Deb Haaland becomes first Indigenous woman to govern New Mexico

Democrat Deb Haaland has won the New Mexico gubernatorial election, becoming the first Indigenous woman to govern a US state. She previously served as US Secretary of the Interior under President Biden. Haaland, a member of the Laguna Pueblo tribe, was one of the first two Indigenous women elected to Congress in 2018. Her tribe successfully revolted against Spanish colonial rule in 1650, and her ancestral lands later hosted the world's largest open-pit uranium mine. Haaland has been open about past struggles with alcoholism and homelessness as a single mother. She earned a law degree but failed the bar exam, later working as a casino manager before entering politics.