lands at the State Land Office, Perry is the Republican nominee for state land commissioner. He is running against Democrat Juan de Jesus Sanchez III to succeed outgoing State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard.

In the latest episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast, Perry joins Santa Fe New Mexican state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón to share his positions on policy issues facing the State Land Office and to discuss the path that led him to this point.

Chacón begins the episode by asking Perry about his stance on the withdrawal of state lands from mining leases around Chaco Culture National Historical Park initiated by Garcia Richard. He also asks Perry about his thoughts on Garcia Richard’s denial of an application to run a portion of a natural gas pipeline for Project Jupiter through state trust land.

Perry then responds to a question about a proposal to increase oil and gas bonding on state lands.

Questions then turn to Perry’s campaign and how he plans to break a long drought of Republicans in statewide races. Perry says his decades of experience with the state Department of Game and Fish and the State Land Office give him an edge over his younger opponent.

The interview ends with questions about Perry’s roots in New Mexico, his professional background and his passion for the state.

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