Michelle Lujan Grisham

Michelle Lujan Grisham

Democratic Party

Candidate, Governor of New Mexico

Governor of New Mexico

Tenure

2019 - Present

Term ends

2023

Years in position

2

Prior offices

Commissioner Bernalillo County

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U.S. House New Mexico District 1

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Report an officeholder change

Compensation

Base salary

$110,000

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 6, 2018

Next election

November 8, 2022

Education

High school

St. Michael's High School

Bachelor's

University of New Mexico

Law

University of New Mexico

Personal

Religion

Christian: Catholic

Profession

Attorney

Contact

Official website

Official Facebook

Official Twitter

Official Instagram

Official YouTube

Campaign website

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Personal LinkedIn

Michelle Lujan Grisham (Democratic Party) is the Governor of New Mexico. She assumed office on January 1, 2019. Her current term ends on January 1, 2023.

Grisham (Democratic Party) is running for re-election for Governor of New Mexico. She declared candidacy for the 2022 election.

Lujan Grisham served in the U.S. House, representing New Mexico's 1st Congressional District from 2013 to 2019. She chaired the Congressional Hispanic Caucus during the 115th United States Congress.

Before joining Congress, Lujan Grisham was a member of the Bernalillo County Commission from 2010 to 2012 and served as head of New Mexico's State Department of Health from 2004 to 2007 under Gov. Bill Richardson (D).

Biography

Lujan Grisham was born on October 24, 1959, in Los Alamos, New Mexico. She received a B.U.S. from the University of New Mexico in 1981 and J.D. from the University of New Mexico School of Law in 1987. She worked at the state Department of Aging from 1992 to 2002. She also held two state Cabinet positions: New Mexico secretary of aging from 2002 to 2004 and the New Mexico secretary of health from 2004 to 2007. She owned a consulting firm, Delta Consulting Group, from 2008 to 2017.

Political career

Governor of New Mexico (2019-present)

Lujan Grisham was sworn in as the governor of New Mexico on January 1, 2019.

U.S. House of Representatives (2013-2019)

Lujan Grisham served in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing New Mexico's 1st Congressional District from 2013 to 2019.

Click [show] to view Lujan Grisham's committee assignments

2017-2018 At the beginning of the 115th Congress, Lujan Grisham was assigned to the following committees: Committee on Agriculture Committee on Budget 2015-2016 Lujan Grisham served on the following committees: Agriculture Committee Budget Committee Oversight and Government Reform Committee Subcommittee on Health Care, Benefits, and Administrative Rules 2013-2014 Lujan Grisham served on the following committees: United States House Committee on Agriculture Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, and Nutrition Subcommittee on Livestock, Rural Development, and Credit United States House Committee on Budget United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Health Care, and Entitlements Subcommittee on National Security, Homeland Defense and Foreign Operations

Click [show] to view Lujan Grisham's key votes

New Mexico Secretary of Health (2004-2007)

Lujan Grisham was the New Mexico secretary of health from 2004 to 2007.

New Mexico Secretary of Aging (2002-2004)

Lujan Grisham was the New Mexico secretary of aging from 2002 to 2004.

Elections

2022

See also: New Mexico gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2022

Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated. Before the candidate filing deadline passes, Ballotpedia will separate these candidates into their respective primaries as appropriate.

General election

The general election will occur on November 8, 2022.

General election for Governor of New Mexico

Incumbent Michelle Lujan Grisham is running in the general election for Governor of New Mexico on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate
		Michelle Lujan Grisham (D)

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
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2018

See also: New Mexico gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018

See also: New Mexico gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (June 5 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for Governor of New Mexico

Michelle Lujan Grisham defeated Steve Pearce in the general election for Governor of New Mexico on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michelle Lujan Grisham (D)	57.2	398,368
		Steve Pearce (R)	42.8	298,091

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 696,459 (100.00% precincts reporting)
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of New Mexico

Michelle Lujan Grisham defeated Jeff Apodaca and Joseph Cervantes in the Democratic primary for Governor of New Mexico on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michelle Lujan Grisham	66.4	116,754
		Jeff Apodaca	22.2	38,975
		Joseph Cervantes	11.5	20,169

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 175,898
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of New Mexico

Steve Pearce advanced from the Republican primary for Governor of New Mexico on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Steve Pearce	100.0	75,162

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 75,162
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Peter DeBenedittis (D)
• Christopher Michael Roybal (Independent)

2016

See also: New Mexico's 1st Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Democratic. Incumbent Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) defeated Richard Priem in the general election on November 8, 2016. Neither candidate faced a primary opponent in June.

