Michelle Lujan Grisham Bio
Michelle Lynn Lujan Grisham (born October 24, 1959) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 32nd governor of New Mexico. A member of the Democratic Party, she has held public office at the state, county, and federal levels, including serving as the U.S. representative for New Mexico’s 1st congressional district from 2013 to 2019. Lujan Grisham was sworn in as governor of New Mexico on January 1, 2019, and was reelected in 2022.
Throughout her career, she has focused on public health, education, and clean energy policy, and she has taken on national roles within the Democratic Party, including chairing the Democratic Governors Association and co-chairing the Biden-Harris transition team in 2020.
Early Life and Background
Michelle Lynn Lujan was born in Los Alamos, New Mexico, and grew up in nearby Santa Fe. She comes from a family with deep roots in the state, and she has stated that her ancestors have lived in New Mexico for twelve generations. She is part of the prominent Lujan political family, whose members have long served in elected and appointed government positions in the region.
Her father, Llewellyn Eugene “Buddy” Lujan, practiced dentistry into his eighties and passed away in March 2011. Her mother, Sonja Lee (née Jackson), was a homemaker originally from Indiana and passed away in 2022. Lujan Grisham’s sister Kimberly was diagnosed with a brain tumor at the age of two and died at 21, an experience that shaped Lujan Grisham’s later interest in health policy.
Lujan Grisham graduated from St. Michael’s High School in Santa Fe. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in university studies from the University of New Mexico in 1981, where she was a work-study student in the engineering department and a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority. She also worked as a technical writing intern for the Westinghouse Electric Corporation before earning her Juris Doctor from the University of New Mexico School of Law in 1987.
Path to US Politics
Lujan Grisham began her public service career in New Mexico state government, serving as director of the New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department under governors Bruce King, Gary Johnson, and Bill Richardson. During Richardson’s administration, the position was elevated to a cabinet-level role, and in 2004 Richardson named her New Mexico Secretary of Health. She held that post until 2007, gaining experience in managing public health programs across the state.
After leaving the Secretary of Health position, Lujan Grisham ran for the United States House of Representatives in the 2008 Democratic primary, finishing third behind Martin Heinrich and Rebecca Vigil-Giron. In 2010, she was elected to the Bernalillo County Commission, where she served until 2012, when she resigned to mount a second congressional campaign.
Following Heinrich’s decision to run for the U.S. Senate, Lujan Grisham won the 2012 Democratic primary for New Mexico’s 1st congressional district, defeating Marty Chavez and Eric Griego. She went on to win the general election against Janice Arnold-Jones, launching the federal phase of her political career.
Michelle Lujan Grisham Career
Early Career (2004–2012)
Lujan Grisham’s early political career centered on state-level health and aging policy. As New Mexico Secretary of Health from 2004 to 2007, she led the state’s public health agency and worked on initiatives affecting hospitals, Medicaid, and long-term care. Her cabinet experience gave her a strong foundation in managing large public programs and working with the state legislature.
After her 2008 congressional primary loss, Lujan Grisham stayed active in public service, winning a seat on the Bernalillo County Commission in 2010. She served in that role for two years, focusing on county-level issues, before resigning in August 2012 to focus on her successful bid for Congress.
U.S. House of Representatives Tenure (2013–2018)
Lujan Grisham was sworn in as a member of Congress on January 3, 2013, representing New Mexico’s 1st congressional district. She won her first term by defeating Janice Arnold-Jones 59% to 41%, and she was easily reelected in 2014 against Republican Mike Frese and in 2016 against Richard Priem, demonstrating durable support in her district.
During her time in the House, Lujan Grisham took on leadership roles within the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, serving as its chair in 2016. She was a co-sponsor of the Assault Weapon Ban introduced in 2015, co-sponsored legislation in 2015 to raise the federal minimum wage to $12 per hour, and was a strong supporter of Israel, condemning United Nations Security Council criticism of Israeli settlement building.
