Talk about a whirlwind. Less than a month ago, the Democratic primary to replace term-limited New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham seemed destined to devolve into a brawl between former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich.
Then, like a sudden desert haboob, the race’s entire landscape changed. On Jan. 24 — just three weeks after scoring a plum post as ranking member of the Senate Energy Committee — Heinrich announced he would not run for governor. That left Haaland as the clear frontrunner for the nomination, and she formally declared her candidacy on Feb. 11.
All three of the state’s congressional representatives and U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján have publicly backed Haaland’s campaign in a clear push to avoid a messy primary, and the contest now looks more like a coronation. Her most formidable possible foes, Heinrich and state Attorney General Raúl Torrez, have both backed down from a fight. Though Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman and former Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima continue to weigh bids, neither are expected to be able to compete with
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