Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham made it official on Thursday: She is running for a second term in office.
At an event in Old Town New Mexico, she announced that she would run for a second term. No New Mexico governor has lost a reelection campaign since 1994 when incumbent Bruce King lost to Gary Johnson. Every governor since then has won a second term.
“We’re gonna protect New Mexico and no amount of noise will deter, intimidate or create a vacuum in leadership. That makes a difference for every single New Mexican this day, and every day,” Lujan Grisham said in a very short speech.
Protesters shouted and yelled into bullhorns, sometimes drowning out speakers. Some criticized her response to the COVID-19 pandemic, others held anti-vaccination signs while at least one protester held a sign that compared Lujan Grisham to Adolf Hitler.
“I’m sorry that we picked the same location that the QAnon lizard people meeting was at,” Lujan Grisham said in her speech.
Republicans criticized the governor’s reelection announcement.
“Gov. Lujan Grisham has broken faith with the voters of New Mexico,” Republican Party of New Mexico Chairman Steve Pearce said in a statement. “Her weaknesses include consistent failed policies, squandered budget surpluses and economic collapse. She has violated public trust and caused great destruction to our state.”
Pearce lost to Lujan Grisham by over 14 points in 2018.
The announcement came on the heels of Democrats winning the 1st Congressional District special election in a landslide.
Sandoval County Commissioner Jay Block and former 3rd Congressional District candidate Karen Bedonie are running as Republicans, though others are expected to enter the race.