- Details
- By Shaun Griswold
Native Vote 2026. SANTA FE, N.M. — Deb Haaland walked onto the third floor of the New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office carrying a plastic bin that contained 2,505 signatures she gathered from voters who want to elect the Laguna Pueblo woman as the state’s first Native American governor.
“I’m a New Mexican. I love this state, I have a proud legacy to live up to,” Haaland said in an interview with Native News Online after she filed on Tuesday morning. “I learned how to cook here, I hauled water in my grandmother's village. My grandfather spoke all different languages so he could communicate with communities, not just in his village of Jemez, but all over the state. I just have a very proud history here, and I think that it takes a lot of courage to step up and run for office.”
Feb. 3 is the official filing day for candidates running for New Mexico’s statewide elections, which kick off with party primaries on June 2. The state’s general election is Nov. 3. Haaland’s experience in statewide campaigns started in 2014 when she ran for lieutenant governor, and for Congress in 2018 and 2020. Her experience as Secretary of the Interior under President Joe Biden draws the foundation for her policy proposals on topics like tribal sovereignty, energy, education, and working relationships between local and federal agencies.
“We have two national labs here. We have federal lands, more than many states across the country,” Haaland said. “We are tied to the federal government. We have 23 Indian tribes. The federal government has a trust responsibility for those tribes. We are tied to the federal government. And so we have to be able to work with them.”
In his signature black cowboy hat, Sam Bregman dropped off his ballot signatures on Tuesday immediately after Haaland. Bregman is the Bernalillo County District Attorney, located in Albuquerque, the state’s largest city. He said that experience has provided working relationships with tribal governments on criminal justice through services in the DA’s office and as chair of statewide commissions to address public safety, a policy topic at the top of his pitch to Democratic primary voters.
“We currently have a prosecutor in my office as well as an investigator assigned to Missing Indigenous (cases),” Bregman told Native News Online. “It's our own internal operation in our office that if we get notice or knowledge of anything that we can do to help in that investigation and prosecution, we do it.”
New Mexico is a deep blue state, with more than 40 percent of voters registered with the Democratic Party. Republicans account for 30% of registered voters, while the remainder are independent, according to the latest data from the New Mexico Secretary of State.
With that voter makeup, the state’s entire congressional delegation are members of the Democratic Party. Both chambers of the state legislature are run by Democratic majorities. Twice-elected executive Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has implemented progressive laws on reproductive health, public lands, and education.
Suffice it to say, June’s Democratic primary in New Mexico will heavily indicate voter preferences for the general election.
Bregman and Haaland are the only two running in the Democratic Party primary. Ken Miyagishima, a former local mayor, dropped his bid for the party nomination to run as an independent. Six men are seeking the Republican nomination, including local mayor Gregg Hull, cannabis executive Duke Rodriguez, and consultant Doug Turner.
Along the campaign trail, Bregman and Haaland are seeking endorsements from the same voter pool, including tribal support. Bregman has received endorsements from the Jicarilla Apache Nation, Ohkay Ohwingeh, and Sandia Pueblos. He said tribal sovereignty is the main topic of discussion he has had with tribal leaders in New Mexico.
“Sovereignty is number one, making sure that the state respects their sovereignty and works together to better all of the people's lives in New Mexico,” he said. “Listen, the tribes are going to have a seat at the table on all issues, especially crime, because it's affecting their communities in a dramatic way.”
Haaland’s lived experience, compounded by her public service work, gives her an active perspective on how to address tribal sovereignty. She has received endorsements from Jemez, Picuris, Zuni, and Kewa Pueblos. She also has to appeal to the state’s larger non-Native voting population.
“I went on two statewide tours, I've talked face to face with thousands of New Mexicans, and on the phone with thousands more, and affordability is real. It's not a Democratic hoax,” Haaland said. “People care about that, and they want to be able to keep a roof over their head and feed their families.”
If elected, Haaland would become the first Native American woman governor ever in the United States.
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. BriefsUS Presidents in Their Own Words Concerning American Indians
House Averts Shutdown But Punts on Homeland Security Funding
Deb Haaland Backs Land Grant, Acequia Funding at Roundhouse
Help us defend tribal sovereignty.
At Native News Online, our mission is rooted in telling the stories that strengthen sovereignty and uplift Indigenous voices — not just at year’s end, but every single day.
Because of your generosity last year, we were able to keep our reporters on the ground in tribal communities, at national gatherings and in the halls of Congress — covering the issues that matter most to Indian Country: sovereignty, culture, education, health and economic opportunity.
That support sustained us through a tough year in 2025. Now, as we look to the year ahead, we need your help right now to ensure warrior journalism remains strong — reporting that defends tribal sovereignty, amplifies Native truth, and holds power accountable.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Your support keeps Native voices heard, Native stories told and Native sovereignty defended.
Stand with Warrior Journalism today.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher