More than a year after announcing her campaign for the Democratic nomination for governor, Deb Haaland has remained conspicuously absent from the television ad wars. That all changes this weekend with the launch of her first ad, “Who fights,” which is previewed exclusively here before it airs.
The ad follows the traditional campaign playbook of running a biographical ad first to introduce a candidate to voters. The 30-second spot begins by highlighting her “origin story” as a single mother and rise to Congresswoman, but it notably doesn’t mention her time as President Joe Biden’s Interior Secretary.
The ad also gives a preview of key issues Haaland’s campaign will focus on for the 90 day sprint to the June primary election: Better schools and protecting communities from ICE. Her last remaining opponent in the Democratic primary, Bernalillo County D.A. Sam Bregman, made his own big television buy in January promising to prosecute unlawful acts by ICE and he has criticied Haaland for failing to agree to debate him on other issues, including education policy.
Public campaign advertising records show the campaign is spending $25,115 to air the ad through April 20 on KOB-TV in Albuquerque. A campaign spokesperson confirmed that other television stations and digital platforms are also included, though those records had not been updated by the stations as of Friday night.
Haaland has enjoyed a large lead in polling among likely Democratic voters since announcing her campaign last spring. Former Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima switched to run as an independent leaving voters to choose between Haaland and Bregman.