EMILYs List Endorses Michelle Lujan Grisham for Governor of New Mexico
February 28, 2017
EMILYs List Endorses Michelle Lujan Grisham for Governor of New Mexico
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today EMILYs List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, endorsed Representative Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01) for governor of New Mexico.
“Michelle is the fearless leader New Mexicans deserve in their next governor,” said Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILYs List. “Michelle is a proven fighter for children, families, small business owners, and senior citizens and will ensure they have a champion in the governor’s office. Michelle has stood up for the most vulnerable New Mexicans throughout her career — working to improve affordable access to health care, fighting to implement immigration reform, and advocating on behalf of caregivers. In her role as chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Michelle is on the front lines fighting back against the harmful Republican agenda and an administration determined to undermine our American values. New Mexico needs new leadership and Michelle is the only one who has what it takes to move the state forward. Our country desperately needs more Democratic women in executive leadership positions, where they are empowered to make an enormous positive impact on the lives of the people they serve. There are currently only two pro-choice Democratic women governors in office, and no state has ever elected a Democratic woman of color to serve as governor. Michelle is poised to make history as the first, and to add to the ranks of Democratic women leading their states. EMILYs List has been with Michelle throughout her exceptional career of public service, and today the EMILYs List community — now more than five million strong — is thrilled to endorse her historic campaign for governor of New Mexico.”
Michelle Lujan Grisham is a dedicated public servant who has spent her career fighting for all New Mexico women and families — especially the most vulnerable. A proud 12th generation New Mexican, Michelle is running for governor of this diverse swing state in a highly competitive race to fill an open seat. Currently serving her third term as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and as chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Michelle is a powerful advocate for working families who don’t have a seat at the table. Michelle 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, Michelle worked for the state bar’s lawyer referral for the elderly program, providing free legal advice to seniors. 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, Michelle 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, Michelle 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 EMILYs List community.
Upon taking office, the congresswoman quickly made her presence felt on Capitol Hill. She was elected as one of the freshman Democratic class presidents, became a whip for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and was placed on three committees. As a single mother of two daughters, a grandmother, a caregiver for her mother, a widow, and a small business owner, Michelle’s personal experience informs her work as a powerful advocate for New Mexican women and families. Michelle tirelessly defends a woman’s right to choose from relentless Republican attacks. As governor, Michelle would have veto power over anti-choice, anti-woman legislation that could pass in the state legislature. And as Republicans dismantle the Affordable Care Act, Michelle will fight to ensure that New Mexico women have comprehensive health care, including access to safe and affordable contraception. Health care is an issue of personal importance to Michelle: her sister Kimberly was diagnosed with a brain tumor when she was just two years old, and quickly exhausted her lifetime caps on her health insurance. Michelle’s family lost Kimberly when she was 21, and her parents spent decades after her death using every resource they had to pay off the debt. Michelle’s core values were shaped by this experience, and she has spent her career improving access to affordable health care. Michelle is opposed to the Republican policies that are inciting fear and separating families who are contributing to our communities and our economy. As governor of New Mexico, Michelle would continue to work with business, faith, and community leaders to advocate for immigration reform with an earned path to citizenship — policies critical to the fight for women’s equality that will allow undocumented women facing exploitation and discrimination in the workplace to come out of the shadows and legally enter the job market to pursue the American dream.
EMILYs List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, has raised over $500 million to support pro-choice Democratic women candidates – making them one of the most successful political organizations ever. Our grassroots community of over five million members helps Democratic women wage competitive campaigns – and win. We recruit and train candidates, support strong campaigns, research the issues that impact women and families, and turn out women voters. Since our founding in 1985, we have trained nearly 10,000 women to run and helped elect 116 women to the House, 23 to the Senate, 12 governors, and over 800 to state and local office. Forty percent of the candidates EMILYs List has helped elect to Congress have been women of color – including every single Latina, African American, and Asian American Democratic congresswoman currently serving.
