Haaland, Garcia Richard and Luján Rallied in Alamogordo

ALAMOGORDO, N.M. — Democratic gubernatorial nominee Deb Haaland, lieutenant governor nominee Stephanie Garcia Richard and U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján brought their closing pitch to Otero County on Sunday evening, Nov. 1, drawing a packed crowd to Rocket City Family Fun Center, the Alamogordo bowling and entertainment center run by the Mescalero Apache Tribe.

The stop was part of a swing through New Mexico's southern counties in the final days before the Nov. 3 general election. Garcia Richard told the crowd it was the largest turnout of any rural community the ticket had visited on the trip south. The rally began at 6 p.m. and, with the large and enthusiastic crowd, ran past 9 p.m.

The venue itself carried a message of partnership. In April 2025 the City of Alamogordo signed a management contract with the tribe's Inn of the Mountain Gods to reopen the 24-lane center, putting a tribal enterprise in charge of a prominent business off the Mescalero reservation.

A local welcome

Otero County Democratic Party Chair Joy Bordenave launched the program, and downwinder advocate Tanya Burns kicked off the evening. The Tularosa Basin sits downwind of the 1945 Trinity test, and local families spent two decades pressing Congress for compensation. New Mexico downwinders were finally added to the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act in 2025, when the expansion was folded into the federal budget bill. Senator Ben Ray Lujan has been a champion in that fight. 

Alfred LaPaz, a respected Mescalero Apache elder who served multiple terms on the Tribal Council and stepped in as the tribe's acting president during a 2013 leadership transition, opened the evening with a prayer offered in English and in the tribal languages. The Mescalero Apache Tribe is made up of three bands — Mescalero, Chiricahua and Lipan — whose roughly 5,400 members live on 463,000 acres in south-central New Mexico.

Mayor Sharon McDonald then gave the candidates a warm welcome to Alamogordo. McDonald, a lifelong resident and former District 5 city commissioner, was sworn in this January as the city's mayor and the first elected Black mayor in state history, and first Democrat to hold the leadership role in the city in over 3 decades. As a commissioner in 2023, she brought the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium's presentation before the City Commission, has led city wide cleanup initiatives and is recognized for her championing of transparency and true government accountability and inclusion, recently launching the Mayors Commission on Youth made up exclusively of youth. 

Luján revs up the room

Sen. Ben Ray Luján delivered an energetic speech that praised McDonald for working toward unity and inclusion in "our house." He also heaped praise on Garcia Richard, New Mexico's commissioner of public lands, as the party's choice for lieutenant governor and at the end of the night emphasized the need to support down ballot candidates.

Garcia Richard: a lieutenant governor in every corner of the state

Garcia Richard matched Luján's energy, telling supporters the ticket was pleased by the size and enthusiasm of the Alamogordo crowd.

A former teacher, she served six years in the state House before winning the land commissioner's office in 2018. She launched her own lieutenant governor bid in 2025 but stepped away that fall to care for her husband during his cancer treatment. After his health improved, the Democratic State Central Committee chose her in July to fill the vacancy on the ballot left by Maggie Toulouse Oliver, with Haaland's endorsement. 

Garcia Richard has said she wants the office to act as a statewide ombudsman, with the governor's and lieutenant governor's staff keeping office hours in rural towns rather than only in Santa Fe. If elected, she would be the first Latina to hold the post.

Haaland Passion and Gratitude

Haaland spoke last, with deep passion and gratitude for the turnout. She worked the entire room, hugging and chatting with each person to make a personal connection.

A former congresswoman and U.S. secretary of the interior, Haaland won the June Democratic primary decisively and would become the first Native American woman elected governor of any state. Her campaign has centered on lowering the cost of living, strengthening schools and public safety, and has released policy plans on affordability, education, public safety and health care. She has also called water scarcity and climate paramount, and pledged to visit all 33 counties during the general election. She has visited Otero County at least 4 visits. 

The race

Haaland and Garcia Richard face Republican former Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull and his running mate, state Sen. David Gallegos of Eunice, to succeed term-limited Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. Hull has argued that families are hurting under years of one-party control in Santa Fe. 

The final Albuquerque Journal poll, conducted Oct. 1–9, showed Haaland ahead 49% to 42% among likely voters, with a margin of error of 2.9 points (Political Wire). Haaland drew criticism in October for skipping a planned KOB-TV debate with Hull, citing a scheduling conflict (Albuquerque Journal).

Polls are open Tuesday, Nov. 3, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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