Deb Haaland

Education: Despite significant increases in education spending, New Mexico continues to struggle with student achievement. What specifically would you change about the way the state approaches public education, and how would you determine whether those changes are working?

I’m a proud product of New Mexico public schools. Traveling to all 33 counties, I heard from students, parents, and educators who shared stories of students losing interest in school and falling behind. I have a plan to help all of New Mexico’s kids succeed.

When I’m Governor, schools will work to help students read before the third grade, with literacy coaches who analyze literacy scores and support teachers. I’ll detect literacy problems sooner, bolster universal childcare, boost reading and bilingual instruction, and expand summer reading and after-school programs. I’ll work with local school districts to implement math screening programs and target support for kids not at grade level by the fifth grade.

I’ll expand career pathways from middle school through high school, with hands-on career experience and more opportunities to earn college credit in high school.

I’ll create an Every Child Outdoor Initiative so kids are getting outside and learning science. Our kids’ success in schools requires stable home lives, so I’ll expand community schools with wrap-around services like counseling and school-based health care. And I’ll increase the minimum pay for education staff to reflect a living wage that grows with inflation.

I will measure success by whether kids are reading by third grade, reaching grade level in math by fifth grade, and showing up to school. I’ll build those goals into the Public Education Department’s performance plan and publish progress on a public dashboard.

Crime, drugs and behavioral health: New Mexico continues to struggle with violent crime, fentanyl and substance abuse, while many communities lack adequate behavioral health services. What would your administration do differently to address these problems, and where do you see the appropriate balance between law enforcement, incarceration, prevention and treatment?

New Mexicans deserve to feel safe. As Secretary of the Interior, I oversaw multiple law enforcement agencies. As Governor, I will focus every day on stopping violent crime, getting illegal guns and drugs off our streets, and addressing the root causes of crime.

I’ll provide law enforcement with the tools and technology to arrest violent offenders and get guns out of the hands of those who should not have them. I’ll bring together state, Tribal, local, and federal law enforcement to aggressively target fentanyl suppliers. I’ll make smart moves toward community policing and create a statewide Office of Community Safety, staffed with social workers and counselors, so police can focus on violent crime. I’ll keep violent criminals behind bars by expanding court capacity and speeding timelines on violent cases.

True safety cannot be built on enforcement alone. I’ll make behavioral healthcare accessible in every corner of our state by fully funding Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, opening outpatient and mobile clinics so rural areas aren’t left behind, and deploying mobile crisis teams.

I’ll grow the behavioral health workforce with loan repayment for providers in rural and high-need areas. I’ll expand treatment and recovery for substance use and addiction rather than just incarceration and launch a full-throttle operation to deliver mental health and homelessness assistance.

I’ll expand violence intervention and prevention programs in local communities and schools. Our goal should be to reduce recidivism by keeping truly violent criminals off the streets, while helping others change the direction of their lives.

Economy and affordability: New Mexico has benefited from strong oil and gas revenues but remains economically dependent on that industry and federal spending, while many residents struggle with the cost of housing, food and other necessities. What would you do as governor to make New Mexico more affordable while building a broader and more sustainable economy?

New Mexicans are struggling to make ends meet — they are doing everything right and still can’t get by. I know this firsthand. As a single mom, I made ends meet with the support of SNAP, WIC, and Medicaid, and by starting my own business selling salsa. Washington is cutting the programs that kept families like mine afloat, and the state must step in.

I will work to raise the minimum wage to a living wage indexed to inflation, increase the Child Tax Credit and Working Families Tax Credit, and use state resources to fill the gaps left by federal SNAP cuts. I’ll ban AI-driven rent-fixing and crack down on anyone who price gouges New Mexicans.

I’ll aggressively build more housing by reducing unnecessary barriers and setting a statewide shot clock on permits, and expand down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers and housing assistance for workers in critical fields like education, healthcare, public safety, and social work.

We have the potential to lead in tech, energy, film, and our outdoor economy. I’ll invest in more renewable energy to create jobs, lower energy costs, and make New Mexico the energy capital of the country.

I’ll establish funding sources, including an Economic Growth Trust Fund, that invest in new business opportunities and New Mexico-based operations, and leverage our position on the border to attract trade-facing manufacturing investment. I’ll make sure oil and gas workers have real pathways into good-paying jobs through apprenticeships and career technical education.

Water and development: Water scarcity is a long-term challenge for New Mexico at the same time the state is pursuing economic development, including agriculture, energy production, manufacturing and large projects such as data centers. What policies would you pursue to protect New Mexico’s water supply while allowing communities to pursue economic growth?

Water is sacred. As Interior Secretary, I delivered $60 million for drought resilience along the Rio Grande. The improved water protections in the lower Rio Grande Basin protect our agricultural communities, food production, and drinking water.

We have a shared obligation to use water wisely, whether we live in cities or farm and ranch the land, or run businesses here in our state. We must ensure future economic development does not deplete our fresh water supply. I’ll build on the 50-year Water Action Plan, coordinating conservation resources so agencies no longer operate in silos.

I will modernize groundwater management in overdrawn basins, expand stormwater capture systems statewide, and offer competitive grants to farmers for modern irrigation technology. I’ll help Tribes, rural towns, acequias, and colonias repair aging drinking-water systems, and clean up contamination from PFAS, abandoned uranium mines, and oil and gas wells.

New industries must be responsible partners. They should bring their own clean energy, hire New Mexicans, protect our water and land, and deliver real community benefits. On Day One, I will put a moratorium on new large-scale data centers in place until the state adopts clear and transparent accountability measures. Those measures will require closed-loop systems and the best available technology to protect our clean water supply, with effective penalties for overuse or water waste.

Innovation and protection are not mutually exclusive. New Mexico is open for business, and we can welcome industry that plays by our rules.

The Bulletin asked each Dona Ana County candidate four questions to allow voters to assess where the candidates stands on important issues heading into the election. The questions vary for each office, but are the same for every candidate running for the same office.