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The rise of Deb Haaland to political prominence didn鈥檛 seem likely when she was in her 20s.

After a childhood spent bouncing around the country in a military family, Haaland worked in an sa国际传媒官网网页入口 bakery but spent much of her earnings on alcohol before eventually deciding to get sober and pursue a college degree.

More than 30 years later, Haaland is the Democratic front-runner in New Mexico鈥檚 open race for governor 鈥� based on recent polling 鈥� and a political trailblazer after her tenure as U.S. Interior secretary under President Joe Biden.

So how did she end up where she is now?

鈥淚 don鈥檛 give up on people,鈥� Haaland said during a recent interview at her sa国际传媒官网网页入口 campaign office. 鈥淚 feel like people always have a chance to better their lives.鈥�

鈥淎 lot of folks probably would have given up on me,鈥� she added. 鈥淚 never gave up on myself though, so that was a good thing.鈥�

Back in New Mexico after her time in Washington, D.C., Haaland has emerged as a fundraising force during her campaign to be the nation鈥檚 first Native American woman elected governor, having reported nearly $12 million in campaign contributions since announcing her campaign in February 2025.

She鈥檚 received hefty donations from former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and State Investment Council member John Bingaman, along with thousands of smaller contributions.

While she has faced scrutiny over the out-of-state residency of many of those donors, Haaland said she鈥檚 outraised all other candidates when looking solely at contributions made by New Mexicans.

鈥淵es, I have a lot of $5 and $10 donations from across the country, but I have more contributions within the state of New Mexico than any of my opponents, Democrat or Republican,鈥� she said.

Haaland has also landed endorsements from many top-ranking Democratic lawmakers, including House Speaker Javier Mart铆nez of sa国际传媒官网网页入口, House Majority Leader Reena Szczepanski of Santa Fe and Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart of sa国际传媒官网网页入口.

But her campaign to succeed outgoing Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham hasn鈥檛 been entirely without turbulence.

Specifically, Haaland has faced criticism from her Democratic opponent Sam Bregman for turning down invitations to participate in several televised debates. She has instead participated in several televised one-on-one interviews.

When asked about declining debates, she cited a 鈥渂usy鈥� campaign schedule, saying, 鈥淚t takes a lot of effort and time to prepare for a debate.鈥�

She also cited her participation in a candidate forum this month that was aired by the state鈥檚 public television station, expressing her fondness for the station as part of her reason for the decision.

鈥淚鈥檒l just say that he can do whatever he wants,鈥� Haaland said, referring to Bregman. 鈥淲e鈥檙e winning. We鈥檙e raising more money. We have more support and we鈥檙e ahead in the polls.鈥�

State Sen. Cindy Nava, D-Bernalillo, who describes Haaland as a mentor, said the Democratic front-runner would bring authenticity and an inclusive leadership style to the Governor鈥檚 Office.

鈥淚 think very few politicians know how to listen,鈥� said Nava, who described Haaland as a public official with the humility to acknowledge she doesn鈥檛 have all the answers but the fortitude to track them down.

鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to be the greatest public speaker to be a great leader,鈥� added Nava, who said she followed Haaland鈥檚 advice to accept a presidential appointment to work as a policy adviser at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

鈥業鈥檝e just followed the path鈥�

Debra Anne Haaland, who鈥檚 gone by Deb for most of her life, was born in Winslow, Ariz., where her grandparents lived, but spent time during her childhood at her mother鈥檚 ancestral home of Mesita village in the Laguna Pueblo.

After moving repeatedly during childhood, Haaland鈥檚 family eventually settled in sa国际传媒官网网页入口 where she attended Highland High School.

She got her first job at age 15 at Zinn鈥檚 Bakery in sa国际传媒官网网页入口 and ended up working there for about 10 years. In large part, she credits that to regular pay raises, healthcare benefits and bonuses for working on holidays.

鈥淚 feel like we need to get back to a place where we can really help workers to thrive,鈥� she said.

But Haaland has also been open about her past struggles with homelessness and alcoholism, including two drunken driving convictions, along with her financial struggles as a single mother. 

Haaland said she鈥檚 still paying off her student loans, making payments of more than $300 per month. She also faced a tax lien of $7,477 for unpaid gross receipts taxes that she said she paid off last year on the same day she was made aware of it.

As a young mother, Haaland helped clean her daughter鈥檚 preschool as part of an agreement for reduced tuition, and has expressed support for a universal childcare initiative launched by Lujan Grisham鈥檚 administration. Haaland鈥檚 daughter, Somah, now lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Eventually, after separating from her first husband and a stint running her own salsa business, Haaland started getting involved in politics after attending the University of New Mexico and then getting her law degree several years later.

