Haaland begins transition after winning governorship

Deb Haaland began her transition to the governor's office on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, following her victory in Tuesday's general election.

The race was open because incumbent Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham did not seek a third term. Haaland won the election, becoming the first Native American woman elected governor in the United States.

She arrived at a lunch stop at the Barelas Coffee House in Albuquerque on Wednesday morning. Still recovering from sleepless nights during the final days of the campaign, she told reporters she was ready to work.

Haaland said she planned to start interviewing potential Cabinet members within days. She also launched a transition website to provide information to prospective job seekers. She vowed to begin her term with immediate action.

"We didn't know we would win until last night when the results came in, and I'm not the type of person to put the cart before the horse," she said.

Her inauguration is scheduled for 57 days from now, in early January 2027. The transition period will require her to assemble a leadership team quickly while the current administration completes its final duties.

On the Navajo Nation, a separate political outcome emerged Tuesday night. Unofficial results show Crystalyne Curley received close to 51% of the vote for Navajo Nation president.

Curley currently serves as speaker of the Navajo Nation Council. If certified, she would be the first woman to hold that office. Her opponent, attorney Justin Jones, said he will not concede the race. The margin between the two candidates is 1,115 votes.

Under the Navajo Nation Code, election results cannot be certified until 10 days after the election. Jones intends to pursue legal challenges to the outcome.

In state government news, Gov. Lujan Grisham's office announced on Wednesday that New Mexico will join the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program. The state previously opposed the federal initiative.

The program takes effect on Jan. 1, 2027. It allows taxpayers to claim a federal income tax credit of up to $1,700 per year, or $3,400 for joint filers, for donations to nonprofit scholarship-granting organizations. These organizations will distribute funds to private and public schools for tuition, tutoring, technology, and after-school programs.

Lujan Grisham stated that the state must use available federal funds to support public education. She noted that the program allows taxpayers to keep a portion of their federal taxes in New Mexico to support local students.