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Michelle Lynn Lujan Grisham (; born October 24, 1959) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 32nd
governor of New Mexico , insignia = Seal of the Governor of New Mexico.svg , insigniasize = 110px , insigniacaption = Seal of the Governor , image = File:Michelle Lujan Grisham 2021.jpg , imagesize = 200px , alt = , incumbent = Michelle Lujan Grisham , incu ...
since 2019. A member of the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...
, Lujan Grisham previously served as the
U.S. representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
for
New Mexico's 1st congressional district New Mexico's 1st congressional district of the United States House of Representatives serves the central area of New Mexico, including most of Bernalillo County, all of Torrance County, and parts of Sandoval, Santa Fe and Valencia counties. ...
from 2013 to 2019. Lujan Grisham served as the state
secretary of health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services. Some governments have separate ministers for mental health. Coun ...
from 2004 to 2007 and as a
Bernalillo County Bernalillo County () is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Mexico.Bernalillo ...
commissioner A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something). In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to in ...
from 2010 to 2012. She was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in
2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
, defeating
Janice Arnold-Jones Janice E. Arnold-Jones (born March 20, 1952) is an American politician who served as the New Mexico State Representative for the 24th district from 2003 to 2011. She is a member of the Republican Party. Early life, education, and business care ...
. In 2016, Lujan Grisham was selected as the chair of the
Congressional Hispanic Caucus The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) is an organization of 38 Democratic members of the United States Congress of Hispanic and Latino descent. The Caucus focuses on issues affecting Hispanics and Latinos in the United States. The CHC was fou ...
. She won the Democratic nomination for governor of New Mexico in 2018 and defeated
Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
Steve Pearce on November 6, 2018. She was reelected in
2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...
.


Early life and education

Michelle Lujan was born in
Los Alamos, New Mexico Los Alamos is an census-designated place in Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States, that is recognized as the development and creation place of the atomic bomb—the primary objective of the Manhattan Project by Los Alamos National Labo ...
, and grew up in Santa Fe. Her father, Llewellyn "Buddy" Lujan, practiced
dentistry Dentistry, also known as dental medicine and oral medicine, is the branch of medicine focused on the teeth, gums, and mouth. It consists of the study, diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases, disorders, and conditions o ...
into his eighties until he died in March 2011. Her mother, Sonja, was a homemaker. Her sister Kimberly was diagnosed with a brain tumor at the age of two and died at 21. Lujan Grisham says that her ancestors have inhabited New Mexico for 12 generations. 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. Lujan graduated from St. Michael's High School. She received a Bachelor of Arts in university studies from the
University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM; es, Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1889, it is the state's flagship academic institution and the largest by enrollment, with over 25,400 ...
in 1981, where she was a work study student in the engineering department and was a member of the
Delta Delta Delta Delta Delta Delta (), also known as Tri Delta, is an international women's fraternity founded on November 27, 1888 at Boston University by Sarah Ida Shaw, Eleanor Dorcas Pond, Isabel Morgan Breed, and Florence Isabelle Stewart. Tri Delta part ...
sorority. In 1982, she married Gregory Alan Grisham. She also worked as a technical writing intern for the
Westinghouse Electric Corporation The Westinghouse Electric Corporation was an American manufacturing company founded in 1886 by George Westinghouse. It was originally named "Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company" and was renamed "Westinghouse Electric Corporation" in ...
. In 1987, Lujan Grisham earned a
Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...
from the
University of New Mexico School of Law The University of New Mexico School of Law (UNM Law or New Mexico Law) is the law school of the University of New Mexico, a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1947, it is the first and only law school in the state. ...
.


Early political career

Lujan Grisham served as director of the New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department under
Bruce King Bruce King (April 6, 1924 – November 13, 2009) was an American businessman and politician who for three non-consecutive four-year terms was the governor of New Mexico. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the longest-serving governor in N ...
,
Gary Johnson Gary Earl Johnson (born January 1, 1953) is an American businessman, author, and politician. He served as the 29th governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003 as a member of the Republican Party. He was the Libertarian Party nominee for Presid ...
, and
Bill Richardson William Blaine Richardson III (born November 15, 1947) is an American politician, author, and diplomat who served as the 30th governor of New Mexico from 2003 to 2011. He was also the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Energy Secretary ...
. 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. Lujan Grisham was later elected to the
Bernalillo County Bernalillo County () is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Mexico.Bernalillo ...
Commission, serving from 2010 to 2012.


