Oct. 12—SANTA FE — Over the last two months, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has racked up the frequent flyer miles in support of fellow Democrat Kamala Harris’ presidential bid.
And she’s not planning on slowing down with Election Day less than a month away.
Lujan Grisham said in an interview this week she plans to visit several battleground states before Nov. 5 to stump for Harris.
“We’ll be out in the swing states in the next two weeks a ton,” Lujan Grisham told the Journal.
The two-term governor has already traveled to Virginia, North Carolina and Nevada to campaign for the vice president, saying during one stop that New Mexico is running a de facto “underground railroad” by helping out-of-state residents obtain abortion services.
She was also one of four Democratic governors who traveled to Philadelphia to talk with reporters after the Sept. 10 debate between Harris and Republican Donald Trump.
And in New Mexico, the governor and other Democratic elected officials took part in a bus tour stop for the Harris campaign on Wednesday in Albuquerque that focused on abortion-related issues.
“I am motivated to make sure a wannabe dictator, a … felon, does not find his way back to the White House,” Lujan Grisham said Thursday, referring to Trump.
But she also said she would be campaigning for Harris even if Trump was not the GOP nominee, citing “risks” to New Mexico if Democrats are not elected on the national ticket.
Those risks could include possible changes to abortion laws, as New Mexico is currently one of nine states without any restrictions on abortions.
Lujan Grisham said abortion and reproductive health issues have been key subjects in her campaign stops so far, saying Democratic female governors can “talk about what it means to be a woman leader in a divided country when it comes to reproductive rights.”
But she also said governors can share their insights on economic issues, as the nation grapples with ongoing inflation.
University of New Mexico political science professor Gabriel Sanchez said it’s not surprising Lujan Grisham has been actively involved in the Harris-Walz campaign, as she was among the candidates who were asked this summer by Harris’ campaign team to be officially vetted as a possible running mate.
He also said Lujan Grisham could be a particularly useful resource as the Harris campaign targets Hispanic female voters, a key voting bloc.
“If Gov. Lujan Grisham can help Democrats get the Latina vote share closer to that 80% number, that will bode well for their overall campaign’s likelihood of success,” Sanchez told the Journal.
The governor’s busy campaign schedule — travel costs for official events are typically covered by a presidential campaign — has also given rise to renewed speculation Lujan Grisham could be in line for a possible Cabinet post if Harris wins.
Sanchez said she is likely on a “short list” of candidates for such positions, citing specifically the possibility of Lujan Grisham being considered to lead the U.S. Health and Human Services Department.
Lujan Grisham has not publicly expressed interest in leaving her current job, as her second term as governor ends in 2026.
She was also considered for a Cabinet position in President Joe Biden’s administration in 2020, but ultimately declined an offered post and stayed put in New Mexico.
However, Lujan Grisham has personal ties to Harris, who officiated her wedding with Manny Cordova in May 2022.
Lujan Grisham said this week she has no intentions of leaving New Mexico before her term expires.
“I’ve been saying out loud for a year that being a governor is a very valuable and important opportunity,” the governor said, citing her desire to continue working on public safety- and housing-related issues.
She also rejected concerns her out-of-state campaign travels could distract her from focusing on New Mexico issues, saying she uses her phone and computer to work on state issues while traveling.
But the governor said the colorful cowboy boots she wore frequently on the gubernatorial campaign trail have been largely replaced by Converse Chuck Taylor sneakers, which Harris also frequently wears.
Lujan Grisham wore pink Chucks for this week’s bus tour stop, but said she has an array of various colors ready for the final sprint to Election Day.
Dan Boyd covers state government and politics for the Journal in Santa Fe. Follow him on Twitter at @DanBoydNM or reach him via email at dboyd@abqjournal.com.
EMEA Tribune is not involved in this news article, it is taken from our partners and or from the News Agencies. Copyright and Credit go to the News Agencies, email news@emeatribune.com Follow our WhatsApp verified Channel
