Sam Bregman, a Democratic New Mexico district attorney and father of a Major League Baseball star, launched a campaign for his state’s governor’s office on Thursday, teeing up a primary showdown with former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland in the blue-leaning state.
Bregman carved out a centrist platform in his announcement, distinguishing himself from what he characterized as “extremism” from President Donald Trump and Republicans, as well as “weak, ineffective and complicit” congressional Democrats. The primary race is poised to reflect a larger struggle over the future of the party, as Democrats seek to establish a new identity under a second Trump administration.
A career attorney and father of Red Sox star Alex Bregman, Bregman was tapped to be District Attorney of Bernalillo County by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in January 2023. Lujan Grisham is term-limited, opening the field for Democratic candidates in 2026.
The candidate’s launch video, which features Bregman riding across a New Mexico landscape on horseback, claims that “New Mexico is under attack by Elon Musk, his puppet Donald Trump and the Republicans in Washington” — and posits that Bregman is the candidate to protect it. His famous son — who has been one of the Houston Astros’ best players for the last decade before signing with the Red Sox this offseason — did not appear in his launch video.
The district attorney touted his years of legal experience, promising to be aggressive on issues like crime and put “violent gang members behind bars.” The state has faced a recent rise in crime, prompting Lujan Grisham to declare a state of emergency in Albuquerque on Tuesday and call in the National Guard to help tackle local crime.
Bregman also took aim at the “radical left,” for dividing the party and ceding ground to Republicans.
“It’s the intolerance of the radical left that has divided our party,” the candidate said. “At a time when we need everyone to unite in the fight against Trump. Whether it’s them, or the MAGA extremists, they’ve all hijacked our politics leaving everyday New Mexicans in the dust.”
Bregman will face off against Haaland, who was Biden’s Interior secretary for the entirety of his administration and represented the state’s battleground 1st District for one term in Congress. Both Bregman and Haaland have previously chaired the state’s Democratic Party. The Democratic candidate is favored to win the 2026 race, although Republicans have insisted they could be competitive in other recent statewide races. No prominent Republicans have launched bids for the office yet.
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