Michelle Lujan Grisham Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Michelle Lujan Grisham
Lujan Grisham in 2021

32nd Governor of New Mexico
Incumbent
Assumed office January 1, 2019
Lieutenant	Howie Morales
Preceded by	Susana Martinez
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Mexico's 1st district
In office January 3, 2013 – January 1, 2019
Preceded by	Martin Heinrich
Succeeded by	Deb Haaland
Secretary of Health of New Mexico
In office August 2004 – June 2007
Governor	Bill Richardson
Preceded by	Patricia Montoya
Succeeded by	Alfredo Vigil

Personal details
Born	Michelle Lynn Lujan (1959-10-24) October 24, 1959 (age 65) Los Alamos, New Mexico, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouses	Gregory Grisham (m. 1982; died 2004) Manuel Cordova (m. 2022)
Children	2
Residence	Governor's Mansion
Education	University of New Mexico (BA, JD)

Michelle Lujan Grisham (born October 24, 1959) is an American lawyer and politician. She is currently the 32nd governor of New Mexico. She has held this important role since 2019.

Before becoming governor, Lujan Grisham was a U.S. representative for New Mexico. She served in the U.S. House from 2013 to 2019. She is a member of the Democratic Party.

Lujan Grisham also worked as the state's Secretary of Health from 2004 to 2007. Later, she was a commissioner for Bernalillo County from 2010 to 2012. She was first elected to the U.S. House in 2012. In 2016, she became the leader of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. She won the election for governor in 2018 and was reelected in 2022.

About Michelle Lujan Grisham's Early Life and School

Michelle Lujan Grisham was born in Los Alamos, New Mexico. She grew up in Santa Fe. Her family has lived in New Mexico for many generations.

She comes from a well-known political family in New Mexico. Many of her relatives have worked in government roles.

Education and College Years

Lujan Grisham went to St. Michael's High School. She then studied at the University of New Mexico. In 1981, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree.

She continued her studies at the University of New Mexico School of Law. In 1987, she received her law degree, called a Juris Doctor.

Michelle Lujan Grisham's First Steps in Politics

Lujan Grisham started her career working for the New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department. She worked under different governors.

In 2004, Governor Bill Richardson made her the New Mexico Secretary of Health. She held this position until 2007.

After that, Lujan Grisham was elected to the Bernalillo County Commission. She served as a commissioner from 2010 to 2012.

Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives

Michelle Lujan Grisham decided to run for the United States House of Representatives. This is where laws are made for the whole country.

Running for Congress: Elections

2008 Election Race

In 2008, Lujan Grisham ran for the U.S. House. She lost in the Democratic primary election to Martin Heinrich.

2012 Election Victory

She ran for the House again in 2012. This time, she won the Democratic nomination. She then defeated Janice Arnold-Jones in the main election. She won with 59% of the votes.

2014 and 2016 Re-elections

Grisham during the 113th Congress

Lujan Grisham was re-elected in 2014. She won against Mike Frese with 59% of the vote.

In 2016, she was re-elected again. She received 65.1% of the votes.

Her Time in Congress

Lujan Grisham officially became a member of Congress on January 3, 2013. In 2016, she was chosen to lead the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. This group works on issues important to Hispanic communities.

She left her seat in the House of Representatives on December 31, 2018. She did this to become the governor of New Mexico the next day.

Committees and Groups She Joined

While in Congress, Lujan Grisham worked on several important committees. These included:

Committee on Agriculture
Committee on the Budget

She was also part of several caucuses, which are groups of lawmakers. These included:

Congressional Hispanic Caucus (where she was the Chair)
Congressional Native American Caucus
Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues

Becoming Governor of New Mexico

Michelle Lujan Grisham decided to run for governor of New Mexico. The governor is the leader of the state government.

Governor Elections

2018 Governor Election

On December 13, 2016, Lujan Grisham announced she would run for governor. She was the first person to announce her candidacy.

She won the Democratic primary election on June 5, 2018. Then, on November 6, she was elected governor. She defeated Steve Pearce with 56.9% of the votes.

2022 Re-election

Lujan Grisham ran for re-election in 2022. She won and continues to serve as governor.

Her Time as Governor

Lujan Grisham became governor on January 1, 2019. She has focused on several key areas for New Mexico.

Making College Affordable

In September 2019, she announced a plan. This plan aimed to make public universities in New Mexico tuition-free for state residents. This would help more students go to college.

Protecting the Environment

On January 29, 2019, she signed an executive order. This order aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in New Mexico by 45% by 2030. It also called for rules to reduce methane from oil and gas.

In March 2019, she signed the Energy Transition Act. This law helps New Mexico move away from coal and natural gas. It requires the state's electricity to be 50% renewable by 2030. By 2045, it must be 100% from zero-carbon sources. She said this law was "a promise to future generations."

National Roles

In September 2020, Lujan Grisham was named a co-chair for the Biden-Harris Transition Team. This team planned for Joe Biden to become president. In December 2020, she was elected to lead the Democratic Governors Association.

Michelle Lujan Grisham's Political Views

Michelle Lujan Grisham speaking at a budget rally, May 2017

Lujan Grisham has clear views on important issues.

Views on Guns

Lujan Grisham has supported stricter gun laws. In 2015, she co-sponsored a bill to ban certain types of assault weapons.

Views on Israel

She is a strong supporter of Israel. She has spoken out against criticism of Israel's settlement building.

Views on Minimum Wage

In 2015, Lujan Grisham supported a law to raise the federal minimum wage. This law would have increased it to $12 per hour.

Michelle Lujan Grisham's Personal Life

Michelle Lujan Grisham married Gregory Grisham in 1982. They had two daughters together. Gregory passed away in 2004.

In May 2022, Lujan Grisham married Manuel Cordova. He is a small business owner from Albuquerque. Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris officiated their wedding.

Michelle Lujan Grisham facts for kids

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