Governor of New Mexico · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in the New Mexico governor's race?
Deb Haaland has the strongest record in the New Mexico governor's race. Deb Haaland scores 67 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Gregg Hull at 61, as of October 6, 2026. Deb Haaland's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Gregg Hull's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic
Strongest record
Deb Haaland
Running mate: Stephanie Garcia Richard
67 / 100
Public evidence on 12 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 75
- Performance
- 75
Republican
Gregg Hull
Running mate: David M. Gallegos
61 / 100
Public evidence on 11 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 75
- Performance
- 50
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Deb Haaland
- On the record2026-09-25
Her campaign ended debate negotiations in September 2026 and declined KOB's Oct. 8 debate; KOB reported she would take part in no general election debate.
Sources: KOB 4, Sept. 2026, Santa Fe New Mexican, Sept. 25, 2026
- On the record2014-09-08
As Gary King's 2014 running mate, she flew to Washington fundraising events on a jet arranged by Jeffrey Epstein; her campaign said she never interacted with him.
Sources: New Mexico Political Report, Feb. 17, 2026, Albuquerque Journal, Feb. 17, 2026
- Credit2021-03
The Senate confirmed her as interior secretary by a 51-40 vote on March 15, 2021, the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary.
Source: Ballotpedia, Debra Haaland
- Credit2020-10
As a U.S. representative, she was the primary sponsor of the Not Invisible Act, which was enacted in October 2020; GovTrack credits her with five enacted bills.
Sources: GovTrack, H.R. 2438 (116th), GovTrack, Debra Haaland
Gregg Hull
- On the record2026-06 to 2026-09
His campaign agreed to KOB's general election debate on June 3, 2026, and he said he would attend the station's Oct. 8 date.
Source: KOB 4, Sept. 2026
- On the record2022
A state district judge found the City of Rio Rancho violated the Inspection of Public Records Act by withholding police records on a child's 2021 shooting death and awarded $43,729 in fees.
Sources: Rio Rancho Observer, KOB 4
- Credit2026-07
Former Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima, a former Democrat running as an independent, ended his campaign and endorsed him.
- Credit2024-01
Rio Rancho's independent audit for fiscal 2023, during his time as mayor, reported no audit findings.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Deb Haaland. Campaign finance reports are on file with the New Mexico Secretary of State through the September 2026 general election report. No official ethics or campaign finance finding found.
Gregg Hull. Campaign finance reports are on file with the New Mexico Secretary of State through the September 2026 general election report. No official ethics or campaign finance finding found.
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Deb Haaland. No public record found.
Gregg Hull. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Deb Haaland. Took part in an Aug. 25, 2026 forum with Hull in Albuquerque. Her campaign ended negotiations over a televised debate in September; KOB reported she will not take part in its Oct. 8 debate or any other.
Sources: Albuquerque Journal via Yahoo News, Aug. 26, 2026, KOB 4, Sept. 2026
Gregg Hull. Took part in an Aug. 25, 2026 forum with Haaland and GOP primary debates, and agreed to KOB's general election debate, which he says he will attend on Oct. 8.
Sources: Albuquerque Journal via Yahoo News, Aug. 26, 2026, KOB 4, Sept. 2026
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Deb Haaland. Served as a U.S. representative from 2019 to 2021 and U.S. interior secretary from 2021 to 2025. No censure, reprimand or formal conduct finding found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Debra Haaland
Gregg Hull. Mayor of Rio Rancho from 2014 to 2026 and earlier ran his own business for 12 years. No censure or formal conduct finding found.
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Deb Haaland. Voted Nay on both January 2021 objections to certified electors (Roll Calls 10 and 11) and later took the oath as interior secretary. No official finding of misuse of office found.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021
Gregg Hull. Took and held the oath of mayor of Rio Rancho for three terms. No official finding of misuse of office and no action to reject certified election results found.
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Deb Haaland. U.S. interior secretary from 2021 to 2025 and U.S. representative for New Mexico's 1st District from 2019 to 2021. Has not held state office.
