Haaland, a member of the Laguna Pueblo, defeated Republican candidate Gregg Hull, the former mayor of Rio Rancho, in Tuesday’s November 3 election.
The Associated Press declared her the winner with about 41 per cent of the vote counted. Unofficial results from the New Mexico Secretary of State’s office showed her leading with 57 per cent against Hull’s 43 per cent.
The victory was celebrated at the Route 66 Casino Hotel in Albuquerque, where Haaland watched the results alongside supporters, fellow candidates and Democratic Party officials.
She ran alongside New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard, while Hull’s running mate was Republican state Senator David Gallegos.
Haaland defeated Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman in the June Democratic primary and significantly outraised Hull during the general election campaign.
Her campaign focused on reducing living costs, creating a public health insurance option and reforming the state’s child welfare agency. She also pledged to suspend new large-scale data centre projects until lawmakers establish regulations governing their development.
She is expected to succeed Democratic Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, who could not seek another term because of term limits.
Haaland previously represented New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District, becoming one of the first two Native American women elected to the US Congress. She later made history as the first Native American to serve as a US Cabinet secretary when former President Joe Biden appointed her Secretary of the Interior.
During her victory speech, Haaland thanked Hull for running what she described as a “respectful” campaign and said she was ready to challenge President Donald Trump’s policies.
“I’ve stood up to Donald Trump before and I’m ready to do it again,” she told supporters.
She also reflected on her Indigenous heritage, recalling how she helped her grandfather irrigate his cornfield and how her grandmother was taken to a boarding school.
“And just off this road, my grandmother was taken away to boarding school … yet we are still here,” she said.
Haaland also spoke about her experience as a single working mother, her struggles with poverty and sobriety, and her efforts to register voters before entering Congress.
“Right now, New Mexicans are working hard, doing everything they’re supposed to, and yet we still struggle to get ahead,” she said.
“I believe that no matter where you come from, how much money you have, or what challenges you’ve faced, every New Mexican deserves the chance to thrive.”
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