She said she was inspired to become a grassroots political organizer by Miguel Trujillo, a military veteran from Isleta Pueblo who filed a lawsuit in the 1940s that led to Native Americans being allowed to vote in New Mexico.

鈥淚 feel an obligation to him 鈥� to his legacy,鈥� she said.

After working for Barack Obama鈥檚 reelection campaign in 2012, Haaland ran for lieutenant governor in 2014 and ended up as Democratic nominee Gary King鈥檚 running mate. However, King was decisively defeated in that year鈥檚 general election by Republican incumbent Susana Martinez.

Undeterred, Haaland won election as the New Mexico Democratic Party鈥檚 chairwoman. During her two-year stint at the party鈥檚 helm, Democrats retook control of the state House of Representatives after Republicans had won a majority of seats in 2014.

Haaland then won election to represent an sa国际传媒官网网页入口-based congressional seat in 2018, after Lujan Grisham ran for governor instead of seeking reelection. After holding that seat for two-plus years, Haaland stepped down in 2021 after her history-making appointment as Interior secretary.

Fierce approach could invite showdown

In a state that鈥檚 among the most , Haaland has made fighting President Donald Trump鈥檚 policies a cornerstone of her gubernatorial campaign.

In her , Haaland鈥檚 campaign vowed to protect state residents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations, while a narrator added, 鈥淎s governor, she鈥檒l stand up to the billionaires rigging the system against us.鈥� 

When asked about the potential risks of such a confrontational approach, Haaland said the federal government has an obligation to New Mexico鈥檚 tribes, national laboratories and veterans鈥� health services.

But she also said the state should be prepared to fight the Trump administration in court when necessary, saying she would push for more funding to allow state Attorney General Ra煤l Torrez to hire additional attorneys.

鈥淲e鈥檒l keep suing the administration,鈥� she told the Journal. 鈥淚f that鈥檚 effective, then we should fight him in the courts every chance we get.鈥� 

Haaland, who during her confirmation process for past remarks about oil drilling and fracking on public lands, also said she wants New Mexico鈥檚 oil industry to continue to make strides in reducing emissions. But she said she鈥檚 not looking to 鈥渇ire people鈥� to ensure environmental regulations are met.

鈥淐hildren are still breathing polluted air and we have to do better for our kids,鈥� she said.

On the issue of child welfare, Haaland said New Mexico needs to 鈥渟tart from scratch鈥� in running its Children, Youth and Families Department.

She said she鈥檚 intrigued by the idea of setting up an independent commission to oversee CYFD, even though a proposal for such a commission received little support during this year鈥檚 30-day legislative session.

DEI claims and Native American legacy

As her political profile has risen, Haaland has faced insinuations 鈥� and sometimes direct criticism 鈥� that she benefitted from policies aimed at encouraging workplace diversity.

She has a ready response to such claims, saying 鈥淣ative Americans aren鈥檛 DEI. We鈥檙e in the Constitution of the United States.鈥�

Haaland also said that individuals who attribute her achievements to diversity-focused policies 鈥減robably don鈥檛 understand what it鈥檚 like to struggle against a system that was never built for you or never wanted to include you.鈥�

She readily acknowledges she pushed to hire more women and individuals of color during her four-year stint at the U.S. Department of Interior.

鈥淚 work to lift people up 鈥� under-represented people who鈥檝e never had a voice 鈥� because they deserve to be heard, too,鈥� she said.

But Haaland acknowledges she has also faced pressure from Native American groups, with some tribes endorsing Bregman鈥檚 candidacy for governor instead of hers.

As Interior secretary, her 2023 decision to bar new oil and gas leasing in a 10-mile radius around Chaco Canyon from Navajo Nation residents who financially benefit from drilling royalties.

Regis Pecos, a former governor of Cochiti Pueblo, said last year that Haaland faced pressure from tribal leaders to represent their interests at the highest levels of U.S. government, along with the pressure of being the only Native American in key closed-door meetings.

鈥淚 think she鈥檚 really done it in a respectful and dignified way,鈥� Pecos said at the time.

Haaland, whose late father was of Norwegian ancestry, has also faced questions about the authenticity of her Native American roots. Her GOP opponent in the 2018 congressional race downplayed the history-making significance of a potential Haaland victory, pointing out Haaland was not raised on a reservation.

Haaland, who decried the comments as racist, has honored her Native American heritage by wearing traditional Pueblo attire on her first day in Congress and during her swearing-in ceremony as Interior secretary.

鈥淭his was a journey that creator has put me on,鈥� she said in the recent interview. 鈥淚鈥檝e just followed the path and gotten support along the way.鈥�

Dan Boyd covers state government and politics for the Journal in Santa Fe. Follow him on Twitter at or reach him via email at dboyd@abqjournal.com.