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Courtesy of Deb Haaland for Congress

Courtesy of Deb Haaland for Congress

Profile: Deb Haaland seeks to become first Native Congresswoman

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of articles by the Daily Lobo about individuals running for public office in New Mexico this year.

University of New Mexico alumna Deb Haaland is a Democrat running for Congress in New Mexico Congressional District 1. If Haaland wins the election, she will be the first Native American woman ever elected to Congress, as she is a tribal member of the Laguna Pueblo.

Haaland graduated from UNM with an undergraduate degree in English in 1994, and gave birth to her daughter four days later. She also graduated from UNM School of Law with her Juris Doctor in 2005. Haaland said she has always been enthusiastic about helping people become active in their community and exercising their right to vote.

“I am very passionate about people's right to vote, and so I have worked hard to register people to vote and encourage people to vote,” Haaland said.

Haaland said she felt that she could use her strong voice to advocate for New Mexicans. She said one of her focuses is climate change and renewable energy and, as a congresswoman, she would work for clean energy jobs.

“I would love for us someday have 100 percent renewable energy. I would like for us to move toward that, because it would be good for the environment and produce a lot of jobs,” Haaland said.

She said another one of her beliefs is that the U.S. needs medicare for all, and that every person deserves to have health care that they can afford.

Haaland said she feels very strongly about running a grassroots campaign. She said she does not take money from corporate PACs, the NRA, big pharmaceutical or payday lending companies, adding that she feels strongly about not compromising her values because of who she receives money from.

“We really need to get back to our elected officials putting their constituents first,” Haaland said. Laws need to benefit the people of the county and not big corporations.”

Haaland said that she has faced many of the challenges that people of color often face — she has been on food stamps, relied on public health care and had to rely on planned parenthood.

“I know what it is like to struggle. As a single mom I know what a lot of women of color have had to go through,” Haaland said.

There has never been a Native American woman elected to congress before.

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Haaland said she knows what it is like to watch the State of Union Address and not see any Native American women representing the country. She also said she knows what it is like to watch the news and be underrepresented there as well.

She said it is always exciting to see more people of color, as well as women, running for office.

“As a woman I am always excited when women run for office,” Haaland said. “We are still underrepresented out there. I would love to see women have more opportunities.”

Haaland also stressed the importance of education reform, saying that the U.S. needs affordable early childhood education because many individuals cannot afford to send their children to preschool. Additionally, she said there is a great need to invest more in public education.

According to Haaland, both her and her daughter are currently paying off student loans. Haaland said she promises to work to reduce student debt and the need for student loans. She also discussed the idea of free college tuition, which she said would make it possible for students to pursue graduate school or a job they are truly passionate about.

Haaland said the most rewarding thing for her is when the voter turnout is high. She said it means the world when people get out there and vote.

Election Day for the CD-1 Democratic primary race takes place on June 5.

Megan Holmen is a freelance reporter for news and culture at the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at news@dailylobo.com, culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @megan_holmen.

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