With 2026 campaign cycle approaching, Deb Haaland officially launches gubernatorial bid

SANTA FE — Deb Haaland officially entered New Mexico’s 2026 race for governor on Tuesday, becoming the first candidate in an open — and likely expensive — race.

The former New Mexico congresswoman, who spent nearly four years as U.S. interior secretary under Joe Biden until stepping down last month, has been quietly laying the groundwork for a gubernatorial campaign over at least the last several weeks.

Her campaign launch had been teased in recent days by video snippets on Haaland’s social media account, including one posted Monday that featured her saying simply, “Are you ready?”

A video officially announcing Haaland’s campaign was posted early Tuesday.

“Lowering costs, making rent and housing affordable, strengthening our schools, and preventing crimes so that you feel safe raising a family here. The solutions are there if we are fierce enough to choose them,” Haaland said in the video.

If elected in November 2026, Haaland would become the first Native American female governor in United States history.

At least two men with Native American heritage have been elected as governor of Oklahoma, including current Gov. Kevin Stitt who has faced questions about his affiliation with the Cherokee Nation.

Haaland, an enrolled member of the Laguna Pueblo, grew up in a military family before graduating from Albuquerque’s Highland High School.

She has been open about past struggles, including bouts of homelessness, alcohol addiction and relying on federal government food stamps.

After entering politics, Haaland served as New Mexico Democratic Party chairwoman before being elected to represent an Albuquerque-based 1st Congressional District seat in 2018.

She was then appointed as interior secretary by Biden in February 2021. As the nation’s first Native American cabinet secretary, Haaland led an initiative to recognize the troubled legacy of federal Indian boarding schools and received both praise and criticism for her 2023 decision to bar new oil and gas leasing in a 10-mile radius around Chaco Canyon.

She described the experience in a recent interview as “the honor of my lifetime” but also acknowledged the difficulty of finding consensus on some key issues.

Open race could attract many candidates

New Mexico will have a new governor in 2027, since Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term in office.

Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, was first elected in 2018 and won reelection in a hard-fought race against Republican Mark Ronchetti in 2022.

The appeal of an open race next year could lead to multiple candidates ultimately running for governor, though U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., announced last month he would not join the race and would instead remain in the U.S. Senate.

University of New Mexico political science professor Gabriel Sanchez said at the time that Heinrich’s decision could pave the way for Haaland to be the “primary candidate” in next year’s race.

Among other possible Democratic candidates, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman has not ruled out a run. No Republican candidates have as of yet announced gubernatorial campaigns.

The 2022 race between Lujan Grisham and Ronchetti was one of the most expensive in New Mexico history — with Lujan Grisham spending roughly $13 million and Ronchetti spending more than $9 million on his campaign.

And those figures do not include hefty spending on the race by outside groups.

Looking ahead to 2026

Although the 2026 primary election is still roughly 17 months away, it’s not uncommon in New Mexico for candidates to announce campaigns more than a year in advance.

Lujan Grisham, for instance, formally announced her campaign for governor in mid-December 2016 — nearly two years before the 2018 general election.

Haaland said in her Tuesday campaign announcement that she plans to tour the state in the coming months to visit with New Mexicans about their struggles and ideas.

Her campaign manager is Scott Forrester, a veteran New Mexico political advisor who also ran Haaland’s first campaign for Congress in 2018. Forrester most recently worked as chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury.