Last week, Deb Haaland, a candidate for New Mexico governor, addressed the Next Generation Water Summit in Santa Fe. She presented her vision for enhancing water resilience in response to climate change and persistent drought conditions.
"We have a shared obligation to use water wisely, whether we live in cities or farm and ranch the land, or run businesses here in our state," Haaland stated. "We need to manage the water resources with every community in mind, work collaboratively and respect each other."
Haaland's plan as governor includes modernizing groundwater management in overdrawn basins, expanding stormwater capture systems across the state, and providing competitive grants to farmers for advanced irrigation technology. She also highlighted the importance of addressing contamination from PFAS, abandoned uranium mines, and oil and gas wells.
She expressed concern about recent federal policy changes: "During my time as Secretary, we made unprecedented progress for our shared public lands, waters, wildlife and the communities they sustain. But right now we face a bigger challenge—the Trump Administration is putting our progress at risk. Cuts to conservation, cuts to staff, cuts to grants, cuts to Tribal communities, cuts, cuts, cuts."
Haaland's water agenda is informed by her experience managing federal water resources as U.S. Secretary of the Interior from 2021–2025. Her campaign has received endorsements from numerous local officials in New Mexico as well as Senator Ben Ray Luján and Representatives Teresa Leger Fernandez, Melanie Stansbury, and Gabe Vasquez. Organizations such as Common Defense and Conservation Voters New Mexico Action Fund have also shown support.
Recently at an event with the New Mexico Chapter of the American Marketing Association, Haaland discussed part of her economic plan aimed at supporting small businesses and creating new economic opportunities within the state.
