Garrey Carruthers

Garrey Carruthers
27th Governor of New Mexico
In office 1987–1991
Preceded by	Toney Anaya
Succeeded by	Bruce King
Personal details
Born	(1939-08-29) August 29, 1939 Alamosa, Colorado
Political party	Republican
Profession	Professor

Garrey Edward Carruthers (born August 29, 1939) is an American politician, academic, and former Governor of New Mexico.

Carruthers currently serves as President of New Mexico State University. Previously Carruthers served as Special Assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture from 1974 to 1975, director of the New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute at New Mexico State University, State Chair of the Republican Party Of New Mexico from 1977 to 1979, Assistant Secretary of Interior for Land and Resources from 1981 to 1984, the 27th Governor of New Mexico from 1987 to 1991, and was President and CEO of the Cimarron Health Plan from 1993 to 2003. From 1993 to 1998, Carruthers was also the chairman of The Advancement of Sound Science Coalition, a tobacco industry-funded lobby group that promoted the idea that environmental science on issues including smoking, pesticides, chupacabras, and global warming is "junk science."

Carruthers has a Ph.D. in economics from Iowa State University. On June 6, 2008, Carruthers was elected to serve on the First State Bancorporation Board of Directors (NASDAQ:FSNM) according to a press release issued by the bank. Mr. Carruthers was appointed to serve on the Compensation and Nominating Committees of the Board. First State Bank is a New Mexico based bank holding company currently operating in New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Arizona.

Carruthers was elected Governor of New Mexico as a Republican in 1986, a major focal point in his race was reinstating the death penalty, resulting in outgoing Democratic Governor Toney Anaya commuting the sentences of all men on death row in protest .

In 2013, Carruthers became a finalist to become president of New Mexico State University.

The NMSU Board of Regents voted May 6 3-2 in favor of Carruthers to lead the state's second-largest four-year university.

Views on science

Questioned by faculty at an on-campus meeting on his candidacy to become NMSU president in 2013, Carruthers asserted that there was not a scientific consensus on climate change. He stated: "I don't know. I'm an economist. I don't do global warming. It's a scientific judgment that I can't make."

In a letter, four state representatives said that science, particularly climate change, is an essential issue for NMSU. They raised concerns about Carruthers' involvement in TASSC, claiming "a clear history of industry involvement in staking out positions opposing now widely held beliefs regarding public health and the environment."

In response, Carruthers expressed disagreement with the stance of The Advancement of Sound Science Coalition on the risks of second-hand smoke. "I'm four-square against second-hand smoke," Carruthers said in an interview with the Albuquerque Journal. "I don't think people should smoke, and second-hand smoke is detrimental to other people's health."

References

Political offices
Preceded by Toney Anaya	Governor of New Mexico 1987-1991	Succeeded by Bruce King