How’s that for a resume trifecta? And the last one—State Secretary of Health—is far more important than usual, given the coronavirus pandemic, in terms of preparation to step into the top job, if something were to happen to Vice President Biden. I’m not going to talk down any of the other people who are under public consideration, all of whom are better known than Gov. Lujan Grisham. But I will say that she needs to be a serious contender, for a number of reasons.
Lujan Grisham brings a lot to the table. In 2018 she became the first Latina Democrat to be elected governor of a state. That’s a serious barrier she broke there. She won in a state that had elected a Republican as governor in the previous two cycles (her predecessor, Susana Martinez, was term limited out), and won the general election contest by an impressive 14 points over Republican Rep. Steve Pearce.
With Joe Biden as our presumptive nominee, his running mate needs to be significantly younger than he is, but also someone qualified and ready to step in as president on, shall we say, short notice. Executive experience is thus extremely valuable. As far as I can tell, Gov. Lujan Grisham is the only governor under public consideration for the veep slot right now, and that alone makes her stand out. She has had significant accomplishments (h/t db55) in her year-plus in the executive branch, signing new legislation on renewable energy, gun safety, raising the minimum wage, and labor rights. She has also pushed hard on reproductive rights.
Moreover, Lujan Grisham has been a vocal opponent of Trump’s wall and of his immigration policies overall. Check out the ad—which has garnered 1.4 million views—that she released to coincide with The Man Who Lost The Popular Vote’s 2019 State of the Union address. This is a high-energy campaigner who knows how to play politics.
Prior to being elected governor, Lujan Grisham served six years in the US House of Representatives, representing New Mexico’s 1st district. In 2016, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus chose her as their chair. She has strong connections to Latino leaders nationwide, something that can pay major dividends if she is the number two on a presidential ticket. She was also a member of the House Native American caucus. Looking at her voting record, she is a solid progressive who was overall rated more progressive than the average House Democrat. Additionally, during the two years of Trump’s presidency, her voting record was a good deal more progressive than predicted based on the makeup of her district, according to Five Thirty Eight.
Then there’s Lujan Grisham’s service from 2004 to 2007 as New Mexico State Secretary of Health, which followed a stint as Director of the New Mexico State Agency on Aging. It would definitely inspire confidence if Biden introduced as his running mate someone who ran a state health department. Just think about comparing her record and expertise on matters of health with Mike Pence.
To be sure, this pick is also about electoral politics. Biden needs a running mate who provides strengths in areas where he needs some help. Lujan Grisham is sixty years old, so she’s a full generation younger than he is—and if you want to know about her energy, that ad of her running through walls tells the story.
Latino Democrats wanted ‘Tío Bernie’, at least in the early states when the primary race was still up in the air. Picking Gov. Lujan Grisham—with her Mexican ancestry—might help a great deal in terms of energizing members of the Mexican American community, who are vital in many key states, as well as, to some degree, Latinos more broadly (Latinos are not a monolith, to be certain).
Plus, there’s geography. New Mexico is not really in play this November, but it borders Arizona (as well as Texas), which might well be the state that puts Biden over the top in a close election. Florida, which is around a quarter Latino and over 3% Mexican American, is a state Trump definitely cannot afford to lose either. Lujan Grisham helps there as well.
But Arizona really is where she can have the biggest impact. If Biden can flip back the three midwestern “Blue Wall” states that Hillary Clinton lost (Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin), then he will be president. But of the three, Wisconsin is the one where he looks the weakest, relatively speaking. Turning Arizona’s 11 electoral votes blue could replace Wisconsin’s 10, and put make Biden our next president. It is a reasonably likely tipping point state.
There’s no question that we have to beat Trump in order to save our country. Putting Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on the ticket would help accomplish that goal in a number of ways. And she might just make the difference in winning the state that puts us over 269 electoral college votes. I strongly urge Joe Biden to have her on his short list.
Ian Reifowitz is the author of The Tribalization of Politics: How Rush Limbaugh's Race-Baiting Rhetoric on the Obama Presidency Paved the Way for Trump (Foreword by Markos Moulitsas)