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- By Deb Haaland
Guest Opinion. This month, we saw President Trump, Elon Musk, and big CEO’s turn the Oval Office into a corporate boardroom from the movie Wolf of Wall Street, all while they celebrated their massive profits for doing absolutely nothing to benefit everyday working people. President Trump even pointed at his millionaire and billionaire friends, yelling out how much money they each made on his tariff scam.
Meanwhile, in New Mexico and across the country, people who work hard every day saw their retirements take a huge hit. Families continue to struggle to make ends meet: rent soars, groceries take up more of our paychecks, and communities feel unsafe. Our country is in a tailspin while Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and their wealthy friends add to their bank accounts on the backs of everyday Americans.
[This op/ed was orginally published by Courier on April 28, 2025. Used with permission. All rights reserved.]
It’s chaos and it’s painful – but we must stay in the fight. That’s why I’m running for governor in my home state of New Mexico.
Our current situation, while extreme, is actually not an especially unique one. For too long, politics has been dominated by the wealthy and well-connected, leaving working families behind. But we can change that. We don’t have to accept the status quo—we must demand better.
I’m running for governor because we need leaders who understand the struggles New Mexicans and working Americans across the nation face and seek solutions, not profits. People need to see themselves in their leaders and trust that we know what they’re up against.
I haven’t lived an easy life. I started working at a bakery when I was nearly 15, struggled with homelessness, and raised my kid as a single parent. Through it all, I felt what so many hardworking people feel every day: that the system isn’t working for us. But I’ve also felt something just as powerful—hope. That hope turned into action when I decided to get sober, and when I looked in the mirror at age 28 and decided to go to college.
This is a critical moment. The current President is waging an assault against the poor, the sick, and the hungry, but I believe leadership is about more than resisting fear and division—it’s about inspiring hope and taking action. As a public servant, I’ve seen firsthand what real leadership looks like—prioritizing people over politics and making decisions based on facts and fairness.
When I was Secretary of the Department of the Interior under the Biden-Harris administration, my team and I led with conviction and a clear vision to make people’s lives better. We created good jobs in clean energy and cleaned up legacy pollution. We supported our workforce of nearly 70,000 employees by respecting their expertise and honoring their service to the country.
While President Trump and his allies look for the latest scam to make money, I am focused on the solutions that will strengthen our communities. New Mexico deserves leadership that delivers results, not reckless rhetoric. That’s why we must show up in the places where too many politicians have failed to. We have to listen to the pain people are feeling, take it seriously, and then act accordingly. That means listening to farmers, ranchers, firefighters, small business owners, parents, teachers to ensure their voices shape our future.
As I traveled across New Mexico during the first month of my campaign, I met teachers, parents, veterans, federal workers, and people from all walks of life. As I chatted with a mom in a rural area of the state, she shared that she was worried about her kids’ schools and that they would get stuck later in life. Like that mom, the people I met made this point – they want leaders who will put their heads down, do the work, and make their lives better and their kids’ futures more stable.
My vision for New Mexico is clear: No one should have to choose between paying rent and putting food on the table. Families should feel safe in their neighborhoods. Small businesses should thrive without being buried in red tape. Young people should be able to afford homes in the state they love. And New Mexico should lead the nation in clean energy, sustainable agriculture, and economic opportunity for all. We can do this, but it will take bold leadership and a renewed sense of hope in what’s possible.
Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) served as the Secretary of the Interior in the Biden adminstration and is currently running for governor in the state of New Mexico.
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