Deb Haaland

Provide a short bio of yourself and tell us how you got into public service?

I have taken on Donald Trump before, and won. As governor, I will be the first line of defense for protecting our communities from Trump, ICE, and the billionaires rigging the system against us. I will fight to lower costs, invest in education, reduce crime, and make healthcare more accessible and affordable. 

I also have the most experience across candidates in this race. I got my start in public service registering voters in Indian Country. In Congress, I worked across the aisle to secure results – getting five bills signed into law by Trump and fought him on dangerous federal cuts.

As Secretary of the Interior, I led nearly 70,000 federal employees and oversaw an $18 billion budget, where I secured thousands of New Mexico jobs, led the clean energy transition, and oversaw hundreds of millions of dollars of investments.

What is one problem in New Mexico that you believe state government is currently failing at—and what would you do differently in your first 100 days?

As governor, I will overhaul CYFD, so the people who work there have the support they need to do the best job they can, and the right professionals are in the department to prevent harm. I will work toward a commission that provides consistent, quality care for kids no matter who is governor.

I will appoint an experienced cabinet secretary committed to the long-term success of New Mexico’s child welfare system, improving child wellbeing and the credentials to serve children in crisis. This is a tough job, and we need the department’s structure to reflect that. 

Crime and public safety dominate voter concern—what specifically would change in how New Mexico handles repeat offenders, and what would success look like after two years? How would you address the ongoing issue of gun crime involving youth?

New Mexicans deserve to feel safe. As the Secretary of the Interior, I oversaw multiple law enforcement agencies and understand the need to both stop and prevent crime. I will make sure law enforcement has the tools and staff needed to address violent crime and drug trafficking, keep repeat offenders off the street, and address the root causes of crime.

I will establish a State Office of Community Safety to coordinate and deploy services to behavioral health calls so law enforcement can focus on the work they are trained to do. I will also coordinate with local departments to provide data analysis on local crime hotspots to best use limited resources. To best address crime, we must also tackle the mental/behavioral health crisis our state faces. 

To address gun crime, we must pass the Stop Illegal Gun Trade Act to provide oversight on restricted weapons and accountability to gun vendors. I will appoint a Gun Violence Prevention Coordinator to oversee a task force dedicated to stemming gun violence. We have a responsibility to keep guns out of the hands of minors – I will work to address generational gun culture by reaching out to young people who have family members convicted of gun-related crimes. My record supporting common-sense gun safety legislation in Congress is unambiguous.  

Name one specific change you would make that would significantly improve New Mexico’s standing in terms of poverty and education?

Everything is interconnected, for our kids to be successful at school, they need to be supported at home. On the one hand, we need to put more money in New Mexicans pockets – by raising the minimum wage, expanding the child and working families tax credits, and addressing the rising cost of housing by aggressively building more housing and out-lawing predatory rental practices.

In addition, Trump’s cuts to Medicaid need to continue to be backfilled and as a state we have an opportunity to help those who aren’t able to get healthcare by creating a public insurance option.

At schools, especially in rural communities, we should have community schools that offer the care that kids need without their parents having to take off work. Finally, our kids need to read earlier and keep progressing in math. Reading and math are fundamental skills and we will target support and resources to the kids at risk of falling behind.

New Mexico relies heavily on oil and gas revenue to fund state government—what is your plan for the state budget if those revenues decline?

While oil and gas represents an important source of revenue for New Mexico’s public services, the state budget should not be vulnerable to boom-and-bust cycles. As governor, I will plan for long-term stability by using today’s resources wisely — investing in one-time infrastructure, workforce development, and economic growth instead of creating permanent obligations that disappear when oil prices fall.

That means growing a clean energy economy through solar, wind, geothermal, battery storage, grid modernization, and legacy pollution cleanup, while making sure oil and gas workers and communities have real pathways into good-paying jobs through apprenticeships, career technical education, and workforce transition programs. 

I will diversify our tax base by investing in small businesses, outdoor recreation, film, clean technology, quantum, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, and research from our labs and universities, including through tools like an Economic Growth Trust Fund, innovation hubs, site-readiness investments, and stronger research-and-development funding.

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 for schools, roads, and local services.

My plan is not to abandon oil and gas communities or wait for the next downturn; it is to prepare now, stabilize the budget, invest in workers, diversify our economy, and build a stronger tax base that can fund New Mexico’s communities for generations to come. This is a big project that requires experienced leadership – I have that experience while other candidates simply do not. 

Where do you think your own party has gotten it wrong in New Mexico—and what would you change even if it’s unpopular within your base?

In 2024, the Democratic Party lost 3% of its voters to President Trump. Our party isn’t meeting people where they are and we aren’t listening. We need a governor who shows up and delivers – to every part of the state.

During my campaign, I have visited all 33 of New Mexico’s counties to hear directly from New Mexicans, and if elected, I will expect my cabinet to do the same.

I also have a track record of working across the aisle: in Congress, I introduced more bills with more bipartisan cosponsors than any other member of my freshman class and had several bills signed into law by President Trump—among the most of any House member. 

Name one program or initiative currently funded by the state that you would cut, reduce, or eliminate—and explain why.

One initiative I would reduce is CYFD’s reliance on state-funded congregate-care and crisis-placement settings for children in state custody. That is not cutting services for children; it is cutting an expensive, emergency-driven status quo that too often puts kids in institutional or temporary settings because the state has not established sufficient family-based placements, treatment foster care, kinship supports, and community behavioral health care.

As governor, I would redirect those dollars toward what actually keeps children safe: lower caseloads, better pay and retention of CYFD workers, stronger recruitment and support for foster and kinship families, culturally appropriate Tribal partnerships, community-based behavioral health, and real accountability through the Office of Child Advocate.

This fits with my broader plan (noted above) to overhaul CYFD, rebuild behavioral health services, and expand school-based wraparound supports like counseling, health care, family services, and after-school programs so children and families get help before they are in crisis.