Congratulations to Deb Haaland on her well deserved victory in New Mexico State elections. Previously she held the distinction of being the first native American woman to be appointed as The Secretary of Interior under President Joe Biden and now she has created history again as the first female native American governor of NM. NM could not have asked for a better successor!
For the last 8 years Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham steered NM through immense geopolitical shocks and global catastrophe like the covid — adding nearly 100K new jobs while promoting education,child care and clean energy. The people of NM would benefit immensely if she continues to serve the state, attract investments and help build strong international relations. She could be an incredible brand ambassador for NM.
Yet during her tenure as a governor she faced hostility from the federal agencies including the FBI and the DEA who refused to co-operate with the state government leading to a massive flooding of fentanyl inside NM which later spread to several other US states.Politically NM imposes term limits on its governors, a constraint that states like Washington do not have to deal with.
These are the challenges that governor Deb will face too when she steps into the office.
It is important to address the apathy of federal institutions and unfair term limits that keep the administration destabilized. Either there should be universal and equal term limits for all states or none at all.
To counter that NM must strengthen its own administrative machinery and local institutions that can work independently and serve its citizens without requiring federal cooperation.
While NM has done well in research and advanced manufacturing it has struggled to generate jobs for its citizens. NM must translate its world class educational institutions and its space,semiconductor,defense and aeronautics industry into real tangible benefits for the people. That would take massive investment in skill development but without it NM will find it extremely hard to compete with California,Texas or Arizona.
Severe water crunch could also have a negative impact on NM’s industry. Because NM is land-locked it can't access sea water and use its solar and wind capacity for de-salination. It needs to create diplomatic channels in Texas,California and even in Mexico to ensure that it can acquire enough water to sustain both agriculture and industry without relying on ground water reserves.
Without a doubt NM’s biggest strengths are its world class research institutions and advanced manufacturing industries. Traditionally it has relied on oil exports as well. While they will continue to serve
NM must capitalise on the advantages it possesses to become a center for innovation. Its cultural closeness with Mexico offers it an edge that no other US states possess. Mexico is already set to transform under President Claudia Shienbaum. NM could help drive that transformation while gaining significant geographical advantages.
The election of Deb Haaland as the governor of NM represents the progressive aspirations of the citizens. They don't want more divisions or higher walls. What they want is a prosperous future. Something that governor Deb has the capability to deliver. A new American future could be written in New Mexico. Just like it was written in California a few decades ago.
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