Latest news with #MichaelPerry
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Chaves County Commissioner Michael Perry first GOP candidate in land commissioner race
Jul. 14—SANTA FE — Michael Perry isn't oblivious to the fact New Mexico has only elected three Republicans to lead the State Land Office since 1930. But the Chaves County commissioner and former state Department of Game and Fish official says he's hopeful his conservation-rich background can lead to a GOP breakthrough in next year's land commissioner race. "My hope is that people will put politics aside and look at resumes," said Perry, who recently announced his campaign for the 2026 contest. As the first Republican in the contest, Perry joins a race that currently features three Democratic candidates — state legislator Matthew McQueen, former Biden appointee Jonas Moya and ex-Democratic Party official Juan Sanchez. The race does not feature an incumbent since current Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard is barred under the state Constitution from seeking a third consecutive term. Garcia Richard announced in March her plans to run for lieutenant governor in 2026. Perry, who currently owns a private consulting firm focused on habitat restoration, worked for more than 20 years with the Game and Fish Department as a game warden and, in later years, as a top administrator overseeing the agency's operations in southern New Mexico. He then worked for former Land Commissioner Aubrey Dunn, a Republican-turned-Libertarian, as an assistant commissioner. In that role, Perry said he worked with sportsmen's groups on access issues, including easements and right-of-way leases for certain hard-to-reach state trust lands. He said those experiences make his resume unmatched among the candidates in the land commissioner race. "I feel like I'm a good fit based on my biological background and my on the ground experience," Perry said. He also said that, if elected, he would ensure companies who lease state trust land for oil drilling or other commercial activities clean up their waste, while also saying he would oppose selling public lands. The idea of selling federal public lands to build more affordable housing drew criticism and protests in New Mexico, before eventually being removed from a massive budget bill signed this month by President Donald Trump. "I'm not an advocate of selling lands," Perry said. "I'm for us making money, but it's got to be done in a way that can last forever." The State Land Office oversees more than 9 million acres of state trust land, plus 13 million subsurface acres, for the benefit of New Mexico public schools, hospitals and other beneficiaries. The annual earnings recorded by the office jumped from roughly $1.1 billion during the 2019 budget year to nearly $2.6 billion in the 2024 fiscal year, with more than 90% of that amount coming from oil and natural gas royalties. In running for land commissioner next year, Perry will have to forego a reelection bid to the Chaves County Commission. That's because state law bars candidates from running for two separate elected offices in the same election cycle.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Republican Michael Perry jumps into race for New Mexico land commissioner
The statewide race for commissioner of public lands is no longer a one-party affair. Chaves County Commissioner Michael Perry announced Monday he is seeking the Republican nomination for state land commissioner in the June 2026 primary election. Perry, 53, is the fourth candidate but first Republican to launch a campaign to succeed Democrat Stephanie Garcia Richard, who is term-limited and seeking the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor. Perry, a Roswell native and retired game warden who served as assistant land commissioner from 2016 to 2019 under former State Land Commissioner Aubrey Dunn, called conservation his wheelhouse. 'I want to get back to wise use of our natural resources, and that's why I want to do this,' Perry said in an interview. 'It's very, very important to the whole state that our forests and our lands are in great shape.' Perry joins a growing field of candidates vying to take the reins at the New Mexico State Land Office, which oversees 9 million acres and 13 million subsurface acres of state trust land. Revenue earned by the agency through leases for oil and gas, agriculture and renewable energy, among other uses, benefits New Mexico's public schools, universities and hospitals. So far, all the candidates are men. In addition to Perry, they include state Rep. Matthew McQueen, an attorney who has served six terms in the Legislature; Juan De Jesus Sanchez III, a former state Democratic Party official who most recently worked as U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich's political director and deputy campaign manager; and Jonas Moya, who served as state director of the Farm Service Agency for 3½ years under the Biden administration. Perry earned a degree in wildlife science from New Mexico State University in 1995, the same year he started working for the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. 'I was in the law enforcement side of things, and I did that for 22 years,' he said, adding he was a district officer in Questa, Hobbs, Roswell and Carlsbad before serving as district supervisor in Roswell and then as a major of southern operations. 