Stacey Abrams, left, has announced her support of Deb Haaland for governor. Courtesy photo

From the Deb Haaland for Governor Campaign:

ALBUQUERQUE — Today, national leader and change-maker Stacey Abrams, announced her support of Deb Haaland for governor. Abrams is the first Black woman to win a major party’s nomination for governor in the country, and she has devoted her career to protecting voting rights and protecting our nation’s families.

“We have to elect people who believe in people, not power and who believe in the future and not the past. We also need leaders who are not afraid to stand up for the vulnerable, for immigrants, and for those who have been left behind. I am excited to stand by my friend Deb Haaland,” Abrams said. “New Mexicans have an opportunity to build on the progress of the last four years. They have Deb Haaland waiting for them and they have never had a gubernatorial candidate like her.”

“Stacey is a fierce fighter and a tireless advocate for our right to cast our ballots and have a voice in who leads our communities. She understands what it takes to stand up to powerful interests and deliver real results for our communities. I am deeply honored to have her support,” Haaland said.

Like Abrams, Haaland has worked to protect voting rights throughout her career. She started registering voters in Tribal and rural communities across New Mexico. In Congress, she protected the right to vote by mail during the pandemic, and ensured Native communities did not have undue barriers to the ballot box. As Secretary of the Interior, she expanded polling places to include colleges and universities under the Interior’s jurisdiction, such as Southwestern Polytechnical Institute in Albuquerque and Haskell University in Oklahoma.

Throughout her campaign, Haaland has traveled to all 33 counties in New Mexico, meeting directly with families, workers, and community leaders to hear their concerns and share her vision for a safer, stronger, and healthier state.

A testament to Haaland’s experience and vision to lead New Mexico, Haaland has earned more than 120 endorsements from local and national leaders including: Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, Rep. Melanie Stansbury, Rep. Gabe Vasquez, Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, New Mexico House Speaker Javier Martinez, and New Mexico House Majority Leader Reena Szczepanski.