Michelle Lujan Grisham
32nd Governor of New Mexico
Assumed office
January 1, 2019
LieutenantHowie Morales
Preceded bySusana Martinez
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New Mexico's 1st district
In office
January 3, 2013 – January 1, 2019
Preceded byMartin Heinrich
Succeeded byDeb Haaland
Secretary of Health of New Mexico
In office
August 2004 – June 2007
GovernorBill Richardson
Preceded byPatricia Montoya
Succeeded byAlfredo Vigil
Personal details
Born
Michelle Lynn Lujan

(1959-10-24) October 24, 1959
Los Alamos, New Mexico, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouses
Gregory Grisham
​
​
(m. 1982; died 2004)​
    Manuel Cordova
    ​
    (m. 2022)​
    Children2
    ResidenceGovernor's Mansion
    EducationUniversity of New Mexico (BA, JD)
    WebsiteGovernment website

    Michelle Lujan Grisham (/ˈluːhɑːn ˈɡrɪʃəm/; born October 24, 1959) is an American lawyer and politician serving since 2019 as the 32nd governor of New Mexico. A member of the Democratic Party, Lujan Grisham previously served as the U.S. representative for New Mexico's 1st congressional district from 2013 to 2019.

    Lujan Grisham served as the state secretary of health from 2004 to 2007 and as a Bernalillo County commissioner from 2010 to 2012. She was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012, defeating Janice Arnold-Jones. In 2016, Lujan Grisham was selected as the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. She won the Democratic nomination for governor of New Mexico in 2018 and defeated Republican Steve Pearce on November 6, 2018. She was reelected in 2022.

    Early life and education

    Michelle Lynn Lujan[1] was born in Los Alamos, New Mexico and grew up in Santa Fe. Her father, Llewellyn Eugene "Buddy" Lujan,[2] practiced dentistry into his eighties until he died in March 2011. Her mother, Sonja Lee (née Jackson),[3] was a homemaker originally from Indiana who died in 2022. Her sister Kimberly was diagnosed with a brain tumor at the age of two and died at 21.[4]

    Lujan Grisham says that her ancestors have inhabited New Mexico for 12 generations.[5] She is part of the prominent Lujan political family in New Mexico, many of whose members have served in elected and appointed positions in government.[6][7][8]

    Lujan graduated from St. Michael's High School. She received a Bachelor of Arts in university studies from the University of New Mexico in 1981, where she was a work-study student in the engineering department and was a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority.[9][10] In 1982, she married Gregory Alan Grisham. She also worked as a technical writing intern for the Westinghouse Electric Corporation. In 1987, Lujan Grisham earned a Juris Doctor from the University of New Mexico School of Law.[11][12]

    Early political career

    Lujan Grisham served as director of the New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department under Bruce King, Gary Johnson, and Bill Richardson. During Richardson's tenure, the position was elevated to the state cabinet level. In 2004, he named Lujan Grisham as New Mexico Secretary of Health and she served in the position until 2007.[12]

    Lujan Grisham was later elected to the Bernalillo County Commission, serving from 2010 to 2012.[13]

    U.S. House of Representatives

    Elections

    2008

    Lujan Grisham resigned as Secretary of Health in order to run for the United States House of Representatives in the 2008 elections, losing in the Democratic primary to Martin Heinrich, who won with 44% of the vote. New Mexico Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron ranked second with 25% and Lujan Grisham ranked third with 24%.[14][15][16]

    2012

    Lujan Grisham sought the Democratic nomination for the House again in 2012 after Heinrich decided to run for the United States Senate. She won the nomination, defeating Marty Chavez and Eric Griego.[17] She defeated Janice Arnold-Jones, a former member of the New Mexico House of Representatives, in the November general election,[18][19] 59%–41%.[20]

    2014

    Grisham during the 113th Congress

    Lujan Grisham defeated Republican Mike Frese in the 2014 elections, 59% to 41%.[21]

    2016

    In 2016, Lujan Grisham defeated Republican Richard Priem, receiving 179,380 votes (65.1%) to Priem's 96,061 (34.9%).[22]

