I Learned from my parents to revere nature. Their way of teaching my siblings and I to respect the environment was to be in it, and so we spent a great deal of time outdoors. I fondly remember a family vacation at Dismal Swamp – rowing a boat up and down the swamp fishing for several days; once while at the beach in Virginia, my sister and I floated at least a mile out on the Chesapeake Bay on dime store blow up rafts. The Marine lifeguards who swam out to rescue us were surprised that my sister and I were not scared. We calmly sat atop our rafts because the ocean was a familiar place.
Running for Congress isn’t something I ever thought I would do. I got my start working to get out the Native vote, because I felt more of us needed to be active participants in electing people who would represent us. I persevered election after election, and eventually decided to run myself and won my seat as New Mexico Democratic Party Chairwoman. I was the first Native American woman to chair a state party. After years of grassroots organizing and advocacy, I decided to continue my mission to elevate our Native voice — in Congress.
If I win, I will be the first Native American woman elected to Congress. Over 10,200 people have been elected to Congress, and not one has been a Native woman.
But, that’s not the reason I’m running. Diversity is important, but I have a larger agenda, and it starts with saving our planet. Everything depends on our ability to sustainably inhabit this earth, and true sustainability will require us all to change our way of thinking on how we take from the earth and how we give back.
Just A Few Of Haaland’s Priorities
ECONOMY – We will double down on clean energy to create more good paying jobs; we’ll make it easier for those who want to start or expand their small business, and we must increase the minimum wage locally and federally. I believe in a fair society, where hardworking New Mexicans all have a shot at opportunities for success, and where corporations and the wealthiest all pay their fair share in taxes. Read my full education platform
HEALTHCARE – I support a woman’s right to choose when and how to have a child, full access to contraception, and believe that everyone should have access to affordable healthcare. Let’s fix Obamacare to protect healthcare for 250,000 New Mexicans, and move to a universal health care program. No American should face bankruptcy or death because of a lack of healthcare. Read my full healthcare platform
ENVIRONMENT – Climate change is real, and poses a real threat to our economy and our way of life; we must work for real solutions to stop it. We must fight for clean air and clean water, and drastically reduce our carbon emissions. We must make real change now so that we protect a future for our children. Public lands are there for all of us, and not for a few at the top to make a profit. Read my full environment platform
Deb For Congress
Deb On Twitter
Deb On Facebook
Contribute To Deb