U.S. House, New Mexico District 1 General Election, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Michelle Lujan Grisham Incumbent	65.1%	181,088
	Republican	Richard Priem	34.9%	96,879
Total Votes				277,967
Source: New Mexico Secretary of State

2014

See also: New Mexico's 1st Congressional District elections, 2014

Lujan Grisham ran in the 2014 election for the U.S. House to represent New Mexico's 1st District. The Democratic primary on June 3, 2014, was uncontested. She defeated challenger Mike Frese (R) in the general election on November 4, 2014.

U.S. House, New Mexico District 1 General Election, 2014
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Michelle Lujan Grisham Incumbent	58.6%	105,474
	Republican	Mike Frese	41.4%	74,558
Total Votes				180,032
Source: New Mexico Secretary of State

2012

See also: New Mexico's 1st Congressional District elections, 2012

Lujan Grisham ran in the 2012 election for the U.S. House to represent New Mexico's 1st District. She defeated Eric Griego and Marty Chavez in the June 5 Democratic primary.

U.S. House, New Mexico District 1 General Election, 2012
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Michelle Lujan Grisham	59.1%	162,924
	Republican	Janice Arnold-Jones	40.8%	112,473
	Write-In	Jeanne Pahls	0.2%	459
Total Votes				275,856
Source: New Mexico Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election"

New Mexico's 1st Congressional District Democratic Primary, 2012
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Michelle Lujan Grisham	40.1%	19,111
Eric Griego	35%	16,702
Marty Chavez	24.9%	11,895
Total Votes		47,708

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Michelle Lujan Grisham has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey. Ballotpedia is seeking 100 percent participation so voters can learn more about all the candidates on their ballots.

Who fills out Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey?

• 4,745 candidates completed the survey in 2020. This number represented 16.4% of all 29,002 candidates Ballotpedia covered in 2020. Out of the 4,745 respondents, 743 won their election. Candidates from all 50 states completed the survey. Noteworthy respondents included U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff and U.S. presidential candidate Jo Jorgensen. Read the 2020 report for more information about that year's respondents.
• 872 candidates completed the survey in 2019. This number represented 10.4% of all 8,386 candidates Ballotpedia covered in 2019. Out of the 872 respondents, 237 won their election. Candidates from 33 states completed the survey. Noteworthy respondents included Nashville Mayor John Cooper and Mississippi Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann. Read the 2019 report for more information about that year's respondents.

You can ask Michelle Lujan Grisham to fill out this survey by using the button below.

2018

Campaign website

Lujan Grisham’s campaign website stated the following:

