By Salma El-Sakka
Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland has been elected governor of New Mexico, becoming the first Native American woman to govern a U.S. state. The Democrat defeated Republican Gregg Hull, 60, a businessman and longtime mayor of Rio Rancho.
Historic milestone for Indigenous representation
Haaland, 65 and a member of Laguna Pueblo, previously made history as the first Indigenous cabinet secretary under President Joe Biden. Her victory comes as Native Americans, who constitute 12% of New Mexico's population, assert growing political influence nationwide. A record 358 Indigenous candidates ran for local, state, and federal offices this cycle.
From tribal administration to Congress and cabinet
Haaland's political career includes serving as a tribal administrator at San Felipe Pueblo, becoming the first woman elected to the Laguna Development Corporation board, and directing Native American outreach for Barack Obama's 2012 campaign in New Mexico. In 2018, she and Kansas Representative Sharice Davids became the first Native American women elected to Congress.
Long road to voting rights
The win marks a significant moment in a decades-long struggle. Native Americans gained the right to vote across the entire United States only in the 1960s. In New Mexico, that right was secured in 1948 when World War II veteran Miguel Trujillo of Isleta Pueblo sued the state. In 2023, New Mexico became the first state to enact an updated Native American Voting Rights Act, granting tribes greater input on polling locations and redistricting.
