New Mexico Election: Deb Haaland Projected to Win Governorship
The former U.S. Secretary of the Interior is expected to defeat Gregg Hull, extending a streak of Democratic control in the state.
By Emmanuel Faure ·
Democrat Deb Haaland is projected to win the 2026 New Mexico gubernatorial race, defeating Republican challenger Gregg Hull. KOB 4 made the call at 8:46 p.m. local time, when Haaland held a 57 percent lead over Hull, who was projected to receive 43 percent of the vote.
The victory marks a historic moment for the state. Haaland will become the first Native American woman to serve as a state governor in the United States. She also becomes New Mexico’s third consecutive female governor, following Susana Martinez and Michelle Lujan Grisham.
This win extends a long streak of Democratic success in statewide offices. Since June 16, 2015, Democrats have won every statewide race in New Mexico with one exception. That exception was the re-election of Supreme Court Justice Judith Nakamura in 2016. Haaland is the third consecutive Democratic governor to have previously served in the U.S. Congress.
Despite the projected win, turnout patterns among the party base drew attention. Haaland’s total vote count lagged behind other Democrats running in simultaneous statewide races. This suggests a potential dip in enthusiasm among Democratic-leaning voters compared to other candidates on the ballot.
Historical comparisons show that Haaland’s margin of victory is moderate by recent standards. In 2022, Michelle Lujan Grisham won with 370,168 votes and just under 52 percent of the total. In 2018, Lujan Grisham secured 398,368 votes and over 57 percent. The last decisive landslide in the state came in 2006, when Democrat Bill Richardson won nearly 69 percent of the vote with 384,806 ballots.
The result also ends a period of alternating party control that has defined New Mexico politics for decades. This is the first time since 1982 that a major party has retained the governor’s mansion with consecutive governors. Toney Anaya won in 1982 after Bruce King’s administration. Since 1986, when the state allowed back-to-back terms, Haaland is the first major party candidate to keep the office after a previous governor served two terms.