    Tenure

    Lujan Grisham was sworn in as a member of Congress on January 3, 2013. In 2016, she was one of nine members of Congress who took a trip to Baku who were later found to have been secretly funded by the government of Azerbaijan; she had to turn over gifts the country gave her to the House Clerk after an ethics investigation. Both the Office of Congressional Ethics and House Ethics Committee found lawmakers and aides had no way of knowing the trip was being funded improperly.[23]

    Also in 2016, Lujan Grisham was selected as the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.[24]

    Lujan Grisham resigned her House seat as of December 31, 2018, to assume the governorship of New Mexico the following day.[25]

    Committee assignments

    Caucuses

    Governor of New Mexico

    Elections

    2018

    On December 13, 2016, one week after Tom Udall announced he would not run for governor of New Mexico, Lujan Grisham became the first person to announce her candidacy to succeed Susana Martinez, who was prohibited from running because of term limits.[26] On June 5, 2018, she won the Democratic primary to become the party's nominee. On November 6, she was elected governor, defeating the Republican nominee, U.S. Representative Steve Pearce, with 56.9% of the vote.[27]

    2022

    On November 8, 2022, Lujan Grisham was reelected to a second term, defeating Republican nominee Mark Ronchetti with 52% of the vote.[28]

    Tenure

    Lujan Grisham was sworn in on January 1, 2019.[29] In September 2019, she announced a plan to make public universities in New Mexico tuition-free to state residents.[30]

    On January 29, 2019, Lujan Grisham signed an executive order calling for New Mexico to join the United States Climate Alliance and to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 45% below 2005 levels by 2030.[31] This executive order also called for the state to develop comprehensive regulations to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector, and for state agencies to work with the legislature to increase the state's renewable portfolio standard.[32]

    In March 2019, Lujan Grisham signed New Mexico's Energy Transition Act. The legislation transitions the state's electricity sector away from coal and natural gas and toward a renewable economy, requiring New Mexico's electricity to be 50% renewable by 2030 and 100% from zero-carbon sources by 2045. She called the legislation "a promise to future generations of New Mexicans."[33]

    On September 5, 2020, Lujan Grisham was named a co-chair of the Biden-Harris Transition Team, which was planning Joe Biden's presidential transition.[34][35] In November, Lujan Grisham was named a candidate for United States Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Biden administration.[36] On December 3, 2020, she was elected chair of the Democratic Governors Association for 2021, having served as vice chair in 2020.[37]

    In May 2021, Lujan Grisham and 12 others were named as defendants in a lawsuit filed on behalf of the former executive director of the New Mexico Educational Retirement Board, alleging that she was not compensated at the same rate as her male counterparts.[38] In August 2021, Lujan Grisham signed an executive order joining Biden's "30x30" land goal.[39]

    On September 8, 2023, Lujan Grisham issued an emergency order restricting carrying firearms in Albuquerque for 30 days.[40] The order has been criticized by Republicans, civil rights advocates, some Democrats, and gun safety advocates as unconstitutional.[41][42][43] On September 13, Judge David H. Urias issued a temporary restraining order blocking her order until October 3, when a hearing was held. On October 3, Urias extended the preliminary hold while he considers blocking the restrictions indefinitely.[44][45]

    Political positions

    Michelle Lujan Grisham speaking at a budget rally, May 2017

    Abortion

    In 1969, the New Mexico Legislature passed a law that made it a felony for someone to provide a woman with an abortion unless it was needed to save a woman's life, or because her pregnancy was a result of rape or incest.[46] The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in 1973's Roe v. Wade barred states from regulating abortion in the first trimester;[47] consequently, New Mexico's 1969 abortion law became unenforceable.[48][49] In her 2019 State of the State address, Lujan Grisham stated her support for a repeal of the 1969 law. She said, "The old criminal abortion law of this state, only one of nine left in the entire country, must go. Bring me that bill and I will sign it."[50] Lujan Grisham published an op-ed in support of repeal on March 3, 2019.[51] Repeal legislation passed the New Mexico House of Representatives;[52] however, that legislation was defeated in the Democratic-led State Senate on March 14, 2019, by a vote of 24–18.[49] Following the Senate vote, Lujan Grisham said, "This old, outdated statute criminalizing health care providers is an embarrassment. That removing it was even a debate, much less a difficult vote for some senators, is inexplicable to me."[53]

    In 2021, the New Mexico legislature passed SB10, a repeal of the 1969 abortion law. The bill was approved in the House by a 40–30 margin and in the Senate by a 25–17 margin. Governor Lujan Grisham signed it into law on February 26, 2021.[54][55]

