Michelle Lujan Grisham

A lifelong New Mexican dedicated to public service

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is a dedicated public servant running for reelection to build on her life’s work of fighting for all New Mexico women and families. A proud 12th-generation New Mexican, Gov. Lujan Grisham ran for governor of this diverse swing state in 2018 and won, becoming the first Democratic Latina to be elected governor in U.S. history. Gov. Lujan Grisham was born in Los Alamos and raised in Santa Fe in a family with a strong tradition of service. Her father, a dentist, provided free care for thousands of members of their community who were in need, and her grandfather was the first Hispanic chief justice on the New Mexico Supreme Court. After graduating from the University of New Mexico and its law school, Gov. Lujan Grisham worked for the state bar’s lawyer referral for the elderly program. She served as director of the state agency on aging for 14 years, pioneering innovative practices now used nationwide, including “granny cams” and undercover inspections of nursing home facilities. In 2004, Gov. Lujan Grisham was appointed secretary of the Department of Health, New Mexico’s largest state agency, where she expanded the number of school-based health centers, banned junk food from schools, and instituted teen pregnancy prevention programs. After leaving state government in 2007, Gov. Lujan Grisham co-founded and worked as president of a successful small business to help to provide access to health insurance to New Mexicans who were denied coverage by overseeing the state health insurance pool. She won a seat on the Bernalillo County Commission, serving the state’s most populous county before winning an open seat in New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District in 2012 with the full support of the EMILY’s List community. A three-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Gov. Lujan Grisham served as chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and is a powerful advocate for working families who don’t have a seat at the table. Gov. Lujan Grisham is the mother of two adult children and a grandmother of three.

A courageous leader moving New Mexico forward

Gov. Lujan Grisham ran for reelection to continue fighting for all New Mexicans — especially the most vulnerable. As a single mother of two daughters, a grandmother, a caregiver for her mother, a widow, and a small business owner, Gov. Lujan Grisham’s personal experience has profoundly shaped her as a courageous and empathetic leader. Driven by a deep compassion for seniors and those living with disabilities, Gov. Lujan Grisham introduced and led the push for Care Corps, an innovative caregiving initiative that places volunteers in communities to provide non-medical services to seniors and individuals with disabilities to support them in living independently in their homes and communities. Gov. Lujan Grisham has implemented a series of evidence-based policies aimed at transforming New Mexico’s public education system, expanding the state’s economy to include more high-quality employment opportunities, and preserving New Mexico’s air, land, and water. In 2019, she oversaw one of the most productive legislative sessions in state history, signing a broad package of bipartisan bills into law, notably a historic investment in public education and a landmark transition to clean energy. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Gov. Lujan Grisham led fearlessly, thought innovatively, and worked tirelessly. “We told the truth about the pandemic even when it wasn’t what some of us wanted to hear,” Gov. Lujan Grisham has said. “We planned ahead; we invested in record financial reserves; and we always thought creatively and responsibly about what we can afford – and what we can’t afford to lose. […] We will recover faster because we have made sustainable investments, we have a roadmap to a rebuilt and diversified economy, and we have the resources to both take care of our own right now and keep building toward New Mexico’s future.”

A critical governorship we helped defend

Gov. Lujan Grisham has been a strong and steady leader in the face of crisis in her first term. She is a fierce champion for the people of New Mexico, and her successes have served as a powerful example of the positive impact Democratic pro-choice women can make as executives. With so much at stake, we showed Gov. Lujan Grisham the full support of the EMILY’s List community and helped reelect this champion for New Mexico working families.