New Mexico Governor

Deb Haaland, New Mexico Governor (running for higher office)

Classified as supporting a data center pause in MultiState's 2026 gubernatorial survey. Moderate on AI safety and regulation, strong on data center opposition, moderate public voice on AI.

As governor, Secretary Haaland will continue to support law enforcement by providing them with the tools and technology they need, and fiercely promote gun safety by fighting to pass the Stop Illegal Gun Trade Act and recruiting community mentors to develop strategies to prevent illegal guns from entering New Mexico schools.

Deb Haaland is a visionary leader in environmental stewardship, social justice, and public service. A 35th-generation New Mexican, she has dedicated her life to uplifting communities and fighting for working families. If elected, she would become the first Native American woman to serve as a state governor in U.S. history. As U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Haaland restored protections for sacred sites like Bears Ears, returned over 500,000 acres to Tribal trust, created the Missing and Murdered Unit within Bureau of Indian Affairs, and launched the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative. In Congress, she distinguished herself as a powerful advocate for equity and sovereignty—co-sponsoring more bills than any other freshman legislator while championing women’s rights, climate action, voting rights, Native language preservation, and justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples (MMIP). A single mother who relied on programs like SNAP, Haaland’s lived experience drives her fight for economic justice—raising wages, expanding affordable housing, and creating better-paying jobs for working families.

Nobody understands the struggles that New Mexicans are facing more than Deb. She's a proven leader. First, she represented New Mexico in Congress, then by breaking barriers to become the first Native American cabinet secretary. She brought jobs, clean energy, and countless other opportunities to the state. Deb is of and for New Mexico and has never forgotten her roots. CVNM Action Fund has endorsed Deb Haaland for Governor because she will fight for New Mexico communities, address the climate crisis, and protect our land, water, wildlife, and quality of life.

“We are confident that Deb Haaland will continue to support working families and ensure that we have a voice in the Roundhouse,” said John Dyrcz. “Working families deserve to not just get by, but have the opportunity to have some extra money in their pocket at the end of the month. Deb’s affordability agenda will support working families and ensure that they have fair wages, safe workplaces, and affordable communities.” “At the NM AFL-CIO, we are a voice for all workers, not just union members. It’s critical that we elect a governor who will be a voice for every working New Mexican,” said Ashley Long. “Deb Haaland comes from a long line of hard-working people and knows what comes with it. She has always stood with workers and will ensure that they have a seat at the table. We are proud to endorse Deb because she is the only candidate in this race who will fight to protect workers’ rights, strengthen workplace protections, and ensure safe working conditions for New Mexicans across our state.”

There is way too much at stake for New Mexicans this year in the Governor’s race to vote Republican and not vote Democrat. Fully funded universal child daycare, preservation of paid college tuition for New Mexico students, support for organized labor, economic growth that supports working families, public safety that is comprehensive as opposed to punitive, comprehensive reform of the Children Youth and Families Department and unflinching willingness to defend New Mexico against a President who harbors a grudge against it because he has been rejected by New Mexico voters all three times he has run for President. Trump has even gone out of his way to offend and to taunt New Mexico by ignoring its rich history and it its cultures and suggesting that its name be changed to “New America”.

These are critical issues that must be tackled by our next Governor. Deb Haaland’s commitment to the issues and New Mexico’s future makes her the most compelling and the most qualified candidate for Governor. She understands the people of New Mexico, its rich culture and the struggles of all New Mexicans. Her campaign has not been about attacking her opponents. She has focused in a positive manner on our future. She will make a great governor for all New Mexicans!

Please vote Deb Haaland for Governor on November 3!

Deb Haaland is a 35th-generation New Mexican and enrolled member of the Laguna Pueblo, and made history as the first Native American Cabinet Secretary serving as U.S. Secretary of the Interior from 2021 to 2025. She was also one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress. Haaland grew up in a military family, faced homelessness and financial insecurity as a single mother, and relied on SNAP food benefits and Planned Parenthood for healthcare while building a career in public service. Haaland has deep roots in New Mexico community organizing, having chaired the New Mexico Democratic Party (2015-2017), served as tribal administrator at San Felipe Pueblo, and serving as the first woman on the board of the Laguna Development Corporation. During Haaland’s tenure in Congress (2019-2021), she established herself as a steadfast progressive champion, voting yes on every major priority for working families and marginalized communities. She supported the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act to strengthen labor unions, the American Rescue Plan to expand healthcare access and economic relief, and the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to address systemic racism in law enforcement. Haaland consistently fought for civil rights by voting for the Equality Act protecting LGBTQ+ communities, the For the People Act to protect voting rights, and bipartisan background check legislation for gun safety. She co-sponsored transformative legislation including the Green New Deal to address climate justice, Medicare for All to guarantee healthcare as a human right, and the MORE Act to decriminalize marijuana and address racial disparities in the criminal justice system. As the first Native American Cabinet Secretary leading the Department of the Interior (2021-2025), Haaland continued her progressive legacy by launching the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative to address historical trauma, creating protections for 55 million acres of tribal lands, and prioritizing environmental justice for frontline communities. Her record demonstrates unwavering commitment to economic justice, racial equity, Indigenous sovereignty, and climate action—making her a proven leader who delivers for working families and our planet. Haaland’s plans for Governor of New Mexico include expanding healthcare access through a public option, creating clean energy jobs, raising the minimum wage to $15, investing in public education and debt-free college, protecting women's reproductive rights, and addressing the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women. We highly recommend Deb Haaland in the Democratic Primary for governor, based on her deep roots in New Mexico, her work in Congress and as Secretary of Interior, and her detailed plans to improve healthcare, create living wage jobs, and increase educational access.

