AP declares Democrat Deb Haaland as first female, Native American governor in US

Deb Haaland, a former U.S. interior secretary who previously represented New Mexico in Congress, made history Tuesday night as the first Native American woman in the nation to be elected governor.

The Associated Press declared Haaland the winner in the race with an estimated 41% of the vote counted.

Haaland, a member of Laguna Pueblo, watched results come in at the Route 66 Casino Hotel in Albuquerque along with supporters, fellow candidates and Democratic Party of New Mexico officials after polls closed at 7 p.m. Unofficial results from the New Mexico Secretary of State’s office reported she had earned 57% of the vote by 8:49 p.m. in her contest against Republican Gregg Hull, the former mayor of Rio Rancho.

Haaland soundly defeated her primary opponent, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman, in the June primary election and handily outfundraised Hull. Her campaign finance reports often contained so many donors that the documents, which were routinely thousands of pages, at times crashed the New Mexico Secretary of State’s website.

While Haaland and Hull ran a relatively cordial contest, Hull criticized her for backing out of a televised debate before Election Day. Haaland at the time said that KOB-TV’s preferred date conflicted with a prior obligation she made to meet with farmers in southern New Mexico.

Haaland, who served in President Joe Biden’s cabinet, on the campaign trail often vowed to be a staunch opponent of President Donald Trump. She campaigned on boosting affordability, creating a public option healthcare plan and overhauling the state’s troubled child welfare agency.

In September, she pledged to sign an executive order immediately upon taking office that would enact a statewide moratorium on new large-scale data center projects until the Legislature can pass a bill that places guardrails on the developments.

Haaland is set to replace Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who is term-limited after first winning election to the seat in 2018. Haaland previously succeeded Lujan Grisham when she was elected to U.S. Congress to represent New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District, and became one of the first of two Native American women elected to that political body.

Haaland took the stage to cries of “Deb, Deb, Deb” and thanked Hull for running a “respectful” campaign.

As many Democrats did throughout the evening, she said the party’s projected wins in New Mexico and across the nation were evidence that citizens are tired of the Trump administration’s policies and that “Democrats are entrusted to fight for our home. For New Mexico.”

“Not New America,” she added.

Citing her experience representing New Mexico in the U.S. House of Representatives during the first Trump administration, she pledged to fight the Trump administration’s efforts to cut services such as Medicaid and SNAP as governor.

“I’ve stood up to Donald Trump before and I’m ready to do it again,” she said.

As the first female Native American elected to lead a state in U.S. history, Haaland pointed to the significance of holding her celebration along Route 66 on Laguna Pueblo land.

“I remember carrying water from the community spigot and playing outside from sunrise to sunset, spending time in my grandfather’s cornfield, helping him irrigate,” she told the crowd. “And just off this road, my grandmother was taken away to boarding school…yet we are still here.”

As Interior secretary, Haaland oversaw the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, which sought to address their legacy of generational trauma.

She told the crowd that as a single, working mother, she understands the economic difficulties New Mexicans are experiencing.

“Here in New Mexico, we can do anything. And, I know this because I am living proof,” she said. “I spent years working on my sobriety, raised a child in poverty as a single mom, registered voters in a rez car along dirt roads and in dust storms to eventually serve in the halls of Congress and become the first Native American to serve as a U.S. Cabinet secretary.”

After reflecting on the historic nature of Tuesday evening’s election results, she said she is ready to focus on the future.

“Right now, New Mexicans are working hard, doing everything they’re supposed to, and yet we still struggle to get ahead,” she said. “I believe that no matter where you come from, how much money you have, or what challenges you’ve faced, every New Mexican deserves the chance to thrive.”

Speaking to reporters after her victory speech, Haaland said she was encouraged by the number of projected victories for Democrats nationally, adding that she hopes to work closely with Democratic Texas Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa.

“Democrats did quite well in the Senate races, we won back the House, Texas has a Democratic governor-elect now,” she said. “We’ll just move forward.”