A few years ago while visiting Shenandoah National Park, I took a bit of a tumble.
John, Deb Haaland here.
A few years ago while visiting Shenandoah National Park, I took a bit of a tumble.
I was hiking up the side of a mountain when I slipped on a loose rock. It was a total freak accident — I couldn’t believe it! But there I was, covered in dirt with a pain in my leg and ankle and three options:
- Get airlifted down in a helicopter,
- take eight National Park staff away from their jobs to carry me down,
- or hike down myself.
I chose to walk back down the mountain, John, because I couldn't stomach the idea of taking our National Park staff away from their work, even for a few hours. It turns out I hiked down all that way with a broken leg. I'll be honest, I didn't think my leg was actually broken at the time.
The federal workers who care for our public lands have absolutely crucial jobs to do. They preserve and protect our public lands for millions of visitors each year and for future generations. Donald Trump and Elon Musk have made it clear they intend to auction off our lands to extractive industries like Big Oil. They’ve attempted to fire our dedicated National Parks and National Forests workers en masse.
As Governor of New Mexico, I will be a fierce defender of our rivers, mesas, farmlands, and forests. I will always stand up for the dedicated workers who serve our communities. If you're with me, will you support my campaign by donating today?
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As a former Secretary of the Interior, it breaks my heart to see what this administration is doing to exploit our lands and those who care for them.
But just like the day I chose to hike down the mountain on my broken leg, I am determined to stand up and do right by the workers who proudly serve our nation.
New Mexicans need a governor who isn’t afraid of the tough fights that lie ahead. I can’t win this campaign without you, so please pitch in a donation of $5 if you can afford it today.
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Thanks for reading, John. It means a lot that you allowed me to share this moment with you — because the fight to protect our public lands belongs to all of us.
Be fierce,
Deb
P.S. In case you’re wondering, not even a broken left fibula could keep me away from our beautiful parks for long. Here’s a photo of me from one of my favorite places to visit, Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park.