“	Education Michelle knows that New Mexico kids deserve better from our public education system. That starts by investing more dollars in our kids’ classrooms and Michelle is committed to increasing these investments She will fight to fund full-day early education for every child in New Mexico. This is the smartest investment we can make in our future, and will prepare the next generation of kids for better careers and healthier lives. Michelle will end New Mexico’s punitive and flawed teacher evaluation system and treat all educators as professionals, crucial to our future. She’ll do away with the broken PARCC testing system. The present focus on testing undermines our ability to get kids the classroom attention they deserve and discourages top teachers from working with disadvantaged students. She will work with educators, parents and other leaders to focus our schools on preparing our kids with 21st-century skills and make sure that every child in New Mexico has an opportunity to succeed. Healthcare As a former Secretary of the Department of Health, Michelle is more prepared than anyone to step in and reverse the Martinez Administration’s damage to our physical and behavioral health systems. She will protect and strengthen Medicaid, fix our broken behavioral health system, and expand access to high-quality affordable care. Michelle supports cost-effective, innovative approaches to providing affordable, high-quality health care to all New Mexicans, including Medicaid buy-in and the New Mexico Health Security Act. She will also work to pool our state resources to negotiate lower drug prices and help reduce skyrocketing health care costs. Michelle will address our chronic health professional workforce shortages, particularly in our rural communities and support programs that recruit and sustain health care professionals who provide care to New Mexico’s underserved communities. Veterans Michelle has stood with veterans through her career in public service. She began to understand the importance of protecting those who’ve served when working as the head of the New Mexico Dept. of Aging. For thirteen years she advocated tirelessly for our seniors’ rights, including New Mexico veterans. As a member of Congress, Michelle called for an investigation into the VA’s discharge policy, demanded better congressional oversight, and held the New Mexico VA system accountable for mismanagement. She has hosted multiple veteran-specific town-halls to hear directly from New Mexico veterans, and her office has helped hundreds with case-work. Further, Michelle has advocated to improve care by allowing veterans equal access to medical marijuana programs, providing more funding for homeless veterans, and improving PTSD treatment in New Mexico. As Governor Michelle will continue to stand by those who have served by expanding access to behavioral health and PTSD treatment in all parts of NM, working with the Higher education department to expand veterans resource centers and ensure vets are succeeding, protecting preference for veteran-owned businesses, and supporting a central NM veterans cemetery. Seniors Michelle knows what it takes to support seniors. From managing free legal services for the elderly in her first job out of law school, to improving the Aging and Long Term Services Department under three governors, to defending Social Security and Medicare in Congress, Michelle has fought for seniors over three decades. Between Congress and the campaign, she still prioritizes spending time caring for her mother Sonja; Michelle knows first hand the challenges that Seniors and those who care for them face. With a 65+ population set to double within the next 20 years, it’s more important than ever that our next governor be prepared to meet these challenges. Michelle will continue to push to make quality home and community-based services available to every Senior, build out a health care infrastructure that provides statewide quality care and ensure that our public services are accessible to New Mexicans of all ages. Cannabis Michelle supported and implemented New Mexico’s medical cannabis program, and has worked at the state and federal level to support legal access to medical cannabis. The current administration has failed to provide adequate supply for New Mexicans who depend on Medical Cannabis prescriptions and has blocked adding qualifying conditions such as opioid use disorder that are supported by the Medical Cannabis Advisory Board. As Governor she will work to eliminate plant caps and approve additional qualifying conditions such as opioid use disorder that the Martinez administration has refused to approve. Michelle will also support the legislature in legalizing recreational cannabis in a manner that protects medical cannabis patients' access, prioritizes public safety, and generates much-needed state revenues. LGBTQ+ New Mexicans Michelle has proudly stood with LGBTQ+ New Mexicans by ensuring equity in health care delivery and visitation rights as a cabinet secretary, co-chairing the NM Unites for Marriage Campaign in 2013 to protect marriage equality, and helping push the New Mexico Legislature and governor to pass a ban on harmful conversion therapy practices in our state. As Governor Michelle will continue to be an ally by passing and enforcing non-discrimination measures, creating stronger programs and laws to combat bullying and harassment in NM schools, and signing a law that will remove barriers to transgender New Mexicans changing their birth certificates. Michelle will support a culture that values diversity, fights discrimination, and supports justice and equality. Economy Michelle will work to jumpstart New Mexico’s economy and create jobs while building the foundation for long-term economic success. She will fully utilize our capacity to use a percentage of the Severance Tax Permanent Fund to invest in New Mexico businesses and expand the state’s growing film economy, doubling film production in the first two years. Michelle will build a stronger, more versatile workforce by increasing apprenticeship and private-sector partnership programs in our schools and colleges, develop centers of excellence at our universities in agriculture (NMSU), bioscience (UNM), cybersecurity (NM Tech) and sustainable and renewable energy (San Juan Community College), and implement a sector-based economic strategy that focuses on New Mexico’s strengths. Michelle knows that too many New Mexicans struggle to make ends meet from day to day and will work to immediately raise the minimum wage, giving more than 100,000 New Mexicans a much-needed raise, and fund home-visiting services that are proven to break cycles of poverty. Public Safety Every New Mexico family deserves to live without fear of crime. Michelle knows that crime is damaging to NM communities, our economy, and our health. Michelle has consistently supported common-sense investments in public safety, voting for additional public safety officers and vehicles and has supported police reform and improved crisis intervention funding. As governor, Michelle will support more police in our communities, provide access to drug courts and diversion for nonviolent drug offenders, eliminate the rape kit backlog, and crack down on domestic violence and violence against women across New Mexico. Further, Michelle will work to pass critical gun legislation that keeps deadly weapons out of the hands of criminals. Agriculture New Mexico began as an agricultural economy, and the productive use of our land is an integral part of our state’s history and culture. As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, and ranking member on the subcommittee for Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research, she’s worked with farmers, ranchers and researchers across New Mexico and understands the needs of agricultural communities. As Governor Michelle will create sustainable, resilient agricultural economies across our state by helping train and grow the next generation of our workforce, supporting research into sustainable farming and water management practices, and building a supply chain infrastructure that reaches producers of all sizes across our state, giving them an outlet to sell their products and bring in revenues. Sovereign Nations and Indigenous Communities Over a year ago, before Michelle publicly announced her campaign, she went before the All Pueblo Council of Governors to share her intention to run for Governor of New Mexico. She’s since earned the endorsement of five New Mexico pueblos. It’s time that our governor respects the leaders of our state’s tribes and pueblos. New Mexico’s 22 sovereign nations are an integral part of our culture; our state’s success goes hand in hand with theirs. Michelle has partnered with our tribes and pueblos for decades, and as governor, she will include sovereign nations in New Mexico economic development efforts, support capital investment and improvements, and prioritize serving American Indian students in our education system. Clean Energy Michelle knows that with over 300 days a year of sunshine, there is no reason New Mexico shouldn’t be the clean energy state. New Mexico has the potential to lead the nation in solar and wind energy, and Michelle has a detailed plan to make that a reality by investing in renewable energy infrastructure. She’ll invest in new transmission lines so that we can export our abundant clean energy resources to markets across the southwest, boosting our economy. Michelle will also work to keep the solar tax credits and empower homeowners to install solar while providing communities the opportunity to determine their energy portfolio through community choice aggregation programs. Higher Education New Mexico needs leadership ready to raise graduation rates, help students build skills, and provide real opportunities in higher education. Michelle will make our universities more efficient and create new performance measures. Measures to limit costs, expand financial aid for the neediest, and sustain and improve the lottery scholarship will help all students afford college. And Michelle will make sure every student is able to graduate and succeed by providing more flexible options for career training, overhauling our remedial education, aligning high school and college requirements, and expanding mentoring programs that are proven to help students thrive. With these changes in place, we can ensure every NM student who wants to is able to earn a certification or two/four-year degree.	”
—New Mexicans for Michelle

