Haaland vs. Hull is set — but Dems have a new problem

New Mexico’s 2026 primary election results are in, setting up a November governor’s race between Democrat Deb Haaland, Joe Biden’s former U.S. Interior secretary, and Republican Gregg Hull, the former mayor of Rio Rancho.

According to unofficial results from the New Mexico Secretary of State, all 2,204 precincts were fully reported as of early Wednesday morning, with 343,768 ballots cast statewide for a turnout of 24.41%. The results remain unofficial until certified.

Haaland easily defeated Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman in the Democrat primary, taking 156,861 votes, or 72%, to Bregman’s 60,189 votes, or 28%. KOB 4 projected Haaland the winner and reported that she used her victory speech in Old Town Albuquerque to promise a fight against President Donald Trump’s policies and influence.

“Are you ready to fight for healthcare? Are you ready to fight for safe communities? And are you ready to fight for our children’s education?” Haaland told supporters, according to KOB.

But the Democrat primary ended with a major fracture. Bregman told KOB he would not support Haaland in the general election.

“I will not be supporting Deb Haaland, no,” Bregman said.

Bregman said his refusal stemmed from Haaland’s campaign allegedly exposing his and his relatives’ home addresses. That public split could complicate Democrats’ attempts to unify heading into November, especially after a bitter primary that saw both candidates spend heavily while repeatedly invoking Trump to energize left-wing voters.

On the Republican side, Hull won a three-way primary with 56,412 votes, or 47%, defeating businessman Doug Turner, who received 44,319 votes, or 37%, and former state cabinet secretary and cannabis executive Duke Rodriguez, who finished with 19,288 votes, or 16%. The Associated Press reported that Haaland and Hull will now face off in November, with Hull campaigning on economic development, crime reduction, and ending one-party control in the state.

The lieutenant governor races also produced clear results. On the Democrat side, current far-left Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver defeated far-left state Sen. Harold Pope Jr. by a wide margin, 168,109 votes to 42,127, or 80% to 20%.

On the Republican side, state Sen. David Gallegos won the GOP nomination with 56,359 votes, or 50%, followed by Aubrey Blair Dunn with 42,752 votes, or 38%, and Manuel “Manny” Lardizabal with 14,147 votes, or 12%.

In the race for secretary of state, Doña Ana County Clerk Amanda López Askin defeated Santa Fe County Clerk Katharine Clark in the Democrat primary, 106,968 votes to 94,424, or 53% to 47%. Republican Ramona Goolsby was unopposed and received 96,149 votes.

The Democrat primary for commissioner of public lands also produced one of the night’s most decisive down-ballot results. Juan de Jesus Sanchez III defeated far-left state Rep. Matthew McQueen and Jonas Moya. Sanchez received 113,881 votes, or 56%, while McQueen received 66,232 votes, or 33%, and Moya finished with 21,988 votes, or 11%. Republican Michael Jack Perry was unopposed and received 96,683 votes.

In federal races, Democrat U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján defeated Matt Dodson, 180,516 votes to 33,883, or 84% to 16%. Republican write-in candidate Larry E. Marker received 4,770 votes, enough to secure his name on the November ballot, according to the unofficial results. In Congressional District 2, Democrat Gabe Vasquez was unopposed with 46,723 votes, while Republican Greg Cunningham defeated Jose Orozco, 26,673 votes to 4,870, or 85% to 15%, setting up a high-profile southern New Mexico race centered on crime, the border, and public safety.

The legislative results showed a continued leftward march in several Democrat primaries. In Albuquerque’s House District 27, incumbent Rep. Marian Matthews, viewed as one of the more moderate Democrats in the House, appears to have lost her nomination to far-left challenger Abby Foster. Unofficial results show Foster with 2,160 votes to Matthews’ 2,018, or 52% to 48%.

Other races showed progressive incumbents holding off more commonsense Democrat challengers. In House District 69, Rep. Michelle Paulene Abeyta defeated former Rep. Harry Garcia, 1,968 votes to 935, or 68% to 32%. In House District 70, Rep. Anita Gonzales defeated former Rep. Ambrose Castellano, 3,336 votes to 2,033, or 62% to 38%.

Those results matter because Democrats already hold large majorities in Santa Fe, and primary outcomes often determine how far left the caucus moves on issues such as crime, energy, taxes, gun rights, abortion, parental rights, and government spending.

There were also some notable Republican-side legislative results. In House District 66, unofficial results showed a possible recount, with Leanne Gandy narrowly leading Dan Lewis, 999 votes to 989, while Trinidad Malone received 230 votes.

The November ballot is now taking shape. Democrats will try to extend their control over every statewide office, while Republicans will argue New Mexico needs a course correction on crime, education, taxes, energy, border security, and economic growth.

Haaland enters the general election with national Democrat support and a progressive record from Washington. Hull enters as the Republican nominee arguing that New Mexico needs a break from one-party Democrat rule.

With Bregman refusing to endorse Haaland, McQueen losing badly in the Land Office race, Matthews apparently falling to a farther-left challenger, and Republicans nominating Hull, Gallegos, Perry, Cunningham, and others, the 2026 general election is now officially underway.