    Guns

    Lujan Grisham was a co-sponsor of the Assault Weapon Ban, H. R. 4269, introduced on December 12, 2015.[56]

    Israel

    Lujan Grisham is a strong supporter of Israel. She condemned the United Nations Security Council's criticism of Israel's settlement building in the occupied Palestinian territories.[57]

    Marijuana legalization

    In 2019, after a bill to legalize recreational marijuana passed the New Mexico House but not the Senate, Lujan Grisham announced that she would add the issue to the legislative agenda for the upcoming year.[58] She also announced the formation of a working group to determine the best path forward for legalization during the 2020 session.[59] In 2021, after the legislature failed to legalize cannabis during the regular session, Lujan Grisham called a special session so that lawmakers could pass a legalization bill.[60] She signed the bill into law on April 12, 2021.[61]

    Minimum wage

    In 2015, Lujan Grisham co-sponsored legislation that would raise the federal minimum wage to $12/hour.[62]

    Personal life

    Lujan Grisham married Gregory Grisham in 1982. They were married until his death from a brain aneurysm in 2004. The couple had two daughters.[63] Lujan Grisham filed a wrongful death suit against her husband's physician,[64] but the lawsuit was dropped.[63]

    Lujan Grisham married Manuel Cordova, a small business owner from Albuquerque, on May 21, 2022, with Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris officiating the wedding. The wedding was postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions.[65][66] The couple had been together since 2012.[67]

    Sexual battery settlement

    In December 2019, a former campaign staffer and spokesperson, James Hallinan, accused Lujan Grisham of sexual battery. According to Hallinan, the incident took place during a staff meeting in 2018. By his account, Lujan Grisham poured a bottle of water on his crotch and then slapped and grabbed his crotch through his pants while laughing. He said the incident happened "in front of everybody".[68]

    In April 2021, it was publicized that Lujan Grisham and her gubernatorial campaign, while denying the allegations, had reached a $62,500 settlement with the law firm representing Hallinan. The payment was made in monthly installments of $12,500 from November 2020 to March 2021.[69] Her political committee paid another $87,500 over six months, bringing the total payout to $150,000.[70]

    Ethics controversy

    In February 2021, an investigative team from Albuquerque TV station KOB found reports of more than $6,500 worth of groceries bought from the governor's contingency fund, which is intended for travel or official functions to promote the state. According to public receipts through an Inspection of Public Records Act request, the items include anything from "laundry detergent to Wagyu beef, tuna steaks, top sirloin and hundreds of dollars in alcohol purchases."[71]