She resigned her House seat effective December 31, 2018, to prepare for her inauguration as governor of New Mexico the following day. During her final years in Congress, she also drew attention for participating in a 2016 trip to Baku, which was later found to have been secretly funded by the government of Azerbaijan, though ethics investigations concluded that lawmakers had no way of knowing the trip was improperly funded.
Governorship of New Mexico (2019–Present)
Lujan Grisham was sworn in as the 32nd governor of New Mexico on January 1, 2019, after defeating Republican U.S. Representative Steve Pearce with 57.2% of the vote in the 2018 election. Early in her tenure, she signed an executive order joining the United States Climate Alliance and committed the state to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 45% below 2005 levels by 2030.
In March 2019, she signed the Energy Transition Act, legislation designed to shift New Mexico’s electricity sector away from coal and natural gas toward renewable energy. The law requires the state’s electricity to be 50% renewable by 2030 and 100% from zero-carbon sources by 2045. She called the legislation “a promise to future generations of New Mexicans.” She also announced a plan in 2019 to make public universities in New Mexico tuition-free for state residents and signed legislation legalizing recreational marijuana in April 2021 after calling a special session of the legislature.
In September 2020, Lujan Grisham was named a co-chair of the Biden-Harris Transition Team, and she was considered as a candidate for United States Secretary of Health and Human Services. In December 2020, she was elected chair of the Democratic Governors Association for 2021, having previously served as vice chair in 2020. She was reelected in November 2022, defeating Republican Mark Ronchetti with 52% of the vote, and in April 2025 she signed Senate Bill 16, allowing unaffiliated voters to participate in major-party primaries beginning in 2026.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Lujan Grisham’s most notable actions as governor was issuing a September 8, 2023, emergency order restricting the carrying of firearms in Albuquerque for 30 days, an order that drew legal challenges and was temporarily blocked by a judge. In 2021, she signed legislation repealing a 1969 New Mexico law that had criminalized most abortions, making the procedure legal at all stages of pregnancy in the state. She also endorsed Kamala Harris for president after Joe Biden withdrew from the 2024 race, and Harris ultimately won New Mexico by six percentage points.
Michelle Lujan Grisham Career Wins
Lujan Grisham has won every election she has contested since 2012, building a record of victories in both federal and state races. Her first congressional win in 2012 launched a six-year tenure in the U.S. House, followed by a successful run for governor in 2018 and a reelection victory in 2022.
U.S. House Highlights
Lujan Grisham won three consecutive races in New Mexico’s 1st congressional district, first defeating Janice Arnold-Jones 59% to 41% in 2012, then beating Mike Frese 59% to 41% in 2014, and finally winning 65.1% of the vote against Richard Priem in 2016. Her 2016 victory was her strongest House performance, and during that same year she was selected as chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
Governorship Highlights
Lujan Grisham won the 2018 New Mexico gubernatorial election with 57.2% of the vote against Steve Pearce, becoming the state’s 32nd governor. She won reelection in 2022 with 52% of the vote against Mark Ronchetti, securing a second four-year term and reinforcing her position as a leading Democratic voice in the Mountain West.
Michelle Lujan Grisham Family
Family Background and Political Lineage
Michelle Lujan Grisham comes from the Lujan political family of New Mexico, a prominent family whose members have served in numerous elected and appointed positions across state government. She has said her family has lived in New Mexico for twelve generations, and her father, Llewellyn Eugene “Buddy” Lujan, was a longtime practicing dentist in the state.
Personal Life
Lujan Grisham married Gregory Grisham in 1982, and the couple had two daughters. Gregory Grisham died from a brain aneurysm in 2004 at the age of 45. Lujan Grisham later married Manuel Cordova, a small business owner from Albuquerque, on May 21, 2022, in a ceremony officiated by Vice President Kamala Harris. The couple had been together since 2012, and the wedding had been postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions.