WASHINGTON – Deb Haaland, who served as President Joe Biden’s interior secretary for four years, announced Tuesday that she’s running for governor of New Mexico.
Haaland, who is also a former Democratic congresswoman from the state, is the first declared candidate in the race to succeed Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who is term-limited out in 2026.
“In my life, I’ve learned that nothing comes easy,” Haaland says in a video announcing her bid. “Moving around a lot as a kid in a military family. Raising my child on my own. Achieving 35 years of sobriety. But here in New Mexico, struggle makes you fierce.”
“The problems we face now are bigger than ever, and we must be fierce to solve them,” she says. “That’s why I am running for governor of the great state of New Mexico.”
Haaland, 64, is a member of the Laguna Pueblo tribe in New Mexico. She made history as Biden’s interior secretary, becoming the first Native American to serve in any Cabinet post. If she wins the governor’s race, she would become the country’s first Native American woman to serve as governor.
Haaland’s tenure as interior secretary is largely defined by her efforts to boost conservation of public lands and right past wrongs against Native Americans by the U.S. government.
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In an interview with HuffPost last month, Haaland was coy about her plans post-Biden administration.
“Whatever it is, I have not changed. There are things that always need attention, right?” she said. “I was an advocate and an activist long before I ever came to Washington, D.C. I’ll likely continue to advocate for all of the things that I care about.”