    See also

    References

    1. ↑ "Wedding: Lujan, grisham". Albuquerque Journal. Albuquerque, NM. May 12, 1983. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.
    2. ↑ @Michelle4NM (June 17, 2018). "Happy Father's Day, New Mexico! Not a day goes by that I don't miss my dad Llewellyn "Buddy" Lujan. I learned about helping others by watching him work -- everyone was welcome in his chair. I hope everyone enjoys some quality time with their loved ones today! #nmpol" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
    3. ↑ Bryan, Susan Montoya (April 11, 2022). "Sonja Lujan, mother of NM governor, passes away at 82". KOB (TV). Born Sonja Lee Jackson on Jan, 18, 1940, in Brazil, Indiana, she and her family lived abroad at times as her father's career in the U.S. Air Force landed them in Germany and Japan.
    4. ↑ Seung Min Kim (January 28, 2013). "Sister's death drives Michelle Lujan Grisham". Politico. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
    5. ↑ Lee, Morgan (November 7, 2018). "New Mexico elects Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham governor". Associated Press. AP News.
    6. ↑ National Journal (November 6, 2012). "New Mexico, 1st House District: Michelle Lujan Grisham (D)". The Atlantic. Retrieved June 30, 2019.
    7. ↑ "Newsmaker: In New Mexico, it's good to be a Luján". www.eenews.net. June 26, 2015. Retrieved June 30, 2019.
    8. ↑ "Michelle Lujan Grisham running for First District seat". New Mexico Independent. Archived from the original on October 13, 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
    9. ↑ "Michelle Lujan Grisham -". Archives of Women's Political Communication. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
    10. ↑ Walz, Kent. "Michelle Lujan Grisham: Energetic and 'all in'". www.abqjournal.com. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
    11. ↑ Harder, Amy. "New Mexico, 1st House District". NationalJournal.com. Archived from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
    12. 1 2 "Former Health Secretary Grisham Announces for Congress". Abqjournal.com. October 11, 2007. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
    13. ↑ "Our Campaigns - Bernalillo County Commissioner 01 Race - Nov 02, 2010".
    14. ↑ "NM District 1- D Primary Race – Jun 03, 2008". Our Campaigns. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
    15. ↑ "Final Results: June 3 primary election". Las Cruces Sun-News. June 20, 2008. Archived from the original on May 24, 2011.
    16. ↑ Salazar, Martin (June 29, 2008). "Top UNM official red-faced over Lujan Grisham comments". Abqjournal.com. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
    17. ↑ "Third Democrat Vies to Succeed Heinrich in N.M. District : Roll Call Politics". Rollcall.com. August 17, 2011. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
    18. ↑ "Congressional opponents face off in first debate". KOB. September 9, 2012. Archived from the original on September 1, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
    19. ↑ "New Mexico Election Results 2012: Heinrich wins Senate race; Grisham joins her cousin Lujan in Congress; Latino population lifts Obama to win". The Washington Post. November 7, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
    20. ↑ Reichbach, Matthew (November 7, 2012). "Lujan Grisham blowout could mean no more swing Congressional districts". New Mexico Telegram. Archived from the original on November 1, 2013. Retrieved November 10, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
    21. ↑ Ruiz, Regina (November 5, 2014). "Michelle Lujan Grisham re-elected as congresswoman". KOAT-TV. Albuquerque, NM.
    22. ↑ "New Mexico U.S. House 1st District Results: Michelle Lujan Grisham Wins". The New York Times. New York, NY. December 13, 2016.
    23. ↑ Dickson, Rebecca (June 16, 2016). "Lawmakers turned over gifts after secretly funded trip to Azerbaijan". The Hill. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
    24. ↑ Bernal, Rafael (December 1, 2016). "Hispanic Caucus picks new leadership". The Hill. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
    25. ↑ "House Session". C-SPAN. December 27, 2018. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
    26. ↑ Boyd, Dan (December 13, 2016). "Lujan Grisham running for governor". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
    27. ↑ Panas, Joshua (November 6, 2018). "Despite technical difficulties, Lujan Grisham lays out vision for NM after winning race for Governor". KOB. Archived from the original on May 14, 2020.
    28. ↑ "Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham will run for re-election". KOAT. June 3, 2021.
    29. ↑ "Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham promises sweeping change under her leadership". Koat.com. January 1, 2019. Retrieved June 30, 2019.
    30. ↑ Boetel, Ryan. "Governor pitches plan for free college". www.abqjournal.com.
    31. ↑ Boyd, Dan; Robinson-Avila, Kevin. "Governor signs executive order on climate change". www.abqjournal.com. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
    32. ↑ "New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham Joins U.S. Climate Alliance". U.S. Climate Alliance. January 29, 2019. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
    33. ↑ Storrow, Benjamin (March 13, 2019). "Energy Transitions: Southwestern U.S.: from laggard to leader on climate". www.eenews.net. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
    34. ↑ "Cindy McCain Joins Biden-Harris Transition Team's Advisory Board". President-Elect Joe Biden. September 28, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
    35. ↑ "Biden Transition Organization - Staff, Advisors". www.democracyinaction.us. November 9, 2017. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
