Michelle Lujan Grisham
Michelle Lujan Grisham is the governor of New Mexico, having made history as the first Latina Democratic governor in the United States when she was elected in 2018. Born on October 24, 1959, in Los Alamos, New Mexico, she has deep familial roots in the state, with a lineage that includes prominent political figures. Grisham's early life was shaped by personal tragedy, including the loss of her sister, which influenced her commitment to healthcare and social issues. She holds both a bachelor's degree and a Juris Doctor from the University of New Mexico and has a background in law and public health, having served as New Mexico's health secretary before entering politics.
Before becoming governor, Grisham represented New Mexico in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2013 to 2018, where she was known for her advocacy on education, health care, and immigration reform. As governor, she has focused on progressive initiatives, including the legalization of recreational marijuana and voting rights protection, while also taking a strong stance against the Trump administration's immigration policies. Grisham was re-elected for a second term in 2022 and continues to play an influential role in shaping both state and national policy discussions.
Michelle Lujan Grisham
American politician
- Born: October 24, 1959
- Place of Birth: Los Alamos, New Mexico
Education: University of New Mexico
Significance: Michelle Lujan Grisham was elected governor of New Mexico in 2018, making her the first Latina Democratic governor in the United States. She formerly served as New Mexico’s health secretary from 2004 to 2007 and as a US Representative for New Mexico from 2013 to 2018.
Background
Michelle Lujan Grisham was born on October 24, 1959, in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Her father, Llewellyn “Buddy” Lujan, was a dentist known for his willingness to treat disabled and underprivileged children and their families for free, and her mother, Sonja, was a homemaker. Lujan Grisham traced her roots in New Mexico back twelve generations, and the Lujans were highly prominent in state politics. Her grandfather Eugene Lujan was the first Hispanic chief justice of the state supreme court, while her uncle Manuel Lujan Jr. was a Republican US Representative and became the Secretary of the Interior under President George H. W. Bush.
Lujan Grisham’s immediate family moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she grew up. She attended St. Michael’s High School, where she played in the band and was a member of the National Honor Society. Tragedy struck when her sister Kimberly was diagnosed with a brain tumor at age two and eventually died at age twenty-one. The burden of debt on the family due to her sister’s medical treatment made a lasting impression on Lujan Grisham and informed her political positions on healthcare and medical leave.
After graduating from high school in 1977, Lujan Grisham attended the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. She earned her bachelor’s degree in 1981 and returned to the school to earn a JD in 1987. After passing the bar exam, she became the director of the State Bar of New Mexico’s Lawyer Referral for the Elderly Program, coordinating legal services to senior citizens. In 1991, she was appointed by Governor Bruce King to lead the New Mexico State Agency on Aging, a position she held until 2004, serving under both Republican and Democratic governors. In 2004, Lujan Grisham was tapped to lead the New Mexico Department of Health by Governor Bill Richardson. In that role, she emphasized preventative care, sought to curb wasteful spending, and investigated abusive practices in long-term care facilities.
US House of Representatives
Lujan Grisham resigned her position as New Mexico’s secretary of health in 2007 to make her first bid for Congress, running to represent New Mexico’s First District in the US House of Representatives. However, she lost in the Democratic primary in the 2008 election. In 2010, she successfully ran for a position as a commissioner of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, which includes Albuquerque.
In 2012, Lujan Grisham again ran for the US House seat after incumbent Martin Heinrich announced he was running for the US Senate. With no national political experience and a significantly smaller budget than her opponents, she was widely seen as a long-shot candidate. However, as the two Democratic front-runners attacked each other, Lujan Grisham was able to solidify her position as a champion of education and health care, and she won a surprise victory in the primary with just over 40 percent of the vote. She went on to defeat Republican Janice Arnold-Jones in the general election with 59 percent of the vote.
In Congress, Lujan Grisham earned a reputation for supporting policies such as gender equality, clean jobs, and expanded health care. She was easily reelected in 2014 and 2016. In 2017, she was named the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. In this position, she became a vocal spokesperson for opposition to President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policy.
Governor of New Mexico
In December 2016, with New Mexico’s Republican governor Susana Martinez set to reach her term limit at the end of 2018, Lujan Grisham was the first politician to formally launch a run for the governorship. She faced two other Democrats in the primary campaign, in which she emphasized her experience and made jobs and education her priority issues. Although her opponents suggested she would not be able to win in the general election, she earned the Democratic nomination by a fairly large margin, earning over 66 percent of the vote in June 2018.
