Deb Haaland Elected New Mexico Governor, First Native American Woman to Lead a U.S. State

Deb Haaland won New Mexico’s governor race on November 3, 2026. She received about 57 percent of the vote to Republican Gregg Hull’s 43 percent. Haaland becomes the first Native American woman elected governor of any U.S. state.

Haaland, 65, is a member of Laguna Pueblo. She previously served as U.S. Secretary of the Interior under President Joe Biden and as a member of Congress from New Mexico’s 1st district. She defeated Hull, a businessman and former longtime mayor of Rio Rancho. Outgoing Democratic Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham is term-limited.

Unofficial results showed Haaland with roughly 412,000 votes to Hull’s 308,000. She won by 14 points, larger than Lujan Grisham’s margin in 2022. Haaland carried 15 of the state’s 33 counties. Her running mate is Stephanie Garcia Richard. Hull conceded and wished the next governor well.

At her victory party at the Route 66 Casino Hotel on Laguna Pueblo land, supporters chanted her name. Haaland said tonight is not just about history but about the future. She has spoken about her experience as a single mother using Medicaid and other programs before law school. She raised a record $20.5 million for the campaign, with donations from across the country.

Haaland pledged to improve access to health care and affordable housing. She has said she will sign an executive order placing a moratorium on new large-scale data center projects until the legislature can set guardrails. She takes office on January 1. The legislative session begins shortly after, giving her limited time to prepare a budget and cabinet.

New Mexico has about 12 percent Native American population. Haaland’s win continues a period of Democratic governors while breaking a longer pattern of alternating parties in some past decades. She faces the practical work of governing a state that depends heavily on oil and gas revenue while addressing education, public safety and cost-of-living pressures.

The result marks another historic first in the 2026 midterms alongside other barrier-breaking wins for women and candidates of color in governorships and the Senate. Haaland has said she will start interviewing cabinet candidates immediately. How she balances energy development with other priorities will define her early months in Santa Fe.