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When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time. 

New Mexico GOP gubernatorial candidate Duke Rodriguez recently showed everyone that there are more likeable candidates in this year鈥檚 race for governor. 

Rodriguez last week posted a video on Facebook of him interviewing a homeless man in Old Town. The man is sprawled on the ground, curled up next a to a wall as the sun beats down on him, worn-down shoes kicked off on the sidewalk. 

For the candidate that鈥檚 trying to paint himself as a problem solver, Rodriguez is apparently clueless when it comes to trying to address homelessness 鈥� a persistent, painful and visible problem that New Mexico communities struggle to find solutions for. 

Here鈥檚 a summary of the exchange:

鈥淎re you trying to find work? What kind of work would you be willing to do?鈥� Duke asked the man.

鈥淐hopping wood,鈥� the man said, his head resting on the ground and never visible during the exchange.

鈥淗ave you been to one of the homeless shelters? Have you been to the Gateway off of Gibson?鈥�

鈥淵eah I tried.鈥�

鈥淲hat happened?鈥�

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know. It just didn鈥檛 take, too long.鈥�

鈥淒id you find it worthwhile? We need to fix it to make a difference. But you鈥檇 rather be here. How come?鈥�

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know.鈥�

鈥淲hat鈥檚 your poison of choice?

鈥淚 don鈥檛 have one.鈥�

鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have one. You don鈥檛 drink?鈥�

鈥淣o, I don鈥檛 drink.鈥�

鈥淣o drugs?

鈥淣辞.鈥�

鈥淣o weed?鈥�

鈥淣辞.鈥� 

鈥淣o meth? No nothin?鈥�

鈥淣辞.鈥�

鈥淪o it鈥檚 just bad luck? Can we get you mental health? 鈥� Maybe?鈥�

The man said he has no family and was previously in Palmer, Alaska. He doesn鈥檛 answer when Rodriguez probes how he ended up in sa国际传媒官网网页入口.

鈥淚鈥檓 sympathetic. Believe me, I grew up on Medicaid, on food stamps, in the projects,鈥� Rodriguez said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not a good life, right?鈥�

鈥淣ot mine, no.鈥�

Rodriguez thanks the man for his time and hands him some cash before walking away. 

If there鈥檚 a moment or nugget of enlightenment to be gleaned from the conversation, I missed it, but perhaps I was too busy cringing. 

Rodriguez said he was in Old Town for a campaign event when someone alerted him to the man, who passersby thought might have been dead or in medical distress. 

Homelessness is regularly cited in polls as being one of the most pressing issues on voters鈥� minds. Last year鈥檚 sa国际传媒官网网页入口 mayoral race in particular focused on the issue.

People living on the streets often struggle with addiction, mental health, chronic disease. They are vulnerable and desperate 鈥� perhaps making them incapable of fully consenting to be used as a political prop to elevate a candidate.

sa国际传媒官网网页入口 is just one New Mexico community that understands how complex it can be to address the stubborn issue. The annual Point-In-Time count found that there were 2,960 homeless people in sa国际传媒官网网页入口 during a single night in 2025, which was a 125% increase from 1,311 in 2022, according to conservative estimate by the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness. 

New Mexicans should expect the leader of the state鈥檚 highest office to solve problems while acting with kindness and respect. The video was neither. It felt performative and exploitive. 

鈥淚 understand some people may attempt to frame any public interaction involving homelessness as exploitative, but I respectfully disagree with the idea that the better approach is to ignore people suffering in plain sight,鈥� Rodriguez said in an email. 鈥淚n many ways, treating struggling individuals as invisible creates even greater harm. These are human beings. They are sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, veterans, neighbors, and in many cases people who still have family or community members who care about them and may recognize them and step in to help.鈥�

Fair enough. But what if the man was having a serious health issue. sa国际传媒官网网页入口 has created sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Community Safety, which dispatches trained personnel to such scenarios to offer people assistance and services. Maybe Rodriguez could have called for help instead of giving a lecture?

Handing a guy a few bucks and using his circumstances for a political campaign comes off as rude. It didn鈥檛 win Rodriguez any marks in the classic 鈥渂eer question鈥� 鈥� polling voters to see which candidate they would prefer to drink beer with to test a candidate鈥檚 authenticity and likability. It鈥檚 almost ironic that the most successful cannabis executive in New Mexico managed to fall behind his opponents in likability. 

The video also raises questions about Rodriguez鈥檚 judgment. A governor will be taxed with emotionally charged events like natural disasters, tragedies involving children, crime victims and poverty. Knowing how to demonstrate leadership instead of trying to score a political win during a crisis is crucial. 

How about visit and volunteer at a shelter? Maybe unveil policy plans and hold a community forum? Host a roundtable with service providers about their needs? Meet with families harmed by addiction and a lack of access to mental health treatment? 

Rodriguez did send me his plan for dealing with homelessness as governor:

鈥� Expand meaningful behavioral health and addiction treatment capacity, including crisis stabilization and long-term recovery options.

鈥� Earlier intervention for mental illness and substance abuse before individuals reach chronic street homelessness.

鈥� Stronger coordination between healthcare, housing, law enforcement, and community organizations.

鈥� More accountability for how homelessness funding is spent and whether programs are producing measurable outcomes.

鈥� Public safety and quality-of-life standards so that both struggling individuals and surrounding communities are protected.

鈥� Moving people toward treatment, stability and dignity rather than simply accepting permanent street encampments as inevitable.

Homelessness in New Mexico is a serious problem that needs thoughtful debate and meaningful salutations. And those solutions require a leader who wants to help people, not use them as props. 

Ryan Boetel is the Opinion editor at the Journal. He can be reached at 505-823-3960 and rboetel@abqjournal.com.