• Albuquerque Journal interviewed Lujan Grisham about her policy priorities and positions on October 3, 2018. Read the interview here.

2016

Lujan Grisham’s campaign website stated the following:

“	Preserving and Advancing Women’s Rights: Michelle is more than just an ally or a reliable vote against the Republican War on Women. She brings a lifetime of experience and hands-on activism that prepared her to stand up to Republicans in Congress who are giving corporations more personal power and more personal freedoms than they’re giving women. Michelle will carry the torch for the future of our daughters. Jobs and the Economy: Michelle’s top priority in Congress is getting our economy moving and putting New Mexicans back to work. Michelle knows that small businesses and entrepreneurs are the backbone of our economy and will lead the way to recovery. Supporting business growth and fostering innovative entrepreneurial enterprises is key to developing a viable economy, an economy with responsible corporate citizens that provides good paying jobs in the near term and lays the foundation for a prosperous future. Safeguarding Seniors: Michelle has spent a lifetime standing up for seniors. She knows that across New Mexico, many of our neighbors and relatives rely on Social Security and Medicare to make ends meet and provide the health care they need. New Mexico’s seniors have paid their dues by contributing to these programs. They need know that Social Security and Medicare will be there for them. Fiscal Responsibility: As small business owner, Michelle knows how to balance budgets. Fiscal discipline is a matter of setting priorities and sticking to them. To that end, Michelle supports a balanced approach for getting America’s fiscal house in order. The federal government is going to have to start doing more with less but it must also demand more from those who have prospered over the last decade while so many New Mexicans have fallen behind. Education: As a mother of two daughters, Michelle knows how critical education is to creating a strong economy and preparing our children for the future. Competition for jobs is as fierce as ever. New Mexico’s students must compete for jobs not only with students from other states, but also Asia, South America, and the entire world. In Congress, she will work hard to support our public schools and expand educational opportunities for lifelong learning.	”
—Michelle Lujan Grisham's campaign website, http://www.michellelujangrisham.com/issues/

Presidential preference

2020

See also: Presidential election in New Mexico, 2020

Lujan Grisham endorsed Joe Biden (D) in the 2020 presidential election.

