Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and ex-Mayor Gregg Hull to face off for New Mexico governor

[AZProgressive]

Source: Associated Press

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN and SAVANNAH PETERS
Updated 11:17 PM MST, June 2, 2026

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Deb Haaland is planning to lean into her roots as she seeks to become the first female Native American governor of any U.S. state, while her Republican challenger in New Mexico wants to end the Democrats’ nearly decade-long dominance of statewide offices.

Haaland easily clinched the Democratic nomination Tuesday, putting the citizen of Laguna Pueblo on a path to yet another potential first. She was one of the first two Native women elected to Congress and was the first Native American to hold a Cabinet secretary position in the U.S. government.

She celebrated her win at a historic plaza in Albuquerque’s Old Town neighborhood, where supporters gathered among a mariachi band and traditional Native hoop dancers. The event began with a prayer in Tiwa, one of many Native languages spoken among tribes in the state.

Haaland will face Republican Gregg Hull, the former three-term mayor of one of New Mexico’s largest cities, in the November general election. Both recognize the challenges in leading a state that is grappling with high rates of violent crime, chronically underperforming in schools and facing cuts to federal safety net programs.


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/new-mexico-primary-governor-native-american-oil-ba6180bc3b985783b7811d56822b6b11

[Cha]

1. TY KIck for Deb Haaland! ☮️💙🌻🕯️🕊️

[niyad]

2. KNR for Secretary Haaland.

[riversedge]

3. Pete Buttigieg: Looking forward to seeing @DebHaalandNM become New Mexico's next Governor. Congratulations on tonight's

Looking forward to seeing @DebHaalandNM
become New Mexico's next Governor. Congratulations on tonight's primary victory, and onward to November!
Quote
Deb Haaland
@DebHaalandNM
·
10h
New Mexico, thank you for believing in what we can build together. I’m honored to officially accept the Democratic nomination for Governor of New Mexico.

Link to tweet

?s=20

[Clouds Passing]

4. So wonderful New Mexicans came out in droves to vote for Deb Haaland

[SpankMe]

5. Albuquerque has some of the highest crime in the US for cities its size

Auto theft, rape, property damage, domestic abuse, DUI and other crime related to alcohol - and drug related crime - are much worse than other cites of that scope.

Also, the Albuquerque police department is a blue wall of abuse, incompetence, corruption and little transparency. The cons want heads busted in hardcore law-and-order enforcement and prison sentences. The libs are probably too far left on focusing on disproportionate arests of minorities and hippy-dippy methods of reducing future crime like better parenting, mental health and such. The people there are fed up. I can't believe a Dem is still the mayor there. Alubuquerque proper is pretty blue, while Rio Rancho to the north is severe red. As Rio Rancho developed, there was white flight to Rio Rancho away from Albuquerque.

A governor Halland - who is hella popular in NM (I was just there) - had better find a program that addresses this or Dems could lose the state.

1. NM is over 10% native American, and you can bet they're going to vote for her along with the other 50% or so of Dems in the state - the race is hers to lose.
2. Try typing "Albuquerque" this many times. It begins to sound wierd.

[sheshe2]

7. She would be an excellent governor! 🙏

[obamanut2012]

8. Yup, and even has Executive experience!