'I looked over all the wildlife and the law enforcement actions that occurred on the south half of the state while I was in that position as major,' he said, adding he joined the State Land Office as assistant commissioner over the Field Division in 2016. Perry said his experience at the State Land Office gives him an advantage over the other contenders. 'I don't know the intricate details of all the divisions, but I sure know the intricate details of the field division, and that's what I want to do, is make sure that we have some good sound management practices on the landscape,' he said. Asked about his accomplishments during his time at the State Land Office, Perry said his top projects were 'access-minded.' 'We worked some great access projects [where] people couldn't get into that landscape and now they have vehicular access and can, so it's open to everybody,' Perry said, adding he is also proud of the work he did on habitat projects. 'I would like to make sure that those live on because that's how you really start affecting landscapes,' he said. 'It's by decreasing that woody vegetation even from the prairies and even in the forest because that's how you get catastrophic wildfires, and that's something right now that we need to be very, very mindful of because when we preserve a forest, we're going to suffer from a catastrophic wildfire instead of conserving the place, which is the wise use of natural resources.' Perry said logging and prescriptive wood cutting are examples of how woody vegetation can be utilized. 'We need to put those lands to use but in a very mindful, prescriptive way that's good for the habitat and watershed,' he said. Perry said New Mexico needs to be 'environmentally sound' when it comes to the production of oil and gas. 'I think the previous land commissioners have set us on the right track to make industry a little bit better, and I think industry standards have gotten better over time,' he said, adding some people are also concerned about wind turbines when they are no longer functional. 'We're going to be stuck with it when it's left,' he said. 'I just want to make sure that we're doing that in a mindful way, that when we are left with an old oil well or we are left with an old wind turbine, that we make that industry properly maintain and clean up those issues.' Perry said his degree in wildlife science also gives him an edge in the race. 'I think my résumé is probably as good as anybody that's ever been the land commissioner, honestly,' Perry said. 'Everything I've done fits right into caring for the landscapes across a diversified state, which we have.' Perry owns and operates Wildlife and Habitat Prescriptions, which a news release describes as a consulting firm focused on sustainable land use. 'I've served in the field, in the Roundhouse, and in the State Land Office,' Perry said in a statement. 'Now, I'm ready to serve as Commissioner — to keep public lands productive, protected, and working for all New Mexicans.'
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dean Omar Branham Shirley Recognized Twice Among ALM's 2024 Top 100 Verdicts
Both decisions benefited plaintiffs harmed by using Johnson & Johnson's Baby Powder DALLAS, May 20, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--National plaintiffs firm Dean Omar Branham Shirley, LLP, has been recognized by ALM and for securing two of the largest jury verdicts of 2024. Both cases involved claims against pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) over its talc-based Baby Powder, which exposed users to asbestos, a known carcinogen. The 29th-ranked case on the ALM list was a $260 million verdict in Oregon on behalf of Kyung Lee, a 49-year-old mother of three who was diagnosed with mesothelioma after lifelong use of J&J's Baby Powder. Jurors awarded $60 million in compensatory damages and $200 million in punitive damages after finding that Johnson & Johnson knowingly sold asbestos-contaminated products. The firm also recorded the 82nd-ranked verdict, a $63 million judgment awarded in South Carolina to Michael Perry, a longtime hospitality professional diagnosed with terminal mesothelioma also linked to Johnson & Johnson's talc powder. The jury awarded $32.6 million in compensatory damages and $30.7 million in punitive damages. "These cases reflect the power of the jury system and the importance of holding even the most powerful corporations accountable," said Trey Branham, a partner at Dean Omar Branham Shirley. "Our clients showed incredible strength in telling their stories, and we're honored to have helped secure justice for them." Compiled by VerdictSearch analysts, the 2024 Top 100 Verdicts list ranks the year's largest jury awards by gross amount. Touted as the most comprehensive roundup of top jury awards nationwide, the list highlights the year's most significant courtroom wins across the country. View the full list here. The cases listed are Kyung H. Lee et al. v. Bi-Mart Corporation et al., No. 23-CV-40369 in the Circuit Court of the State of Oregon for the County of Multnomah and Michael Perry v. American International Industries, et al., case number 2023-CP-40-04072 in South Carolina's 5th Judicial Circuit Court. About Dean Omar Branham Shirley, LLP Dean Omar Branham Shirley, LLP, is a nationally recognized trial firm that handles cases across the country for individuals who have suffered catastrophic injuries or have died as a result of the irresponsible conduct of others. For more information, visit View source version on Contacts Media Contact: BeLynn Hollers800-559-4534Belynn@
