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New Mexico's three Republican candidates for governor were largely unanimous in their opposition to taxes Wednesday but differed on the fate of the state's fairgrounds and other issues in a televised debate.

Business owner Doug Turner, former Cabinet secretary Duke Rodriguez and three-term Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull fielded questions from reporters with the sa国际传媒官网网页入口, KOAT Action 7 News and News Radio KKOB.

Voters will choose the Republican nominee in a June 2 primary election. Early voting begins May 5.

All three candidates criticized a law passed this year that forbids counties and local law enforcement from contracting with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.

Turner said the law poses an economic hardship on communities that rely on detention facilities for job.

"ICE is going to use facilities somewhere," Turner said. "They are going to go somewhere and they might as well go to our state and they might as well promote economic growth in those communities."

Rodriguez said the law deprives New Mexico counties of the ability to support humane detention facilities and assumes they will "fail at being good humans."

Hull said New Mexico should work with the federal government and surrounding states on border issues. Shutting down detention facilities "sends a message that we're not willing to hold people accountable."

The candidates also took issue with New Mexico's 6% personal income tax rate.

Turner said the state should limit the personal income tax rate to 3% to make the state competitive with neighbors.

Rodriguez said he wants to "eliminate" the state's personal income tax, gross receipt taxes on retail sales and reduce the state's portion of property taxes.

鈥淲e need to simply fix our tax code, put the money back into taxpayers, families, pockets and eliminate those taxes immediately,鈥� Rodriguez said.

Hull said New Mexico needs to replace the state's gross receipt with a "pure sales tax" without adversely impacting communities that depend on them.

A question about the future of Expo New Mexico and the state fairgrounds aroused the sharpest disagreement between the candidates.

Hull said the fairgrounds should stay at their current location in central sa国际传媒官网网页入口, while Turner said customers would be better served by moving the fairgrounds to a new location with "a brand new facility" and improved access.

Rodriguez said Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's administration should allow the next governor to consider the fate of the fairgrounds.

"It's an issue worth considering weighing whether we move it to the West Side," Rodriguez said. "Hand it over to the new administration."

The three candidates offered mixed assessments of state-subsidized child care, which is a signature accomplishment of Lujan Grisham鈥檚 administration. All three candidates said they support state-subsidized child care in principal but have concerns about the cost and scope of the program.

Rodriguez, who filed a lawsuit this month challenging the initiative, said he supports child care assistance programs but contests the legality of the governor's plan. He also contends the program has a $4 billion cost that exceeds the state's share of Medicaid.

"It's not enough to just simply say universal child care," he said. "It has to be a program that is lawful, that is legal and sustainable."

A judge this week issued an order that gave Early Childhood Education and Care Secretary Elizabeth Groginsky a 30-day deadline to file a response to the complaint showing why the court shouldn't strike down the program.

Turner said he supports state-subsidized child care in principle, but only if the state implements means testing for parents.

"An extremely wealthy person shouldn't have the state paying for their child care," Turner said. "As we look at how we support a program like this, the most money possible needs to go to those with the greatest need."

Hull said he has concerns about whether New Mexico has the money and infrastructure to support universal child care.

"Do we have the resources to continue doing it?" Hull asked.