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 The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
in the 2008 elections, losing in the Democratic primary to
Martin Heinrich Martin Trevor Heinrich (; born October 17, 1971) is an American businessman and politician serving as the senior United States senator from New Mexico, a seat he has held since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Heinrich served as the U.S ...
, who won with 44% of the vote.
New Mexico Secretary of State The secretary of state of New Mexico is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of government of the U.S. state of New Mexico. Twenty-six individuals have held the office of secretary of state since statehood. Since 1923, every elected N ...
Rebecca Vigil-Giron ranked second with 25% and Lujan Grisham ranked third with 24%.


2012

Lujan Grisham sought the Democratic nomination for the House again in 2012 after Heinrich decided to run for the
United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...
. She won the nomination, defeating Marty Chavez and
Eric Griego Eric G. Griego (born January 22, 1966) is an American politician from the state of New Mexico. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the New Mexico Senate, representing the 14th district, from 2009 to 2013. He began his political care ...
. She defeated
Janice Arnold-Jones Janice E. Arnold-Jones (born March 20, 1952) is an American politician who served as the New Mexico State Representative for the 24th district from 2003 to 2011. She is a member of the Republican Party. Early life, education, and business care ...
, a former member of the
New Mexico House of Representatives ) is the lower house of the New Mexico State Legislature. There are 70 members of the House. Each member represents roughly 25,980 residents of New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , ...
, in the November general election, 59%–41%.


2014

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


2016

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


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 Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world a ...
that was later found to have been secretly funded by the government of
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
; 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. Also in 2016, Lujan Grisham was selected as the chair of the
Congressional Hispanic Caucus The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) is an organization of 38 Democratic members of the United States Congress of Hispanic and Latino descent. The Caucus focuses on issues affecting Hispanics and Latinos in the United States. The CHC was fou ...
. Lujan Grisham resigned her House seat as of December 31, 2018, to assume the governorship of New Mexico the following day.


Committee assignments

* Committee on Agriculture **
United States House Agriculture Subcommittee on Nutrition The House Subcommittee on Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture, and Horticulture is a subcommittee within the House Agriculture Committee. Previously known as the Subcommittee on Nutrition, its duties were greatly expanded in the 118th Congress to cover ...
**
United States House Agriculture Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research The House Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research is a subcommittee within the House Agriculture Committee. It was first created during the 110th Congress as the Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture. It is curren ...
(Ranking Member) * Committee on the Budget


Caucuses

*
Congressional Hispanic Caucus The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) is an organization of 38 Democratic members of the United States Congress of Hispanic and Latino descent. The Caucus focuses on issues affecting Hispanics and Latinos in the United States. The CHC was fou ...
(Chair) * Congressional Native American Caucus *
Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues The Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues is a bipartisan membership organization within the House of Representatives committed to advancing women's interests in Congress. It was founded by fifteen Congresswomen on April 19, 1977, and was origin ...


Governor of New Mexico


Elections


2018

On December 13, 2016, one week after
Tom Udall Thomas Stewart Udall ( ; born May 18, 1948) is an American diplomat, lawyer and politician serving as the United States Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a United States senator from ...
announced he would not run for
governor of New Mexico , insignia = Seal of the Governor of New Mexico.svg , insigniasize = 110px , insigniacaption = Seal of the Governor , image = File:Michelle Lujan Grisham 2021.jpg , imagesize = 200px , alt = , incumbent = Michelle Lujan Grisham , incu ...
, Lujan Grisham became the first person to announce her candidacy to succeed
Susana Martinez Susana Martinez (born July 14, 1959) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 31st governor of New Mexico from 2011 to 2019. A Republican, she served as chair of the Republican Governors Association (RGA) from 2015 to 2016. She ...
, who was prohibited from running because of
term limit A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms an officeholder may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method of curbing the potenti ...
s. 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 Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
nominee, U.S. Representative Steve Pearce, with 56.9% of the vote.


2022

On November 8, 2022, Lujan Grisham was reelected to a second term, defeating Republican nominee
Mark Ronchetti Mark V. Ronchetti (born October 1, 1973) is an American political candidate and former KRQE meteorologist. A member of the Republican Party, he was a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2020 and for governor of New Mexico in 2022. Early life and m ...
with 52% of the vote.


Tenure

Lujan Grisham was sworn in on January 1, 2019. In September 2019, she announced a plan to make public universities in New Mexico tuition-free to state residents. 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. In November, Lujan Grisham was named a candidate for
United States Secretary of Health and Human Services The United States secretary of health and human services is the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all health matters. The secretary is ...
in the
Biden Administration Joe Biden's tenure as the 46th president of the United States began with his inauguration on January 20, 2021. Biden, a Democrat from Delaware who previously served as vice president under Barack Obama, took office following his victory ...
. On December 3, 2020, she was elected chair of the
Democratic Governors Association The Democratic Governors Association (DGA) is a Washington, D.C.-based 527 organization founded in 1983, consisting of U.S. state and territorial governors affiliated with the Democratic Party. The mission of the organization is to provide part ...
for 2021, having served as vice chair in 2020. 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. In August 2021, Lujan Grisham signed an executive order joining Biden's "30x30" land goal.


