November 4, 2026
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Democrat Deb Haaland made history Tuesday, November 3, becoming the first Native American woman elected governor of a U.S. state after defeating Republican Gregg Hull in New Mexico.
Haaland, 65, a citizen of Laguna Pueblo, previously served as U.S. secretary of the interior under President Joe Biden, becoming the first Native American to serve as a Cabinet secretary. Her election marks another milestone for Indigenous representation in American government.
A career of historic firsts
In 2018, Haaland and Sharice Davids of Kansas became the first Native American women elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Haaland represented New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District before joining the Biden administration in 2021.
As interior secretary, she oversaw federal public lands, natural resources and programs affecting tribal nations, including efforts to examine the legacy of federal Indian boarding schools.
Haaland defeated Hull, a former mayor of Rio Rancho, in the race to succeed Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who could not seek another consecutive term.
From personal challenges to political leadership
Haaland has spoken publicly about raising a daughter as a single mother, experiencing poverty and working through personal challenges before entering national politics. Those experiences informed her campaign, which focused on affordability, health care and support for working families.
“Here in New Mexico, we can do anything. And, I know this because I am living proof,” Haaland told supporters during her election night celebration.
Her platform also emphasized improving New Mexico’s child welfare system and expanding access to health care.
The responsibility ahead
When she takes office in January 2027, Haaland will face difficult decisions involving education, public health, energy development, water resources and relations with the state’s tribal governments.
Her success will ultimately be measured by how her administration addresses those challenges. Yet Tuesday’s election already stands as a historic moment: For the first time, voters in a U.S. state have chosen a Native American woman as their governor.
Photo credit: U.S. Department of the Interior, official portrait (2021).