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dean Omar Branham Shirley Recognized Twice Among ALM's 2024 Top 100 Verdicts
Both decisions benefited plaintiffs harmed by using Johnson & Johnson's Baby Powder DALLAS, May 20, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--National plaintiffs firm Dean Omar Branham Shirley, LLP, has been recognized by ALM and for securing two of the largest jury verdicts of 2024. Both cases involved claims against pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) over its talc-based Baby Powder, which exposed users to asbestos, a known carcinogen. The 29th-ranked case on the ALM list was a $260 million verdict in Oregon on behalf of Kyung Lee, a 49-year-old mother of three who was diagnosed with mesothelioma after lifelong use of J&J's Baby Powder. Jurors awarded $60 million in compensatory damages and $200 million in punitive damages after finding that Johnson & Johnson knowingly sold asbestos-contaminated products. The firm also recorded the 82nd-ranked verdict, a $63 million judgment awarded in South Carolina to Michael Perry, a longtime hospitality professional diagnosed with terminal mesothelioma also linked to Johnson & Johnson's talc powder. The jury awarded $32.6 million in compensatory damages and $30.7 million in punitive damages. "These cases reflect the power of the jury system and the importance of holding even the most powerful corporations accountable," said Trey Branham, a partner at Dean Omar Branham Shirley. "Our clients showed incredible strength in telling their stories, and we're honored to have helped secure justice for them." Compiled by VerdictSearch analysts, the 2024 Top 100 Verdicts list ranks the year's largest jury awards by gross amount. Touted as the most comprehensive roundup of top jury awards nationwide, the list highlights the year's most significant courtroom wins across the country. View the full list here. The cases listed are Kyung H. Lee et al. v. Bi-Mart Corporation et al., No. 23-CV-40369 in the Circuit Court of the State of Oregon for the County of Multnomah and Michael Perry v. American International Industries, et al., case number 2023-CP-40-04072 in South Carolina's 5th Judicial Circuit Court. About Dean Omar Branham Shirley, LLP Dean Omar Branham Shirley, LLP, is a nationally recognized trial firm that handles cases across the country for individuals who have suffered catastrophic injuries or have died as a result of the irresponsible conduct of others. For more information, visit View source version on Contacts Media Contact: BeLynn Hollers800-559-4534Belynn@
Business Wire
20-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Dean Omar Branham Shirley Recognized Twice Among ALM's 2024 Top 100 Verdicts
DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--National plaintiffs firm Dean Omar Branham Shirley, LLP, has been recognized by ALM and for securing two of the largest jury verdicts of 2024. 'These cases reflect the power of the jury system and the importance of holding even the most powerful corporations accountable.' Share Both cases involved claims against pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) over its talc-based Baby Powder, which exposed users to asbestos, a known carcinogen. The 29th-ranked case on the ALM list was a $260 million verdict in Oregon on behalf of Kyung Lee, a 49-year-old mother of three who was diagnosed with mesothelioma after lifelong use of J&J's Baby Powder. Jurors awarded $60 million in compensatory damages and $200 million in punitive damages after finding that Johnson & Johnson knowingly sold asbestos-contaminated products. The firm also recorded the 82nd-ranked verdict, a $63 million judgment awarded in South Carolina to Michael Perry, a longtime hospitality professional diagnosed with terminal mesothelioma also linked to Johnson & Johnson's talc powder. The jury awarded $32.6 million in compensatory damages and $30.7 million in punitive damages. 'These cases reflect the power of the jury system and the importance of holding even the most powerful corporations accountable,' said Trey Branham, a partner at Dean Omar Branham Shirley. 'Our clients showed incredible strength in telling their stories, and we're honored to have helped secure justice for them.' Compiled by VerdictSearch analysts, the 2024 Top 100 Verdicts list ranks the year's largest jury awards by gross amount. Touted as the most comprehensive roundup of top jury awards nationwide, the list highlights the year's most significant courtroom wins across the country. View the full list here. The cases listed are Kyung H. Lee et al. v. Bi-Mart Corporation et al., No. 23-CV-40369 in the Circuit Court of the State of Oregon for the County of Multnomah and Michael Perry v. American International Industries, et al., case number 2023-CP-40-04072 in South Carolina's 5th Judicial Circuit Court. About Dean Omar Branham Shirley, LLP Dean Omar Branham Shirley, LLP, is a nationally recognized trial firm that handles cases across the country for individuals who have suffered catastrophic injuries or have died as a result of the irresponsible conduct of others. For more information, visit
