Mark Ronchetti (R) wants to make fighting crime a primary issue as he attempts to unseat Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) as governor of New Mexico.
The nominee called the Land of Enchantment "the second most violent state in the nation" on his website.
Ronchetti criticized Lujan Grisham's attempts at fighting crime during her time in office.
"The current leadership has made it clear that crime to them, and crime to this governor, is a talking point and not a priority,” he told KOB 4. He added that he would seek some type of bail reform that would lead to more people accused of violent crimes remaining in jail until trial.
Ronchetti said he would increase penalties for breaking the law, adding jail time for anything from shoplifting to violent crimes. He told KOB 4 he would appoint judges who are tough on crime.
"If we get enough New Mexicans to say, 'Enough; let's stiffen the penalties, let's make sure that if someone is going to take part in an armed robbery that they're staying behind bars until trial, and then if convicted, they go to jail,'" Ronchetti said he could accomplish those goals.
The candidate said he would address the situation at New Mexico's border by deploying the National Guard. When asked how he would deal with the influx of drugs to the state, he said he would create a new network to investigate drug trafficking, KOB 4 reported.
Ronchetti vowed to fund and support the police in a statement on his website. He said he "wants to strengthen qualified immunity by beefing up protections for police to prevent people from successfully suing them," according to KOB 4.