Mark Ronchetti has been ranked the most ripped weatherman in the history of New Mexico meteorology. In the unforgettable 2014 competition against Steve Stucker and Joe Diaz, Ronchetti famously squatted the Doppler radar ball! But now that he’s hung up his Mr. Weatherman speedo to run for governor, New Mexico gym bros want to know: Is Ronchetti natty?

(The results of our official poll of meat heads was conducted at a local gym. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 46%. Asked their top three issues heading into the gubernatorial race, the vast majority — four out of six — wanted to know if Ronchetti was natural or enhanced. Half asked, “Bro, what’s his bench?” And a third asked how being ripped will help Ronchetti Make New Mexico Great For Once #MNMGFO.)

After being denied access to the candidate with questions on energy policy, border security, and tax reform, the Ronchetti team finally unleashed the beast. This is our exclusive interview with Mark “the Mass” Ronchetti:

ConservativeNM: “It’s time to spill the tea — or juice, as it may be. Are you natural or enhanced?”

Ronchetti: “Of course I’m natural. Steroids can have dangerous side effects, and I don’t believe in cheating your way to absolute physical perfection. You have to earn it, which means putting in the work, and that’s why on my first day as governor of New Mexico I will move to implement a program…”

ConservativeNM: “ — Next question. What’s your bench?”

Ronchetti: “Well, at my age, lifting heavy for a one-rep max to impress your friends is too risky, so I focus on maintaining the strength I have through high intensity interval training and weightlifting in the 50–60% one-rep-max range, six to eight reps per set, four to six sets per exercise.”

ConservativeNM: “Perhaps you didn’t hear the question. What. Do. You. Bench?”

Ronchetti: “330.”

ConservativeNM: “HELL YEAH BRO!!!”

Ronchetti: “Thank you.”

ConservativeNM: “Shiiit bro!”

Ronchetti: “Thank you.”

ConservativeNM: “Alright. That’s all we had planned as far as questions, so go ahead with your elevator speech if you want.”

Ronchetti: “Thank you. Like I was saying, health is important, and while our current governor is out celebrating the increased use of drugs through the legalization of recreational marijuana, I want to take the state in a different direction. Which is why, when I take office, my first order of business will be implementing a first-of-its-kind program to…”

ConservativeNM: “ — You’ve got impressive guns. Help settle the long-standing debate: Are curls for the girls as the haters say, or essential to a well-balanced strength training regimen?”

Ronchetti: “Well, when I met my wife, we were just roommates trying to save money on rent, because at $12,000 a year, it was difficult to make ends meet…”

ConservativeNM: “Curls, Mark. Did they land the lady or not?”

Ronchetti: “If I’m being honest, it probably wasn’t my encyclopaedic knowledge of the weather.”

ConservativeNM: “Hell yeah!”

Ronchetti: “May I continue?”

ConservativeNM: “Sure.”

Ronchetti: “Everybody knows your body is your temple, and a poorly maintained body makes for a poorly functioning mind. Fit people register higher in overall happiness, they sleep better, eat better, they’re more motivated, more confident. They’re less likely to rage-tweet on social media or dye their hair radical colors just to get attention. And perform better in the workplace.”

ConservativeNM: “And in the…”

Ronchetti: “ — the gym, yes. But it carries over. I don’t want New Mexico to continue as one of the most overweight states in the country, which is why, as governor, I’ll work to create programs that bring sports and fitness back not only to schools but to the home…”

ConservativeNM: “Home gyms?! Tell me you got a sick setup in the garage.”

Ronchetti: “I…well, yes. Krysty and I have been blessed in our careers, and that’s allowed us to purchase a house that had an extra room that I’ve dedicated to fitness, for myself but also for the wife and daughters— which brings up an important part of my campaign: home ownership in New Mexico is increasingly difficult, and housing stability is fundamental to raising good kids. Young people particularly have a hard time…”

ConservativeNM: “Craigslist is a good place to get the essential equipment for a home gym. As governor, would you push for tax incentives to subsidize kickass DIY home gym projects?”

Ronchetti: “That’s…uh…that’s a possibility, sure.”

ConservativeNM: “You do care about people’s health, right?”

Ronchetti: “Absolutely.”

ConservativeNM: “Well?”

Ronchetti: “We’ll definitely look into that.”

ConservativeNM: “What about supplements? They’re getting expensive as shit.”

Ronchetti: “Everything is getting more expensive, thanks to the tax and spend policies of this administration. It’s really hurting families, and that’s why…”

ConservativeNM: “ — as governor, what would you do to bring down the price of supplements? Specifically.”

Ronchetti: “That’s…well…that’s not exactly within the purview of the executive.”

ConservativeNM “Ah. Passing the buck eh?”

Ronchetti: “I’m actually a big proponent of personal responsibility, which is why I’ll move to get government out of people’s lives and ease the tax burden by slashing the Gross Receipts Tax, not knocking off pennies on the dollar as our current governor has done. It’s time to…”

ConservativeNM: “ — Ok, that’s good. Now for our final question: Who’s the best Mr. Olympia. Arnold or Ronnie Coleman?”

It was at this point that our editorial board, Ronchetti, as well as Jay McCleskey and Enrique Knell shouted in unison: “LIGHT WEIGHT BABY.”

That concluded our interview. There’s probably more info on his plans as governor at MarkRonchetti.com if you’re interested.