    36. ↑ "Who Are Contenders for Biden's Cabinet?". The New York Times. November 11, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
    37. ↑ "Democratic Governors Select Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham As Next DGA Chair". Democratic Governors Association. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
    38. ↑ McKay, Dan (May 27, 2021). "Suit accuses governor of discrimination involving pay". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
    39. ↑ Montoya Bryan, Susan (August 25, 2021). "New Mexico governor joins US conservation challenge". Associated Press. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
    40. ↑ "New Mexico governor suspends right to carry firearms in public in Albuquerque". The Guardian. Associated Press. September 9, 2023. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
    41. ↑ Rose, Conor Powell,Andy (September 9, 2023). "New Mexico governor orders suspension of open and concealed carry of guns in Albuquerque". CNN. Retrieved September 10, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
    42. ↑ "https://twitter.com/davidhogg111/status/1700601787605266779". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved September 10, 2023. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
    43. ↑ Montoya Bryan, Susan. "Outrage intensifies over New Mexico governor's temporary gun ban as sheriff vows not to enforce it". Associated Press News. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
    44. ↑ Uyttebrouck, Oliver (September 13, 2023). "Judge grants temporary restraining order against gov.'s public gun ban". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
    45. ↑ Lee, Morgan (October 3, 2023). "Court reviews gun-carry restrictions under health order in New Mexico, as states explore options". AP News. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
    46. ↑ "New Mexico Senate upholds dormant ban on abortion". Las Cruces Sun-News. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
    47. ↑ Buell, Samuel (January 1, 1991). "Criminal Abortion Revisited". New York University Law Review. 66 (6): 1774–1831. PMID 11652642.
    48. ↑ Nathanson, Rick (December 5, 2018). "NM abortion law targeted for repeal". www.abqjournal.com.
    49. 1 2 Lee, Morgan (March 14, 2019). "New Mexico State Senate Upholds Dormant Ban on Abortion". U.S. News & World Report.
    50. ↑ Ortega, May (January 16, 2019). "Lujan Grisham Vows To Repeal State Abortion Ban". www.kunm.org.
    51. ↑ Grisham, Michelle Lujan. "OPINION | Governor will remove NM's ban on abortions". www.abqjournal.com.
    52. ↑ "New Mexico House votes to rescind state abortion ban". Las Cruces Sun-News. February 7, 2019.
    53. ↑ Prokop, Danielle (March 15, 2019). "Senate rejects repealing currently unenforceable anti-abortion law". The NM Political Report.
    54. ↑ "2021 Regular Session - SB 10". New Mexico Legislature. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
    55. ↑ Nott, Robert (February 26, 2021). "Governor signs bill repealing New Mexico abortion ban". Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
    56. ↑ Cicilline, David N. (January 15, 2016). "Cosponsors - H.R.4269 - 114th Congress (2015-2016): Assault Weapons Ban of 2015". www.congress.gov.
    57. ↑ "NM House members oppose Obama on Israel vote". Albuquerque Journal. January 7, 2017.
    58. ↑ McKay, Dan (March 16, 2019). "Recreational marijuana will be back in 2020 session". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
    59. ↑ Boyd, Dan (June 28, 2019). "Gov. Lujan Grisham creates cannabis legalization task force". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
    60. ↑ Lee, Morgan (March 26, 2021). "Governor calls special legislative session in New Mexico". Associated Press. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
    61. ↑ Chacón, Daniel J. (April 12, 2021). "New Mexico legalizes recreational cannabis". Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
    62. ↑ "Dems in Congress pushing for $12 per hour minimum wage | The NM Political Report". nmpoliticalreport.com. May 7, 2015. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
    63. 1 2 Heild, Colleen (December 23, 2007). "ABQjournal Metro: Doctor Says Dropped Suit Hurt Reputation". Abqjournal.com. Archived from the original on November 3, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
    64. ↑ "Former health secretary files wrongful death suit – New Mexico Business Weekly". Albuquerque Business First. Bizjournals.com. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
    65. ↑ Boyd, Dan (April 19, 2022). "VP Kamala Harris set to officiate Lujan Grisham's wedding next month". Albuquerque Journal.
    66. ↑ Lizza, Ryan; Bade, Rachael; Daniels, Eugene. "Playbook". Politico. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
    67. ↑ "VP Kamala Harris set to officiate Lujan Grisham's wedding next month - Albuquerque Journal". April 19, 2022.
    68. ↑ Fieldstadt, Elisha (April 15, 2021). "New Mexico governor pays $62,500 to former staffer in sexual harassment settlement". NBC News. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
    69. ↑ McKay, Dan; Boyd, Dan (April 12, 2021). "Gov.'s campaign settles with ex-spokesman". Albuquerque Journal.
    70. ↑ "New Mexico Governor Settles Harassment Claim for $150K". U.S. News & World Report. October 11, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
    71. ↑ Ramirez, Chris (February 18, 2021). "4 Investigates: Review of expenses reveals governor spending most of her discretionary fund on groceries". kob.com. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
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