Lujan Grisham then took on Republican Steve Pearce, a fellow incumbent state representative, in the general election. She continued to tout improvements to the state’s educational system as a key part of her platform and also portrayed Pearce as a supporter of the controversial President Trump. She maintained a consistent lead in voter polls, and on November 6, 2018, she won the general election with over 57 percent of the vote to Pearce’s 42.9 percent.
As governor, Lujan Grisham has pursued progressive policies on a number of high-profile issues. Continuing her opposition to the Trump administration’s hardline view on immigration, she made national news in February 2019 when she ordered New Mexico’s National Guard to draw down its troops along the southern border. This order, issued just prior to Trump’s State of the Union address, was intended to cast doubt on the president’s claim of a national crisis on the border with Mexico and to protest the separation of families in border patrol custody. Just after Trump’s speech, Lujan Grisham again earned attention when she posted a video of herself literally smashing through walls—a reference to Trump’s controversial border wall plan.
In March 2019, Lujan Grisham announced she would introduce the legalization of recreational marijuana in New Mexico as an issue in the 2020 legislative session. After a failed attempt, the bill was signed in April 2021. During the Covid-19 pandemic and the financial hardships that accompanied it, the Governor signed House Bill 11 to provide millions in grants to small, struggling businesses Later the same year, Grisham signed Senate Bill 10, repealing the abortion ban in New Mexico. In 2022, Grisham was elected to a second term with 52 percent of the vote. In 2024, Grisham endorsed Kamala Harris for president.
Impact
Lujan Grisham made history as the first Latina Democrat to serve as a governor in the United States. Her election also signaled what many analysts considered an ongoing shift toward support of the Democratic Party in New Mexico. Even before holding elected office, she influenced her home state through her work in various government positions. During her time in Congress and her governorship, she became a prominent figure in the opposition to Republican anti-immigration policies, especially regarding the US border with Mexico. In April 2023, she signed a voting rights bill into place protecting the rights of American voters and extending access, particularly to Native American voters.
Personal Life
Lujan Grisham was married to Gregory Alan Grisham from 1982 until his death in 2004. The couple had two daughters. Lujan Grisham also served as caretaker for her mother after her father’s death in 2011. In May 2022, she married Manny Cordova, owner of Southwest Collision Craftsmen, in Albuquerque. The wedding was officiated by Vice President Kamala Harris.
Bibliography
Campbell, Alexia Fernández. “New Mexico Elects Michelle Lujan Grisham as First Democratic Latina Governor in the US.” Vox, 7 Nov. 2018, www.vox.com/2018/11/6/18047884/midterm-election-results-new-mexico-governor-michelle-lujan-grisham-democratic-latina. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.
Folley, Aris. “Dem Governor Shares Video of Her Literally Running through Walls after Trump’s SOTU Address.” The Hill, 6 Feb. 2019, thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/428697-dem-governor-shares-video-of-her-literally-running-through-walls-after. Accessed1 Oct. 2024.
Hopkins, Christopher Snow. “New Mexico, 1st House District: Michelle Lujan Grisham (D).” The Atlantic, 6 Nov. 2012, www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/11/new-mexico-1st-house-district-michelle-lujan-grisham-d/429390/. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.
“Lujan Grisham, Michelle.” History, Art & Archives: United States House of Representatives, history.house.gov/People/Detail/15032387385. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.
McKay, Dan. “New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to Add Recreational Marijuana to 2020 Agenda.” Las Cruces Sun News, 17 Mar. 2019, www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/local/new-mexico/legislature/2019/03/17/michelle-lujan-grisham-recreational-marijuana-2020-new-mexico/3194900002/. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.
Moore, Robert. “New Mexico Governor Withdraws Most National Guard Troops from Southern Border.” The Washington Post, 5 Feb. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/new-mexico-governor-withdraws-most-national-guard-from-states-southern-border/2019/02/05/8aec65ee-29ac-11e9-984d-9b8fba003e81‗story.html?utm‗term=.c9e3089dc932. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.
Walz, Kent. “Michelle Lujan Grisham: Energetic and ‘All In.’” Albuquerque Journal, 14 July 2018, www.abqjournal.com/1196753/michelle-lujan-grisham-energetic-and-all-in.html. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.