SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Deb Haaland, who championed conservation and clean energy during her tenure as Interior secretary, is running for the Democratic nomination for governor in New Mexico, the nation’s No. 2 oil production state.

A Democratic source close to the former U.S. interior secretary says she has hired a campaign manager for the 2026 election.

The Associated Press is reporting that former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland is running for the Democratic nomination for New Mexico governor. When she was confirmed and sworn in as Interior secretary,

In the final days before she departs, Deb Haaland has found time to reflect on her journey from the back roads of New Mexico to a sprawling

Her service for President Joe Biden is marked by a focus on work in Indigenous communities and a search for balance between conservation and extraction on public lands.

“Deb Haaland is of and for New Mexico. She’s a proven leader; she’s created New Mexico jobs, brings people together, and is getting ready to run to be New Mexico’s next governor. She and her team will be focused on listening and solutions that fit the needs of our communities," Forrester said.

Former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland is “preparing” to run for governor of New Mexico in 2026, a campaign spokesperson confirmed to Source NM on Tuesday. If elected, Haaland would be the first Native American person to head the state government in its 113-year history.

Deb Haaland, the former secretary of the Interior Department under President Joe Biden, is getting ready for a run to become New Mexico’s next governor. Haaland led the Department of the Interior during all four years of the Biden administration after previously being elected to Congress to represent New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District in 2018.