Deb Haaland announces run for NM governor
Haaland, a Democrat and member of the Laguna Pueblo, said in the video posted on social media Tuesday morning that she would soon begin a listening tour across the state.
Patrick Lohmann, Source New Mexico
This article was originally published by Source New Mexico.
Former Interior Secretary and New Mexico congresswoman Deb Haaland made a long-rumored run for governor official early Tuesday morning, posting a two-minute video announcing her intent to be the first Indigenous woman governor of the state.
Haaland, a Democrat and member of the Laguna Pueblo, said in the video posted on social media Tuesday morning that she would soon begin a listening tour across the state.
“The problems we face now are bigger than ever, and we must be fierce to solve them,” Haaland said. “That’s why I am running for governor of the great state of New Mexico. New Mexico is rich in tradition and spirit, rich in natural resources. So why can’t our families pay our bills?”
She cited rising costs as major problems facing New Mexicans, along with crime, poverty, homelessness and addiction. She also touted her successes in Congress and the Interior Department, where she said she helped small businesses, boosted solar power use in the state, plugged old oil wells and partnered with rural communities to protect their water.
Haaland introduced herself in the video as the child of military parents who moved around a lot, and as a single mother with 35 years of sobriety who worked at a bakery and sold homemade salsa before getting into politics.
As the Interior Secretary under former president Joe Biden, she was the first Indigenous cabinet member in United States history.
The government’s role, she said in the video Tuesday morning, is to make success easier for small businesses, lower costs, prevent crime, strengthen schools and make rent and housing affordable. “The solutions are there if we are fierce enough to choose them,” she said.
Speculation had built for months that Haaland would run for governor and potentially face off against U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, also a Democrat, in a primary. But Heinrich late last month announced he would stay in the Senate.
Haaland is the only declared candidate for the election, which takes place Nov. 3, 2026.
Patrick Lohmann is a reporter for Source New Mexico.