On the evening of Sept. 8, the Taos County Democratic Party organized a Meet & Greet event with Governor Michelle Lujan-Grisham. Over 100 people attended and the governor received several rounds of applause for her stump speech.

Governor Lujan-Grisham opened with a call for unity. “We should be proud of who we are and what we stand for and all of the issues that I don’t need to talk to you about require us to stand up and fight for them,” exclaimed the governor. “The big lesson over the last several years is that we can take nothing for granted, not one thing.”

Governor Lujan-Grisham reiterated her defensive stance on women’s rights to choose, which has been a hot issue since the Supreme Court of the United States kicked authority over such rights back to the state governments with its case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

“We have a Supreme Court that has basically said that not all people are equal.” Governor Lujan-Grisham told the crowd about how she had an opportunity to meet with the late president of Israel, Shimon Peres, and how they conversed with each other about how fragile democratic societies really are and that rights for women are a key part of successful democracies.

“We are going to invest and pay for [health] clinics in New Mexico.”

One can listen to Governor Lujan-Grisham’s full speech from October 8 at the Questa del Rio News’ YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/NogyjI4bgos.

Governor Lujan-Grisham is running against two opponents this year: Republican Mark Ronchetti and Libertarian Karen Bedonie. The midterm elections will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 8. Check with New Mexico’s Secretary of State website or the Taos County Clerk for your polling station.