A new candidate is throwing his cowboy hat in the ring as a candidate to be New Mexico’s governor in 2026.
Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman will hold a rally at Plaza Park in Las Vegas Thursday afternoon as his first public appearance as a gubernatorial candidate. He will speak on plans for his initial policies at the rally, which will feature free food and music.
Bregman spoke to NM Political Report Thursday, ahead of the rally.
“I can’t think of a more perfect location, Las Vegas is a beautiful place. It’s a historic place. It’s also right in the center of northern New Mexico, which has obviously been a stronghold for Democratic politics for a long, long time,” Bregman said. “I’m looking forward to going up there. It’s going to be a lot of fun, and it’s going to be an old-fashioned campaign rally. It’s going to be great.”
For Bregman, a career litigator for over three decades, the top priority is “fighting back against the scourge of crime that has hit every corner of our state.”
And how exactly does Bregman plan to fight back?
“Number one, let’s put more cops on the streets. I have a track record of success in recruiting and retaining people when it comes to law enforcement. In the last two-plus years, I’ve hired over 80 attorneys here in this office alone. We can do the same thing when it comes to police,” Bregman said. “I truly believe New Mexico is a great place and we can do a lot better when it comes to recruiting police officers. It’s not a matter of money or resources; we can afford to pay more police officers. Let’s just get the job done. That’s the number one priority because the more police officers on the street, the safer we’re all going to be. And everybody deserves, not, just wants, but they deserve a safe neighborhood in a safe community.”
Bregman began his political career as an Albuquerque City Councilor, and later served as the chair of the New Mexico Democratic Party. He was appointed to serve as Bernalillo County District Attorney by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham in January 2023 and won election to a full term in 2024.
While at the Albuquerque City Council, Bregman championed the implementation of SANE – the Sexual Assault Nursing Examiner program as well as the first hate crime ordinance, according to his campaign team. In his two years as D.A., Bregman has increased homicide prosecutions from 162 convictions from 2019–2022 to 286 convictions since he took office. Bregman also worked to establish a zero-tolerance policy for guns in schools and implemented new technology to deal with the backlog of sexual assault cases in the D.A.’s office.
When he was first appointed to the be D.A., Bregman said he did not intend to run for a full term. But he announced in June 2023 that he planned to run to keep his job. Now, just three months into a four-year term as district attorney, his success in that role has led Bregman to set his eyes on the big job.
“I love New Mexico, first and foremost. I’ve had the opportunity and I’ve been blessed to raise a family here, and it’s time that I give back in a big way to this community,” Bregman said. “I think New Mexico has so much potential, but we haven’t lived up to that potential. I’m very much results-oriented and I want to get stuff done and help the people of New Mexico when it comes to crime, education, economic opportunity and health care.”
Bregman is the second candidate to announce a run for governor, joining fellow Democrat and former U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland in the race to replace incumbent Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who cannot run again due to term limits. Haaland and Bregman will face off in the June 2026 primary.
Gregg Hull, the mayor of Rio Rancho, is expected to run for the Republican nomination for governor of New Mexico but has yet to make an announcement.
Haaland is also a former U.S. Representative and replaced Bregman as chair of the state’s Democratic Party in 2015.
Haaland’s campaign is focused on a theme of being “fierce,” with promises to work to lower the cost of living, strengthen schools and fight crime. Bregman is also focused on ensuring that everyone in New Mexico has access to quality and affordable health care, creating new economic opportunities and high-paying jobs, reforming our education system and investing in housing programs.
Haaland is also well funded, as her campaign announced Wednesday that she has raised nearly $3 million in contributions from more than 39,000 donors since launching her campaign less than two months ago.
“We do have to raise a lot of money, but it’s a big state. And I want to travel, I want to get out and visit with folks,” Bregman said. “I want to hear what their concerns are, but more importantly, I want to give them an idea of what my vision for the state is, where we’re no longer 50th in education, where we’re no longer first in crime, where where you don’t have to wait six months to get a doctor’s appointment, and where your kids don’t have to go to another state to find find a job.”
Bregman, a former Deputy State Auditor and Chair of the Governor’s Organized Crime Commission, said he respects Haaland, but he is better suited for the job.
So why should Democrats vote for Bregman instead of Haaland?
“Because I’m a uniter and I want to unite the Democratic Party to fight back against Donald Trump,” Bregman said. “I’m also a fighter who gets things done, and I want to get stuff done, and let New Mexico live up to the great potential that it has.”
