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Haaland, who previously represented New Mexico in Congress and served as Interior Secretary under former President Joe Biden, secured the victory on Tuesday, marking another milestone in her political career.
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The Associated Press called the race in her favour with approximately 41 per cent of the votes counted. Unofficial figures released by the New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office showed Haaland leading with 57 per cent of the vote at 8:49 p.m., ahead of Republican candidate Gregg Hull, the former mayor of Rio Rancho.
Following the closure of polling stations at 7 p.m., Haaland gathered with supporters, fellow candidates and state Democratic Party officials at the Route 66 Casino Hotel in Albuquerque to follow the election results.
She contested the election alongside New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard, while Hull’s running mate was Republican state Senator David Gallegos.
Before securing the Democratic nomination, Haaland defeated Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman in the party’s June primary. Her campaign also raised significantly more money than Hull’s during the general election, with fundraising records running into thousands of pages because of the large number of individual donors. The volume of filings reportedly caused the Secretary of State’s website to crash on some occasions.
Taking the stage to celebrate her victory, Haaland thanked Hull for what she described as a respectful campaign. She also pointed to Democratic victories in New Mexico and other parts of the country, saying voters were expressing dissatisfaction with policies introduced by the Trump administration.
Drawing on her experience serving in Congress during Donald Trump’s first presidential term, Haaland promised to challenge efforts to cut Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP, during her time as governor.
“I’ve stood up to Donald Trump before and I’m ready to do it again,” she said.
Haaland also reflected on her personal connection to the land where she celebrated the historic victory, particularly the Laguna Pueblo community along Route 66.
She recalled her childhood experiences carrying water from a community spigot and helping irrigate her grandfather’s cornfield. She also spoke about the painful history of Native American children being taken from their families and sent to boarding schools.
“And just off this road, my grandmother was taken away to boarding school … yet we are still here,” she said.
Her victory marks a historic moment for Native American representation in American politics, with Haaland set to become the first Indigenous woman to lead a US state as governor.
