In the heart of Albuquerque, Paul Gessing is at the helm of a movement rooted in liberty, accountability, and hope for New Mexico's future.
He is President of the Rio Grande Foundation, and he has spent nearly two decades advancing policies that empower individuals and help economic growth in the Land of Enchantment.
Gessing was born and raised in Ohio, but eventually came to New Mexico because of professional opportunity and deep family ties. After working in Washington, D.C., with the National Taxpayers Union, he sought a community where he could raise a family away from the congestion and expense of the capital.
He says that New Mexico, where his mother grew up and his grandmother still lived, called him home. In 2006, he answered that call—and he’s been fighting for the state’s future ever since. “I thought, well, what the heck, I'm going to see what I can do here in New Mexico,” he says.
Gessing’s vision for New Mexico is simple. He desires a state with sound economic policies that support the private sector, where education empowers students, and where constitutional liberties are zealously protected. Under his leadership, the Rio Grande Foundation has become an advocate for free-market solutions and limited government.
“We support building a strong economy, largely from the private sector,” Gessing says. “We support an education system that functions and is driven by parental desires… and we also support accountability.”
Gessing is particularly passionate about school choice. "We spend more per student than most realize," he says, pointing to Albuquerque Public Schools’ projected $33,000 per student expenditure.
Despite the investment, New Mexico is at the bottom of national rankings in education outcomes. “Even the most elite private schools in the state charge well below that,” he says. “Imagine if we freed up those dollars to be used by parents and families… There’s tutoring, there’s all kinds of options.”
Through initiatives like the Opportunity for All Kids (OAK) project, Gessing and State Representative Rebecca Dow are working to give parents greater options, from charter schools to homeschooling support.
“We are an all-of-the-above education reform effort,” he says of the partnership. “Rebecca dedicates herself directly to talking to parents, working on ways to reform the system in the here and now.”
Gessing’s policy portfolio also spans economic development, energy policy, constitutional rights, and crime reduction. His focus on research is evident through the Foundation’s blog, Errors of Enchantment, where he and his team document New Mexico’s policy challenges—and propose solutions.
“We always put links in our posts,” Gessing says. “I’m not trying to hide the ball here.”
He doesn’t shy away from controversy or opposition. “It’s frustrating to see the way things are going,” Gessing says. “But it’s in the hands of the voters… we can choose whether we want to improve our state or not.”
Recent wins include the bipartisan defeat of the Paid Family Leave Act. “That was a big one,” he says. “God bless the Senate Finance Committee for voting it down.”
But sometimes his victories come in the form of spirited public debate. “I got to be an expert witness on a bill to eliminate the state’s personal income tax,” he says. “It was fun—a classic fencing match with Speaker Martinez,” he says. In his view, “that’s how the battle of ideas should play out.”
Outside the realm of policy, Gessing is a self-described New Mexico food enthusiast—green chile stew topping his list of favorites. A former basketball player, he jokes that his love for the game instantly earns him credibility with many he meets.
“You don’t start eating the chips and salsa until you’ve got a full glass of water in front of you,” he advises. “That’s my rule.”
Gessing’s message is that New Mexico’s brightest days can still lie ahead, but only if its people demand better and fight for the freedoms that can unlock the state's true potential.
“New Mexico is a state that's been driven by the government for over a century,” he says. His hope is that this can change for the benefit of all New Mexicans.
You can learn more about Paul Gessing’s work at RioGrandeFoundation.org and explore his research at ErrorsofEnchantment.com.
