Steve Pearce

Stevan Edward Pearce (born August 24, 1947) is an American businessman and politician currently serving as the 20th Director of the Bureau of Land Management. He previously served as the U.S. representative for New Mexico's 2nd congressional district from 2003 to 2009 and from 2011 to 2019. He is a member of the Republican Party and was his party's unsuccessful nominee in the 2008 U.S Senate election and the 2018 gubernatorial election.

On December 8, 2018, Pearce was elected Chair of the New Mexico Republican Party, replacing Ryan Cangiolosi. He was re-elected in 2020 and again in 2022. He opted against running for a fourth term as the Chair of the New Mexico Republican Party in 2024. In 2025, President Donald Trump nominated Pearce to be the director of the Bureau of Land Management. His nomination was criticized by many environmentalists because Pearce founded an oilfield services company and has supported oil and gas drilling. He was confirmed by the Senate on May 18, 2026, and sworn in on May 20, 2026.

Pearce was born in Lamesa, Texas, and raised in Hobbs, New Mexico. He attended college at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, having earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in economics. Afterward, he received a Master of Business Administration from Eastern New Mexico University in Portales. While at New Mexico State University, Pearce was elected president of the student body.

He served in the Vietnam War as a C-130 pilot in the United States Air Force. Pearce flew over 518 hours of combat flight and 77 hours of combat support. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and two Air Medals, as well as seven other military medals and four exceptional service awards. Upon returning to the United States, Pearce was assigned to the Strategic Air Command at Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas. He was honorably discharged from the U.S. Air Force with the rank of captain.

Pearce and his wife owned and operated Lea Fishing Tools, an oilfield services company in Hobbs, New Mexico, until they sold the business in 2003 to Key Energy Services for $12 million.

Pearce was elected to the New Mexico House of Representatives in 1996 and re-elected in 1998, both times unopposed.

He was elected as Republican Caucus Chairman and served on the Appropriations Committee.

Pearce ran for the United States Senate in the seat held by longtime incumbent Democrat Jeff Bingaman. He lost in the Republican primary to former third district U.S. Congressman Bill Redmond 60% to 22%.

Eleven term incumbent Republican U.S. Representative Joe Skeen decided to retire. In the Republican primary, Pearce ran and won the five candidate field with a plurality of 35%. His closest challenger was rancher and businessman Edward R. Tinsley, owner of the K-Bob's Steakhouse, who got 27%. Coincidentally, both Pearce and Tinsley were reared in the small West Texas city of Lamesa in Dawson County. In the general election, Pearce defeated Democratic state senator John Arthur Smith 56% to 44%.

Pearce won re-election to a second term against Democratic state representative Gary King 60% to 40%.

Pearce won re-election to a third term against Democratic pastor Al Kissling 59% to 40%.

Pearce ran for the open Senate seat of retiring six term Republican US Senator Pete Domenici. He did not run for reelection to the 2nd District, making New Mexico's 2nd District an open seat race. Democratic business owner Harry Teague defeated Republican restaurateur Edward R. Tinsley 56% to 44%.

On August 1, 2009, Pearce announced his intention to take back his former congressional seat. On June 1, 2010, he won the Republican primary without any serious challengers. He was endorsed in the race by former vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin. He drew criticism from local media after an event in Los Lunas where he refused to say whether he believes Barack Obama is a natural-born U.S. citizen.

On October 16, 2007, Pearce announced he would run for the Republican nomination to replace Pete Domenici in the U.S. Senate.

Fellow Republican representative Heather Wilson had previously declared her candidacy in that race. In late October 2007, Pearce made 130,000 automated phone calls to justify his opposition to the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) bill that would have provided health benefit to children, which the Wilson campaign claimed "Pearce violated House ethics by urging those he called to contact him through his official, non-campaign phone number or check out his official, non-campaign Web site."

In March 2008, Pearce garnered 55% of the vote at the Republican pre-primary nominating convention. He narrowly won the June 3, 2008 Republican primary.

Pearce faced fellow U.S. Representative Tom Udall, a Democrat who represented New Mexico's 3rd congressional district, and lost in the general election, 61% to 39%.

In July 2017, Pearce announced his run for Governor of New Mexico. to replace the term-limited Republican governor Susana Martinez. He ran unopposed in the Republican primary. Pearce lost to Democratic nominee Michelle Lujan Grisham, a fellow New Mexico U.S. Representative from the 1st district in the general election on November 6, 2018.

On December 8, 2018, Pearce was elected Chair of the New Mexico Republican Party, replacing Ryan Cangiolosi. He was re-elected in 2020 and again in 2022. He opted against running for a fourth term as the Chair of the New Mexico Republican Party in 2024.

In 2025, President Donald Trump nominated Pearce to be the Director of the Bureau of Land Management. His nomination was criticized by many environmentalists because Pearce founded an oilfield services company and has supported oil and gas drilling. In response to Pearce’s nomination, the Southwest Public Policy Institute (SPPI), a New Mexico–based free-market think tank, issued unusually strong criticism. In an op-ed for The Washington Post and subsequent interview for Politico, SPPI president Patrick M. Brenner argued that Pearce’s record as party chair and his public promotion of false claims of widespread voter fraud rendered him unfit for the position, stating that his approach made the state Republican Party “more doctrinaire” and undermined evidence-based policymaking. Pearce was confirmed by the Senate on May 18, 2026, and was sworn in on May 20, 2026.