Bernalillo County DA Sam Bregman announces campaign for New Mexico governor
LAS VEGAS, N.M. — Kicking off his gubernatorial campaign in what promises to be a fiercely competitive Democratic primary, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman lashed what he called "the excesses and chaos" of U.S. President Donald Trump, as well as what he referred to as "radical left-wing elitism" in his own party.
Known for his push for tough-on-crime policies, Bregman pitched his campaign in the 2026 governor's race as a "common-sense," moderate approach, harkening back to a Democratic Party of the past that stood for its base of working-class voters.
His bid pits him against former Congresswoman and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, a member of Laguna Pueblo, who announced this week she has raised about $3 million since launching her campaign two months ago.
But Bregman said he isn't concerned about the initial wealth gap his campaign faces. "I'm a tested fundraiser, if you will, and I think I'm very capable and my message will resonate with people in New Mexico," he said.
Around the Roundhouse S1E13: Sam Bregman
He delivered the first speech of his campaign to a crowd of a few hundred people Thursday evening in the historic plaza of Las Vegas, a longtime Democratic stronghold, in an event that included a performance by popular local musician Gonzalo.
Bregman said he chose the city for his announcement partly because he considers it "the heart of the Democratic Party" in Northern New Mexico.
"There's a lot of Democrats who sat on the sidelines recently because they didn't like what they saw in the Democratic Party," Bregman said in an interview Thursday. "There's a lot of Democrats who not [only] sat on the sidelines, but actually voted for the other guy. We need to bring them back to the fold — that's why I'm here."
An attorney with a 30-year career, Bregman was appointed district attorney in the state's most populous county by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in 2023 and was elected to the position in 2024. He has been an Albuquerque city councilor and New Mexico Democratic Party chair. He is also the father of Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman.
Haaland, who made history as the first Native American to serve in a federal Cabinet post and would make history as the nation's first Native woman to serve as governor if she wins, also has been the state party chair.
On her campaign website, she touts endorsements from four-fifths of New Mexico's Democratic congressional delegation and dozens of other public officials from all levels of government.
Bregman and Haaland are so far the only candidates to publicly announce campaigns for governor. Democratic U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich ruled himself out of the governor's race earlier this year, and no Republican candidates have initiated a run.
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Sam Bregman kicks off his gubernatorial campaign at Plaza Park in Las Vegas, N.M., on Thursday, April 10, 2025.
Crowd of supporters
The audience at Bregman's first campaign event included ardent, longtime supporters, several of the area's public officials and local voters who came to hear what he had to say.
Mora County Sheriff Americk Padilla, 4th Judicial District Attorney Thomas Clayton and former state Rep. Ambrose Castellano, who lost his primary election in 2024 to a more progressive challenger, were in the crowd.
Also in attendance was former Attorney General Patricia Madrid, who lives in Mora and expressed her support for Bregman.
"I've known him a long time," she said. "He's a brilliant lawyer — he's tough, smart and he is what we need against the administration in Washington."
Las Vegas resident Phillip Marquez, a retired employee of New Mexico Highlands University, said he hasn't decided whom he will support for governor in next year's primary election. He attended the event Thursday with his wife. If Haaland organizes an event in Las Vegas, he will attend hers as well, he said.
Marquez said he believes Lujan Grisham "has been a good governor," but most of his neighbors are ready for "change."
He commended what he saw as "hard-on-crime" stances by Bregman, which he believes will resonate with voters.
He and his wife noted Bregman's speech touched on crime, education and health care, which they believe are the three most important issues for the next administration to address.
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Sam Bregman speaks with media at the Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas, N.M., about his campaign for governor Thursday, April 10, 2025.
'Scourge of crime'
Bregman told the crowd Thursday he would protect and improve education, jobs, housing and health care while fighting back against a "scourge of crime" that he said has taken hold across the state.
His comments came as Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced she will deploy members of the New Mexico National Guard to Albuquerque — a city with one of the nation's highest crime rates — to help local law enforcement with public safety efforts.
Bregman touted thousands of convictions he has secured in the last two years as the top prosecutor in the state's most populous county. "Our focus has been relentless on holding violent criminals — including juveniles — accountable, and we've been working to address the conditions that lead so many to a life of crime," he said.
In recent years, he has advocated for some public safety-related legislation that has been passed up by state legislators, including a controversial overhaul of the juvenile justice code that would expand the list of offenses for which children can be tried and sentenced as adults.
He said he would also prioritize recruiting more police officers at agencies around the state.
As for what he means by "radical left-wing elite," Bregman said the phrase refers to "certain members of the Legislature who refused to even have a robust debate about juvenile crime."
He added, "I'm referring to folks who realize that the oil and gas industry, for example, provides a billion dollars for education every single year, provides half of the state budget and 100,000 jobs, yet are still willing to float the idea of shutting down oil and gas exploration."
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Sam Bregman, the district attorney in Bernalillo County's 2nd Judicial District, is greeted by supporter Cathy Thompson as he officially announces his bid for governor during a rally at Plaza Park in Las Vegas, N.M., on Thursday, April 10, 2025.
He declined to commit to a position on New Mexico's ongoing transition to carbon-free energy, which is required by the Energy Transition Act.
"We should always strive to reduce emissions, but at the same time we shouldn't be doing things to cripple an industry that provides us half our state budget in a billion dollars a year for education," he said. "And I think we can keep working towards having less emissions and at the same time recognizing the importance of our oil and gas industry and supporting them as well."
Bregman stressed his willingness to be a leader who can "stand up" to Trump, citing what he called the presidential administration's "attacks on health care, education, veterans and our way of life."
In an interview, he expressed his concerns about Trump's potential plans to cut Medicaid funding as well as what appears to be a lack of due process protections in federal immigration enforcement.
"So we need to push back and make sure we are heard loud and clear, and draw a line in the sand that that is unacceptable, and do everything we can, whether or not it's more litigation, or whether or not it's just being vocal, or whether or not pushing back in areas that they don't want to get pushed back," he said.
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