Source: Ballotpedia, Debra Haaland
Gregg Hull. Mayor of Rio Rancho, New Mexico's third-largest city, from 2014 to 2026, the longest tenure in the city's history. Has not held state office.
Sources: Albuquerque Journal Candidate Q&A, Albuquerque Journal, May 11, 2026
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Deb Haaland. Publishes detailed plans on education, affordability and public safety, and in the Albuquerque Journal Q&A proposed an Office of Small Business, a Child Tax Credit expansion and a CYFD overhaul with an independent oversight commission.
Sources: Campaign site, Deb's Plan, Albuquerque Journal Candidate Q&A, Oct. 2, 2026
Gregg Hull. Published a four-step plan to phase out personal income tax on eligible income, conditioned on legislative passage and funding of protected services, plus issue pages on education, infrastructure and jobs.
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Deb Haaland. Publishes issue plans, answered the Albuquerque Journal candidate questionnaire and took part in candidate forums.
Sources: Campaign site, Deb's Plan, Albuquerque Journal Candidate Q&A, Oct. 2, 2026, Albuquerque Journal via Yahoo News, Aug. 26, 2026
Gregg Hull. Publishes issue pages, answered the Albuquerque Journal candidate questionnaire and took part in primary debates and a general election forum.
Sources: Albuquerque Journal Candidate Q&A, Albuquerque Journal via Yahoo News, Aug. 26, 2026
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Deb Haaland. Graduated from Highland High School in Albuquerque, earned her degrees at the University of New Mexico and lives in Albuquerque. No in-state donor share was found in the state filings.
Sources: Campaign site, About, Albuquerque Journal Candidate Q&A, Oct. 2, 2026
Gregg Hull. Settled in the Rio Rancho area in the mid-1990s and lives in Rio Rancho; spent part of his youth in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. He says his campaign has focused on New Mexico donors; no in-state share was found.
Sources: Albuquerque Journal, May 11, 2026, Albuquerque Journal Candidate Q&A
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Deb Haaland. As interior secretary led a department of nearly 70,000 employees. State campaign reports are on file with no official finding found.
Sources: Campaign site, About, New Mexico Political Report, Sept. 15, 2026
Gregg Hull. Led the city government of New Mexico's third-largest city as mayor for 12 years; before that ran his own packing and crating business. State campaign reports are on file with no finding.
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Deb Haaland. Center for Effective Lawmaking rated her meets expectations in her one full House term (116th Congress, classic score). Primary sponsor of five bills that were enacted, including the Not Invisible Act, signed in October 2020.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, Debra Haaland, GovTrack, H.R. 2438 (116th)
Gregg Hull. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Deb Haaland. Missed 12 of 1,031 roll call votes, 1.2 percent, from January 2019 to March 2021.
Source: GovTrack, Debra Haaland
Gregg Hull. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Deb Haaland. No public record found.
Gregg Hull. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Deb Haaland. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of 0.05685 in the 116th Congress, ranked 220th in the House, a positive score.
Gregg Hull. Endorsed in July 2026 by former Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima, a former Democrat who had been running as an independent.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Deb Haaland. No public record found.
Gregg Hull. Rio Rancho's audit for fiscal 2023 had no findings, and the state auditor said the city has had minimal audit findings.
Sources: Rio Rancho Observer, Jan. 19, 2024, Rio Rancho Observer
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 6, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in the New Mexico governor's race?
Deb Haaland has the strongest record in the New Mexico governor's race. Deb Haaland scores 67 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Gregg Hull at 61, as of October 6, 2026. Deb Haaland's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Gregg Hull's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in the New Mexico governor's race in 2026?
Deb Haaland (Democratic), Gregg Hull (Republican). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Deb Haaland a good candidate for Governor?
Deb Haaland scores 67 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 12 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 75 of 100, performance 75 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Gregg Hull a good candidate for Governor?
Gregg Hull scores 61 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 11 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 75 of 100, performance 50 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every New Mexico race scored, and the New Mexico 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.