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Campaigns best serve voters when candidates take tough questions in unscripted settings. That is why it is frustrating 鈥� and increasingly disturbing 鈥� that Deb Haaland has refused to meaningfully debate her Democratic primary opponent, Sam Bregman. Last week, she took it one step further and canceled her Journal Town Hall appearance scheduled for next Friday. 

The concept of the Journal Town Hall series was to take our long tradition of Editorial Board meetings with candidates, leaders and organizations directly to the people. Rather than having candidates court board members to earn an endorsement in a race or policy, we thought we鈥檇 have those interesting and enlightening conversations in public. Anyone can come in person or watch them live, and suggest questions. The recordings are archived on our website. 

All other gubernatorial candidates, regardless of political affiliation, chose to participate. We hosted independent candidate Ken Miyagishima, all GOP candidates, and Bregman is scheduled for Tuesday evening. They showed up, engaged, defended their records and got into the minutia of complex policies and ideas for improving New Mexico.  

Haaland chose not to. 

Her campaign said in a short email last week she was not available for this upcoming Friday鈥檚 event, but that lacks credibility given her recent track record. Haaland has repeatedly turned down opportunities to debate Bregman, including from the Journal and our media partners. She favors carefully curated campaign events and repeating talking points 鈥� 鈥渟tand up to Donald Trump,鈥� 鈥減rivate equity,鈥� 鈥淲all Street,鈥� 鈥渂illionaires鈥� 鈥�  over conversations with critics, journalists and undecided voters. At a time when New Mexicans are deeply concerned about crime, homelessness, education, economic development and child well-being, that鈥檚 not leadership. It鈥檚 avoidance. 

A debate isn鈥檛 an inconvenience. It鈥檚 an obligation when asking for the public鈥檚 trust. 

Canceling a town hall scheduled far in advance is even worse than refusing to seriously debate Bregman, an accomplished orator and trial attorney. Journal Town Halls are public forums where we give candidates ample time to introduce themselves and their priorities and get into the weeds about why they are the best choice to move New Mexico forward. But if a candidate doesn鈥檛 have any original thoughts or plans other than parroting those told to her by campaign donors and consultants 鈥� a town hall is frightening. 

Haaland has made it clear that she plans to simply buy the Governor鈥檚 Office. She has the largest war chest by far, with more than $11 million pouring into her coffers, mainly from out-of-state donors who want to see a female Native American govern a state 鈥� damned by the results. Recent polls show she鈥檚 the primary front-runner by a large margin. Her defenders will cite those factors as a reason to avoid debates and town halls. But campaigning for the state鈥檚 top executive should be more than a lesson in risk avoidance. It should be about building trust and demonstrating leadership and thinking skills.

It鈥檚 particularly disturbing that Haaland is using this strategy because she built her political identity on representation, inclusion and giving a voice to people who feel unheard. Refusing to engage and have a conversation with the state鈥檚 largest newspaper sends a different message. It says that Haaland believes she鈥檚 too hoity-toity and important to engage with constituents who might question her and raise skepticism. 

New Mexicans deserve more from a governor. 

The irony is that Journal Town Halls are not partisan traps seeking gotcha moments. They鈥檙e public forums meant to inform voters. We created the series 鈥� and are working to branch out to have panels on policies and issues 鈥� as a way to practice what we preach: transparency. 

We felt that meeting with candidates for office behind closed doors in a conference room and then endorsing a candidate wasn鈥檛 fair to the candidates or our readers. We felt it hinted at an air of superiority that we know best. This was our way of showing that we鈥檙e all New Mexicans first, regardless of our political beliefs, economic status and profession. 

Haaland could still reverse course. She could reschedule her Journal Town Hall, or, better yet, agree to a Journal debate before the primary. We鈥檝e got a venue that can open anytime, and we鈥檙e pretty sure Bregman would agree to a debate at the drop of a 10-gallon hat. But that would require her to focus more on earning the trust and not promoting her own brand. 

Behind the scenes, Haaland鈥檚 campaign originally said she could only be available for an hour on a Friday night. Then, the campaign reached out and asked that Journal columnist and Editorial Board member Jeff Tucker not be allowed on stage after he wrote a column critical of her.

We offered to take him off the stage for the Town Hall, if she agreed to debate Bregman. Then Haaland canceled 10 days before the scheduled forum.

This whole charade of a campaign does give voters an answer to one of the most repeated phrases of her stump speeches. If she doesn鈥檛 have the courage to stand up to questions from journalists, everyday New Mexicans, Tucker and her Democratic political opponent, she certainly doesn鈥檛 have the fortitude to 鈥渟tand up to Donald Trump.鈥