She Could Be First Native American Woman to Lead New Mexico

Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland has won the Democratic nomination for New Mexico governor, giving her a path to become the first Native American woman in the US elected to the office, the AP reports. Haaland celebrated Tuesday night at a historic plaza in Albuquerque's Old Town neighborhood, where supporters gathered for a mariachi band, traditional hoop dancing and a prayer in Tiwa, one of many Native languages spoken among tribes in the state. "I'm the only candidate who has been a single mom," Haaland said. "I'm the only candidate who worked across the aisle in Congress and got bills signed into law."

Under President Biden, Haaland championed public lands conservation and oversaw a first-of-its-kind federal investigation into the abuse of Native American children at government-run boarding schools. In 2018, the citizen of Laguna Pueblo made history as one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress. While voters will decide primaries in three congressional seats, a US Senate seat, and a long list of statewide offices, the governor's race is the main attraction. The winner of the November general election will succeed Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who reached her term limit. New Mexico has trended left in recent years and Democrats have won every statewide elected office since 2017. Haaland will face Republican Gregg Hull, the former three-term mayor of one of New Mexico's largest cities, in the November general election.

She defeated Sam Bregman, an Albuquerque-based district attorney and the father of Chicago Cubs All-Star Alex Bregman, who campaigned on a promise to curb violent crime. Bregman said he was deeply grateful to every person who supported his campaign as he envisioned a "stronger, safer, more prosperous" New Mexico. He had criticized Haaland after her name appeared in the Jeffrey Epstein files. She flew on a private jet chartered by one of Epstein's companies during her 2014 unsuccessful bid for lieutenant governor. That flight to a fundraising meeting in Washington, DC, was paid for by Gary King, her running mate at the time. King's family had sold Epstein a ranch in New Mexico two decades earlier. Haaland said she was unaware of Epstein's role in arranging the flight and never met him.