2016

See also: Presidential election in New Mexico, 2016

Lujan Grisham endorsed Hillary Clinton (D) in the 2016 presidential election.

Campaign donors

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The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may not represent all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer, and campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Michelle Lujan Grisham campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Result	Contributions
2018	Governor of Nevada		$10,111,138
2016	U.S. House, New Mexico's 1st Congressional District		$1,779,679
2014	U.S. House, New Mexico's 1st Congressional District		$815,257
2012	U.S. House, New Mexico's 1st Congressional District		$1,793,851
Grand total raised			$14,499,925
Source: Follow the Money

Noteworthy events

Tested negative for coronavirus on October 5, 2020

See also: Politicians, candidates, and government officials diagnosed with or quarantined due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Coronavirus pandemic
Select a topic from the dropdown below to learn more. Political responses overviewState reopening plansDocumenting America's Path to RecoveryDaily updatesElection changesChanges to vote-by-mail and absentee voting proceduresFederal responsesState responsesState executive ordersStay-at-home ordersMultistate agreementsNon-governmental reopening plansEvictions and foreclosures policiesTravel restrictionsEnacted state legislationState legislative session changesSchool closuresState court closuresInmate releasesLocal government responsesDiagnosed or quarantined politiciansBallot measure changesArguments about government responsesThe 1918 influenza pandemicPandemic Response Accountability CommitteeUnemployment filingsLawsuitsBallotpedia's polling on the coronavirus pandemicSubmit

On October 5, 2020, Lujan Grisham announced that she had tested negative for coronavirus after a custodial staff member of her residence tested positive. She said she would self-quarantine until she could receive another test.

Potential 2020 Democratic vice presidential nominee

See also: Presidential election, 2020, Democratic National Convention, 2020, and Vice presidential candidates, 2020

Lujan Grisham was identified as a potential vice presidential candidate in the 2020 presidential election. CNBC reported, "Lujan Grisham’s government experience, and her deep background in health and aging, could bring authority to the Biden campaign as it presents an alternative vision to the Trump administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. And as a Latina, Lujan Grisham could help shore up crucial voting blocs to turn out in November."

Ballot measure activity

Ballotpedia is not aware of any personal political advocacy by this officeholder related to ballot measures we track. If you are aware of any, please email us.

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.

Lujan Grisham has two daughters, Taylor and Erin. Her husband, Gregory, died in 2004. In 2014, Lujan Grisham listed her religious affiliation as Roman Catholic.

State profile

Demographic data for New Mexico
	New Mexico	U.S.
Total population:	2,080,328	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	121,298	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	73.2%	73.6%
Black/African American:	2.1%	12.6%
Asian:	1.4%	5.1%
Native American:	9.1%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0.1%	0.2%
Two or more:	3.3%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	47.4%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	84.2%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	26.3%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$44,963	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	24.7%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in New Mexico. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in New Mexico

New Mexico voted for the Democratic candidate in four out of the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, three are located in New Mexico, accounting for 1.46 percent of the total pivot counties.

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. New Mexico had three Retained Pivot Counties, 1.66 percent of all Retained Pivot Counties.

More New Mexico coverage on Ballotpedia

• Elections in New Mexico
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• Public policy in New Mexico
• Influencers in New Mexico
• New Mexico fact checks
• More...

See also

2022 Elections

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Susana Martinez (R)	Governor of New Mexico 2019-present	Succeeded by NA
Preceded by Martin Heinrich (D)	U.S. House of Representatives - New Mexico, District 1 2013-2019	Succeeded by Debra Haaland (D)