Political positions


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. The
U.S. Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
's decision in 1973's ''
Roe v. Wade ''Roe v. Wade'', 410 U.S. 113 (1973),. was a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States conferred the right to have an abortion. The decision struck down many federal and s ...
'' barred states from regulating abortion in the first trimester; consequently, New Mexico's 1969 abortion law became unenforceable. 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." Lujan Grisham published an op-ed in support of repeal on March 3, 2019. Repeal legislation passed the New Mexico House of Representatives; however, that legislation was defeated in the Democratic-led State Senate on March 14, 2019, by a vote of 24–18. 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." 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.


Environment

On January 29, 2019, Lujan Grisham signed an executive order calling for New Mexico to join the
United States Climate Alliance The United States Climate Alliance is a bipartisan coalition of states and unincorporated self-governing territories in the United States that are committed to upholding the objectives of the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change within their ...
and to reduce its
greenhouse gas emissions Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities strengthen the greenhouse effect, contributing to climate change. Most is carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas. The largest emitters include coal in China and lar ...
by 45% below 2005 levels by 2030. This executive order also called for the state to develop comprehensive regulations to reduce
methane Methane ( , ) is a chemical compound with the chemical formula (one carbon atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms). It is a group-14 hydride, the simplest alkane, and the main constituent of natural gas. The relative abundance of methane on Eart ...
emissions from the oil and gas sector, and for state agencies to work with the legislature to increase the state's renewable portfolio standard. 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."


Guns

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


Israel

Lujan Grisham is a strong supporter of
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
. She condemned the
United Nations Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the Organs of the United Nations, six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international security, international peace and security, recommending the admi ...
's criticism of Israel's settlement building in the occupied
Palestinian territories The Palestinian territories are the two regions of the former British Mandate for Palestine that have been militarily occupied by Israel since the Six-Day War of 1967, namely: the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip. The I ...
.


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. She also announced the formation of a working group to determine the best path forward for legalization during the 2020 session. 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. She signed the bill into law on April 12, 2021.


Minimum wage

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


Personal life

Lujan Grisham married Gregory Grisham in 1982. They were married until his death from a
brain aneurysm An intracranial aneurysm, also known as a brain aneurysm, is a cerebrovascular disorder in which weakness in the wall of a cerebral artery or vein causes a localized dilation or ballooning of the blood vessel. Aneurysms in the posterior circ ...
in 2004. The couple had two daughters. Lujan Grisham filed a wrongful death suit against her husband's physician, but the lawsuit was dropped. Lujan Grisham married Manuel Cordova, a small business owner from
Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...
, on May 21, 2022, with
Vice President of the United States The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice ...
Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who is the 49th vice president of the United States. She is the first female vice president and the highest-ranking female official in U.S. history, as well ...
officiating the wedding. The wedding was postponed due to
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
restrictions. The couple had been together since 2012.


Sexual battery settlement

In 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". 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. Her political committee paid another $87,500 over six months, bringing the total payout to $150,000.


Ethics controversy

In February 2021, an investigative team from Albuquerque TV station
KOB The kob (''Kobus kob'') is an antelope found across Central Africa and parts of West Africa and East Africa. Together with the closely related reedbucks, waterbucks, lechwe, Nile lechwe, and puku, it forms the Reduncinae tribe. Found along ...
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."


See also

*
List of female governors in the United States As of November 2022, 45 women have served or are serving as the governor of a U.S. state (two acting governors due to vacancies) and three women have served or are serving as the governor of an unincorporated U.S. territory. Two women have ser ...
*
List of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States Congress This is a list of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States Congress, Hispanic and Latino Americans who have served in the United States Congress. Persons included are identified as having a lineage from Spain or Latin America, a definiti ...
*
Women in the United States House of Representatives Women have served in the United States House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber, since the 1916 election of Republican Jeannette Rankin from Montana, the first woman in Con ...


References


External links


Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham
official government website
New Mexicans for Michelle
campaign website * * , - , - , - , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Lujan Grisham, Michelle 1959 births 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians American politicians of Mexican descent American women lawyers County commissioners in New Mexico Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New Mexico Democratic Party governors of New Mexico Female members of the United States House of Representatives Hispanic and Latino American members of the United States Congress Hispanic and Latino American state governors of the United States Hispanic and Latino American women in politics Living people Lujan family New Mexico lawyers People from Los Alamos, New Mexico State cabinet secretaries of New Mexico University of New Mexico School of Law alumni Women in New Mexico politics Women state governors of the United States Hispanic and Latino American people in New Mexico politics