Meet Deb Haaland: The New Mexico Democratic candidate in Governor’s race, who used to make salsa to make ends meet

In America, it seems like the times are a-changing.Most Americans know Deb Haaland as a history-maker, and for the right reasons. After all, she’s the first Native American Cabinet secretary, running the Department of the Interior. But that’s not where her story started. Way before the Washington spotlight, she was a solo mom in New Mexico, scraping by with food stamps, selling homemade salsa just to pay for groceries and keep her daughter fed.Haaland is now back in the headlines, and this time, for something just as groundbreaking. She won the Democratic primary for governor of New Mexico and is now setting up a showdown with Republican Gregg Hull this November. If she wins, she’ll make history — once again — as the first Native American woman ever elected governor of a US state.Her primary win cements her spot as one of the most influential Indigenous leaders of this era. But it’s the personal story, the long road from financial struggle to national power, that gives Haaland’s campaign real weight.By now, lots of people are already aware of Haaland’s political prowess, her relevance, and significance. But here’s a delicious detail a lot of people don’t know: after college, Haaland raised her daughter Somáh on her own and started a salsa business to make ends meet. Her years back then had her barely hanging on, leaning on friends for places to live, and relying on food assistance when money ran out.But Haaland came out stronger — those rough years shaped her politics. She’s been open about how living that reality gave her empathy for all the working families out there, and especially for women who do it alone. To her supporters, Haaland’s journey, from kitchen-table salsa sales to the governor’s race, feels uniquely American. It’s almost poetic how it resembles the ‘American Dream’ people keep chasing!So, it’s only understandable that Haaland’s victory isn’t just about personal achievements or impressive credentials. It’s about visibility and representation. She’s a member of the Laguna Pueblo tribe and has already smashed plenty of political barriers. She and Sharice Davids were the first two Native American women in Congress, and Haaland became the first Native American Cabinet secretary when Biden named her to Interior.And now, she’s on the threshold of another first. Winning the governor’s race would make her the first Native American woman governor in any state, which is a big deal in a country where Indigenous voices still don’t get the space or recognition they deserve.Deb Haaland is not your everyday politician. The 35th-generation New Mexican isn’t just someone hailing from New Mexico; her family’s been there since before statehood. Her Pueblo roots go back centuries. In fact, her Indigenous name in Keres means “Crushed Turquoise,” and she belongs to the Turquoise clan. On top of that, her parents both served in the US military — her dad was a decorated Marine in Vietnam, her mom a Navy veteran.During her rise in Congress, she broke multiple barriers. Back in 2018, Haaland (along with Sharice Davids) became one of the first Native American women ever elected to the US House. It was a huge moment for representation.What’s even more historic is that she’s the first native American in a Cabinet post. In 2021, Haaland took the reins at the Department of the Interior, the agency that, for much of US history, managed policies that deeply affected Native nations. Her appointment was a powerful symbol and a real shift in how the federal government engages with Indigenous issues.What solidifies her connection to people is how Haaland’s been open about her struggles with alcoholism in her younger years, and she’s talked about maintaining sobriety for decades. Combine that with her years as a single mom just getting by, and you get a story of grit and survival.And she’s more than a sum of political jargon — Haaland’s passionate about nature and fitness. She’s run marathons, she hikes, and she’s never tried to separate that side of her life from her advocacy for protecting public lands.As of now, Haaland faces Gregg Hull, the Republican nominee, in the fall. New Mexico usually leans Democratic, but Republicans hope concerns about crime and the economy will shake things up.For Haaland, though, this fight is bigger than party lines. Her campaign leans on lowering costs, better health care, upgrading schools, and safeguarding New Mexico’s environment. She also talks about her run as a way to make government look more like the people it serves and to inspire Indigenous kids everywhere.Time will tell what November has in store, but one thing’s for sure: Deb Haaland’s story, from a struggling single mother, hustling salsa to pay the bills, to becoming a serious contender for governor, is the kind of story of the ‘American Dream’ you don’t see every day.