Deb Haaland’s red flag: Proudly celebrates communist holiday
Deb Haaland, a far-left Democrat candidate for New Mexico governor and former Biden Interior Secretary, is facing new backlash after marching shoulder to shoulder with left-wing activists at a May Day rally in Albuquerque—a holiday with unmistakable roots in communism and socialism.
Haaland promoted her participation on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “Today, we march, we organize, and we rally for workers’ rights, fair pay, and safe working conditions. Grateful to join our laborers today for their May Day rally.”
The event saw teachers’ union officials and other demonstrators hoisting signs adorned with raised fists, a longtime symbol of Marxist revolution. Many carried slogans that appeared to mimic Soviet-era protest language, with red banners and socialist imagery dominating the rally.
This is no coincidence: May Day—officially known as International Workers’ Day—was embraced by communists globally as their signature holiday. While its origins lie in the 1886 Haymarket affair in Chicago, it was Vladimir Lenin who solidified May Day’s place in history as a celebration of communist power, using it to stage massive military parades in Moscow’s Red Square throughout the 20th century. Another genocidal dictator, the Nazis’ Adolph Hitler, also widely celebrated the holiday in Germany during his rule.
To avoid this ideological baggage, the United States has historically distanced itself from May Day, choosing instead to honor workers with Labor Day in September. As Time Magazine noted, Labor Day was deliberately designed to “avoid the associations with the radical labor movements” that May Day represented.
Haaland’s May Day display has added fresh ammunition for her critics, who say she is increasingly aligning with the far left. That concern is not just coming from Republicans—her chief rival in the Democrat primary, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman, has already attacked Haaland as “too socialist for New Mexico” earlier this year, painting her as out of step even with her own party’s moderates. He, however, is just as far-left, although it is unclear if he attended the communist May Day event.
With this latest rally, observers note that Haaland appears to be digging in her heels, embracing full-blown radicalism in what is shaping up to be a bitter primary fight. Photos from the event, which show her surrounded by militant protest imagery and union bosses, may play well with progressive activists, but they are raising eyebrows among centrist Democrats and independents concerned about New Mexico’s economic and cultural direction.
Adding to the growing narrative, speakers at the rally reportedly demanded expansive new government policies, including nationalized healthcare, massive green energy subsidies, and the dismantling of private education—policy positions that echo the socialist platforms of figures like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
While Haaland’s campaign insists her focus is “workers’ rights,” her visible embrace of May Day’s radical past is likely to remain a wedge issue in the 2026 race.
With the primary battle heating up, Haaland’s May Day gambit could define her campaign, for better or worse.
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