Native News
Stacey Abrams Endorses Deb Haaland to be New Mexico’s Next Governor
Native Vote 2026
Today, national leader and changemaker Stacey Abrams announced her support for Deb Haaland in her campaign for governor. Abrams, the first Black woman to win a major party’s nomination for governor in the United States, has devoted her career to protecting voting rights and advocating for families across the country.
“We have to elect people who believe in people, not power and who believe in the future and not the past. We also need leaders who are not afraid to stand up for the vulnerable, for immigrants, and for those who have been left behind. I am excited to stand by my friend Deb Haaland,” Abrams said. “New Mexicans have an opportunity to build on the progress of the last four years. They have Deb Haaland waiting for them and they have never had a gubernatorial candidate like her.”
“Stacey is a fierce fighter and a tireless advocate for our right to cast our ballots and have a voice in who leads our communities. She understands what it takes to stand up to powerful interests and deliver real results for our communities. I am deeply honored to have her support,” Haaland said.
Like Abrams, Haaland has worked throughout her career to protect voting rights. She began by registering voters in Tribal and rural communities across New Mexico. In Congress, she defended the right to vote by mail during the pandemic and worked to ensure Native communities did not face undue barriers at the ballot box. As Secretary of the Interior, she expanded polling access to include colleges and universities under the department’s jurisdiction, such as Southwestern Polytechnical Institute in Albuquerque and Haskell University in Oklahoma.
Throughout her campaign, Haaland has traveled to all 33 counties in New Mexico, meeting directly with families, workers, and community leaders to hear their concerns and share her vision for a safer, stronger, and healthier state.
A testament to her experience and vision to lead New Mexico, Haaland has earned more than 120 endorsements from local and national leaders, including Ben Ray Luján, Melanie Stansbury, Gabe Vasquez, Teresa Leger Fernández, New Mexico House Speaker Javier Martinez, and House Majority Leader Reena Szczepanski.