Deb Haaland Secures Democratic Nod to Lead New Mexico as First Native American Woman Governor

Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland won the Democratic primary for New Mexico governor on Tuesday. She defeated Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman, the father of Chicago Cubs star third baseman Alex Bregman. Haaland now advances as the front-runner in a state where no Republicans hold statewide office.

Haaland served as former President Joe Biden’s interior secretary for all four years of his administration. She previously became the first Native American woman elected to Congress and represented the Albuquerque area for one term. She also chaired the state Democratic Party.

If elected this fall, Haaland would become the first Native American woman to serve as governor. She has highlighted her ancestral history in the campaign and ran several ads in the Diné language.

Haaland will face Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull in November. Hull won the Republican gubernatorial primary by defeating businessman Doug Turner and former New Mexico Human Services Secretary Duke Rodriguez. Hull campaigned on public safety, government experience and economic growth.

Hull argued throughout the race that New Mexico needs tougher approaches to violent crime, fentanyl trafficking and border security. He criticized Democratic leadership in Santa Fe. His victory sets up a contest to replace term-limited Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham, with Republicans aiming to flip the governor’s office for the first time since 2019.

The race has drawn national attention as one of the most closely watched contests in the state this year.

New Mexico ranks among states with the highest enrollments in both Medicaid and federal food assistance benefits. Both programs faced massive cuts in the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Trump signed into law last year. Haaland said in a pre-victory interview that Trump’s policies inflict a very negative effect on New Mexicans.

“Everybody deserves to have health care, deserves to eat healthy food,” Haaland said. “They need somebody who understands what it’s like, and they want somebody who knows how to find solutions to these issues.” She signaled she would target Trump and his policies in the general election.

Haaland has spoken glowingly of Biden as “absolutely an asset” in her campaign and a “true partner” to New Mexico and Indigenous people across the U.S. She frequently discusses her accomplishments as interior secretary on conservation and wind and solar projects in the American Southwest.

Democratic Governors Association Chair and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear praised Haaland’s record. “Deb is a fierce champion for New Mexico, who has secured millions of dollars in investment and thousands of good-paying jobs, while strengthening the state’s economy, and preserving natural resources for generations to come,” Beshear said.

Beshear added that Haaland “knows the pain New Mexicans are feeling right now, which is why she will never stop fighting to bring down costs and create jobs, strengthen schools, expand affordable health care, and create safer communities.” Haaland’s campaign has emphasized these priorities without naming Biden in her advertisements.

The outcome sets a concrete general-election matchup that could determine the direction of state policy on health care access, job creation and resource management.

In South Dakota, Republican businessman Toby Doeden advanced to a July 28 runoff for governor. He competed against Gov. Larry Rhoden, Rep. Dusty Johnson and former state House Speaker Jon Hansen. No candidate received more than 35 percent of the vote, triggering the runoff in the solidly red state.

Doeden described himself as “a total political outsider who’s tired of the government’s failure to deliver on its promises” and one of Trump’s “fiercest supporters.” Rhoden campaigned on property tax cuts and lowering crime in his bid for a full four-year term after replacing Kristi Noem.

Trump did not endorse in the South Dakota race. A Democrat has not served as governor there since the 1970s.

In California, Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton took early leads in the crowded gubernatorial primary, with billionaire Tom Steyer trailing. The top two vote-getters advance to November in the state that oversees the world’s fourth-largest economy.

Becerra, who served as California attorney general and then Biden’s secretary of health and human services, received support from corporate donors including the medical industry. DaVita Kidney Dialysis contributed $500,000 to groups backing him. McDonald’s, Chevron and California Resources Corp. also provided half-million-dollar donations to anti-Steyer efforts.

Steyer, who accumulated $2.4 billion as a hedge fund operator, spent heavily on his campaign and vowed to raise taxes on corporations and billionaires like himself. Outside groups reported spending $79 million so far, with $32 million directed against Steyer by a committee funded by the state Realtors association, California Chamber of Commerce, Pacific Gas & Electric and electrical workers’ union.

Steyer promises free education from pre-K to college, health care for all Californians and an end to masked ICE agents terrorizing residents. He has pushed single-payer health care and challenged PG&E’s monopoly to lower electricity bills. Steyer acknowledged a past investment in a private prison company 22 years ago, saying he exited within a year and later worked for rehabilitative justice reforms that helped end California’s contracts with such firms in 2019.

Becerra has backed away from earlier support for single-payer health care. He met privately with leaders of the California Medical Association this spring and received its endorsement after stating he was not supportive of single payer at this point. Policy differences with outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom remain scant.

Amar Shergill, former chair of the California Democratic Party’s Progressive Caucus, said Becerra “hasn’t shown leadership and almost always hedges his bets even on progressive policies that he supports.” Shergill added that a Becerra governorship would mean “business as usual” while a Steyer victory could challenge the corporate-friendly approach that has dominated the state party.

Democrat Rebecca Bennett won her party’s primary in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District and will face incumbent GOP Rep. Tom Kean Jr. in November. Bennett served as a U.S. Navy helicopter pilot and officer in the Air National Guard.

In Minnesota, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell selected retired Navy Lt. Cmdr. Phillip Parish as his running mate for lieutenant governor. Lindell launched his gubernatorial bid in December. Parish previously ran for governor as a Republican.

These contests reflect varied pathways Republicans and Democrats are pursuing in this year’s elections.

Haaland’s win positions her to potentially make history while addressing immediate pressures on New Mexico families reliant on federal assistance programs now facing reductions. Voters in November will decide whether her emphasis on solutions shaped by lived experience prevails over Hull’s focus on crime and border enforcement.