2 days ago
Haaland criticizes Trump cuts to VA in Santa Fe campaign stop
Ask Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland whether she's been getting eight hours of sleep since she hit the campaign trail, and she doesn't hesitate in her response.
"No, absolutely not," she said Wednesday.
Haaland, the first person to announce her candidacy for governor, said the campaign is a full-time affair.
"It's pretty busy," she said. "It's fine, though. I mean, this is what I do best. I feel very comfortable on the road and campaigning, so it's fine. It's [also] fun. I love being with my team and love seeing people in New Mexico."
Haaland, a former congresswoman and U.S. Interior secretary, is campaigning in earnest this week in Santa Fe.
On Wednesday, she held a news conference to sound the alarm on U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs cuts under the Trump administration and her plans to address them, from expanding a rural veterans transportation program to all 33 New Mexico counties to investing in state-funded mental health and suicide prevention programs.
"Let's be honest about this moment," she said. "We're facing coordinated attacks on our rights, our freedoms and our future. The Trump administration is back, and they're coming directly for our veterans. ... Right now, Trump and Elon Musk are planning to cut 83,000 jobs at the VA. That's nearly double the population of Roswell."
Haaland said veterans make up 30% of the federal workforce and nearly 500,000 veterans could lose their jobs if Republicans pass Trump's budget.
"That's not to mention the 1.6 million veterans who rely on Medicaid and the 1.2 million veterans who have families that receive food assistance through SNAP, the same program I relied on as a young mother to feed my child," she said. "These are the safety nets that Trump and his cronies are shredding to pay for tax giveaways for billionaires."
At the event, Haaland received an early endorsement from Common Defense, which describes itself as the largest grassroots membership organization of progressive veterans. The news conference was followed by a roundtable discussion on veterans' priorities ahead of her summer policy plan rollouts, though the discussion was closed to the news media.
On Thursday, Haaland is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the 2025 Next Generation Water Summit, which is being held at the state Capitol.
Fundraisers are also on her itinerary.
"Campaigns don't run on their own," said Haaland, who is dwarfing every other gubernatorial candidate in fundraising with $3.7 million in campaign contributions so far. "It costs money to travel around New Mexico, and I'm so grateful for everyone who has pitched in and helped us achieve our goals."
While Haaland was first out of the gate, she faces stiff competition in the June 2026 primary from Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman, who raised more than $1 million in the first five weeks of his campaign. Former longtime Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima formerly launched his campaign for governor late last month.
Other Democrats are considering a gubernatorial run, too, including Lt. Gov. Howie Morales, who is expected to make a decision this week.
On the Republican side, Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull is seeking his party's nomination, though his campaign showed signs of trouble when it delayed a formal announcement that had been scheduled for June 2, saying it was choosing to extend a statewide listening tour "to ensure that our platform reflects the real concerns, hopes, and priorities of New Mexicans in every region."
"The campaign remains in a strategic growth phase, focused on building the infrastructure, fundraising base, and grassroots team necessary to win both the primary and general election," Hull's campaign wrote in a message to supporters.
Haaland, considered the front-runner in the Democratic primary, said she's been "super busy."
"We did one tour around New Mexico, and we're slowly but surely getting around to everywhere and getting meetings with our Indian tribes, meeting with tribal leaders and just doing whatever we can to reach out to voters," she said. "For me, it's meeting voters where they are, so we want to make sure that we are getting everywhere because everybody deserves to have a face-to-face conversation with us about our campaign."
