OPINION: Haaland is the clear choice for governor

Earlier this month, the Albuquerque Journal ran an opinion piece that exaggerated the support of gubernatorial candidate Sam Bregman based on a single endorsement. Moreover, the single endorsement distorts the question of who in this race has earned the support of most New Mexicans to date: That candidate is Deb Haaland.

Let’s look at the facts.

Consider the endorsements in the race. Journal columnist Jeff Tucker claims a single endorsement for Bregman has caused a “stir” in the race for New Mexico governor. What Tucker failed to mention is that Haaland has already earned the endorsements from close to 100 leaders, including a critical tribal endorsement and endorsements of Conservation Voters of New Mexico Action Fund, Common Defense, and now, since its publishing, New Mexico Service Employees International Union, the largest health care union in the state.

Haaland, wisely, has pushed forward with her focus on the real issues for New Mexicans: making life more affordable, helping more New Mexicans have a roof over their head, and protecting health care that is under threat from the federal government. Within the first six months of her campaign, she’s already visited all 33 New Mexico counties, including rural communities that haven’t seen a Democratic gubernatorial candidate for a while.

People have underestimated Haaland, time and again. And time and again, she has delivered for New Mexico. As a congresswoman, she helped deliver funds to thousands of New Mexico small businesses during the pandemic, fought for military families and leveled the playing field for Native entrepreneurs. As secretary of Interior, she created good jobs for New Mexicans building energy transmission lines, working on water projects that deliver clean water to rural communities, and cleaning up orphaned oil and gas wells. Her work ethic and connection to our beautiful state coupled with her lived experience having struggled to make ends meet give her the grit and perseverance so many New Mexicans have. Her lived experience drives her commitment to improving people’s lives.

When someone has been on the receiving end of unfair policies, bureaucracies and red tape, they know what’s broken, and Haaland will fix it. With a proven track record of executive leadership, she understands what it takes to change the system and make it work for people, manage budgets and make tough decisions that improve lives.

An unlikely candidate to be appointed to a presidential cabinet, Deb Haaland defied all odds and broke barriers not only for Native people, but for New Mexicans. There are very few people who have served in executive leadership at her level, have the story she has, and served our state and country honorably. In fact, she’s the only one. There’s no other choice than Haaland in this race.

From young people demanding bold change to long-time residents who are tired of politics as usual, they see in her what we all should — a leader who listens, understands and delivers. And she’s built movements before. People gravitate to her style of leadership because it’s different. She quietly listens and seeks to understand and then finds the bold solutions that people need.

Hope is not naïve. It’s necessary. And Haaland offers a hopeful, unifying vision rooted in real experience. Her campaign isn’t built on political calculations. It’s built on communities coming together to demand, more and better, from our leaders. At a time when so many feel left behind, she offers a way forward. The choice is clear. We need a governor who knows what it means to lead, who has lived what it means to serve and who is ready on day one. That’s Deb Haaland.

Brian Colón is a former New Mexico state auditor and managing partner of Singleton Schreiber Law NM.