Deb Haaland is a 35th-generation New Mexican and enrolled member of the Laguna Pueblo, and made history as the first Native American Cabinet Secretary serving as U.S. Secretary of the Interior from 2021 to 2025. She was also one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress. Haaland grew up in a military family, faced homelessness and financial insecurity as a single mother, and relied on SNAP food benefits and Planned Parenthood for healthcare while building a career in public service. Haaland has deep roots in New Mexico community organizing, having chaired the New Mexico Democratic Party (2015-2017), served as tribal administrator at San Felipe Pueblo, and serving as the first woman on the board of the Laguna Development Corporation. During Haaland’s tenure in Congress (2019-2021), she established herself as a steadfast progressive champion, voting yes on every major priority for working families and marginalized communities. She supported the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act to strengthen labor unions, the American Rescue Plan to expand healthcare access and economic relief, and the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to address systemic racism in law enforcement. Haaland consistently fought for civil rights by voting for the Equality Act protecting LGBTQ+ communities, the For the People Act to protect voting rights, and bipartisan background check legislation for gun safety. She co-sponsored transformative legislation including the Green New Deal to address climate justice, Medicare for All to guarantee healthcare as a human right, and the MORE Act to decriminalize marijuana and address racial disparities in the criminal justice system. As the first Native American Cabinet Secretary leading the Department of the Interior (2021-2025), Haaland continued her progressive legacy by launching the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative to address historical trauma, creating protections for 55 million acres of tribal lands, and prioritizing environmental justice for frontline communities. Her record demonstrates unwavering commitment to economic justice, racial equity, Indigenous sovereignty, and climate action—making her a proven leader who delivers for working families and our planet. Haaland’s plans for Governor of New Mexico include expanding healthcare access through a public option, creating clean energy jobs, raising the minimum wage to $15, investing in public education and debt-free college, protecting women's reproductive rights, and addressing the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women. We highly recommend Deb Haaland in the Democratic Primary for governor, based on her deep roots in New Mexico, her work in Congress and as Secretary of Interior, and her detailed plans to improve healthcare, create living wage jobs, and increase educational access.

Deb Haaland is a 35th-generation New Mexican and enrolled member of the Laguna Pueblo, and made history as the first Native American Cabinet Secretary serving as U.S. Secretary of the Interior from 2021 to 2025. She was also one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress. Haaland grew up in a military family, faced homelessness and financial insecurity as a single mother, and relied on SNAP food benefits and Planned Parenthood for healthcare while building a career in public service. Haaland has deep roots in New Mexico community organizing, having chaired the New Mexico Democratic Party (2015-2017), served as tribal administrator at San Felipe Pueblo, and serving as the first woman on the board of the Laguna Development Corporation. During Haaland’s tenure in Congress (2019-2021), she established herself as a steadfast progressive champion, voting yes on every major priority for working families and marginalized communities. She supported the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act to strengthen labor unions, the American Rescue Plan to expand healthcare access and economic relief, and the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to address systemic racism in law enforcement. Haaland consistently fought for civil rights by voting for the Equality Act protecting LGBTQ+ communities, the For the People Act to protect voting rights, and bipartisan background check legislation for gun safety. She co-sponsored transformative legislation including the Green New Deal to address climate justice, Medicare for All to guarantee healthcare as a human right, and the MORE Act to decriminalize marijuana and address racial disparities in the criminal justice system. As the first Native American Cabinet Secretary leading the Department of the Interior (2021-2025), Haaland continued her progressive legacy by launching the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative to address historical trauma, creating protections for 55 million acres of tribal lands, and prioritizing environmental justice for frontline communities. Her record demonstrates unwavering commitment to economic justice, racial equity, Indigenous sovereignty, and climate action—making her a proven leader who delivers for working families and our planet. Haaland’s plans for Governor of New Mexico include expanding healthcare access through a public option, creating clean energy jobs, raising the minimum wage to $15, investing in public education and debt-free college, protecting women's reproductive rights, and addressing the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women. We highly recommend Deb Haaland in the Democratic Primary for governor, based on her deep roots in New Mexico, her work in Congress and as Secretary of Interior, and her detailed plans to improve healthcare, create living wage jobs, and increase educational access.

Deb Haaland is a 35th-generation New Mexican and enrolled member of the Laguna Pueblo, and made history as the first Native American Cabinet Secretary serving as U.S. Secretary of the Interior from 2021 to 2025. She was also one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress. Haaland grew up in a military family, faced homelessness and financial insecurity as a single mother, and relied on SNAP food benefits and Planned Parenthood for healthcare while building a career in public service. Haaland has deep roots in New Mexico community organizing, having chaired the New Mexico Democratic Party (2015-2017), served as tribal administrator at San Felipe Pueblo, and serving as the first woman on the board of the Laguna Development Corporation. During Haaland’s tenure in Congress (2019-2021), she established herself as a steadfast progressive champion, voting yes on every major priority for working families and marginalized communities. She supported the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act to strengthen labor unions, the American Rescue Plan to expand healthcare access and economic relief, and the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to address systemic racism in law enforcement. Haaland consistently fought for civil rights by voting for the Equality Act protecting LGBTQ+ communities, the For the People Act to protect voting rights, and bipartisan background check legislation for gun safety. She co-sponsored transformative legislation including the Green New Deal to address climate justice, Medicare for All to guarantee healthcare as a human right, and the MORE Act to decriminalize marijuana and address racial disparities in the criminal justice system. As the first Native American Cabinet Secretary leading the Department of the Interior (2021-2025), Haaland continued her progressive legacy by launching the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative to address historical trauma, creating protections for 55 million acres of tribal lands, and prioritizing environmental justice for frontline communities. Her record demonstrates unwavering commitment to economic justice, racial equity, Indigenous sovereignty, and climate action—making her a proven leader who delivers for working families and our planet. Haaland’s plans for Governor of New Mexico include expanding healthcare access through a public option, creating clean energy jobs, raising the minimum wage to $15, investing in public education and debt-free college, protecting women's reproductive rights, and addressing the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women. We highly recommend Deb Haaland in the Democratic Primary for governor, based on her deep roots in New Mexico, her work in Congress and as Secretary of Interior, and her detailed plans to improve healthcare, create living wage jobs, and increase educational access.

Deb Haaland is a 35th-generation New Mexican and enrolled member of the Laguna Pueblo, and made history as the first Native American Cabinet Secretary serving as U.S. Secretary of the Interior from 2021 to 2025. She was also one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress. Haaland grew up in a military family, faced homelessness and financial insecurity as a single mother, and relied on SNAP food benefits and Planned Parenthood for healthcare while building a career in public service. Haaland has deep roots in New Mexico community organizing, having chaired the New Mexico Democratic Party (2015-2017), served as tribal administrator at San Felipe Pueblo, and serving as the first woman on the board of the Laguna Development Corporation. During Haaland’s tenure in Congress (2019-2021), she established herself as a steadfast progressive champion, voting yes on every major priority for working families and marginalized communities. She supported the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act to strengthen labor unions, the American Rescue Plan to expand healthcare access and economic relief, and the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to address systemic racism in law enforcement. Haaland consistently fought for civil rights by voting for the Equality Act protecting LGBTQ+ communities, the For the People Act to protect voting rights, and bipartisan background check legislation for gun safety. She co-sponsored transformative legislation including the Green New Deal to address climate justice, Medicare for All to guarantee healthcare as a human right, and the MORE Act to decriminalize marijuana and address racial disparities in the criminal justice system. As the first Native American Cabinet Secretary leading the Department of the Interior (2021-2025), Haaland continued her progressive legacy by launching the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative to address historical trauma, creating protections for 55 million acres of tribal lands, and prioritizing environmental justice for frontline communities. Her record demonstrates unwavering commitment to economic justice, racial equity, Indigenous sovereignty, and climate action—making her a proven leader who delivers for working families and our planet. Haaland’s plans for Governor of New Mexico include expanding healthcare access through a public option, creating clean energy jobs, raising the minimum wage to $15, investing in public education and debt-free college, protecting women's reproductive rights, and addressing the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women. We highly recommend Deb Haaland in the Democratic Primary for governor, based on her deep roots in New Mexico, her work in Congress and as Secretary of Interior, and her detailed plans to improve healthcare, create living wage jobs, and increase educational access.