Gov. to lead governors association
Announcement comes as speculation intensifies over whether Lujan Grisham would be offered or accept a Cabinet position in Biden’s administration
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is taking on a new leadership post in Washington, D.C.
No, not that leadership post.
Democratic governors on Thursday unanimously confirmed Lujan Grisham as the new chairwoman of the Washington, D.C.-based Democratic Governors Association for 2021. Lujan Grisham was poised to assume the role after being elected vice chairwoman and chairwoman-elect last December; the association’s bylaws state that the chairperson-elect will take over as chairperson the following year.
News of the governor’s new and high-profile position comes amid intense and ever-evolving speculation about whether she is still being considered for a Cabinet post in President-elect Joe Biden’s administration.
The political drama continued Thursday when Sen.-elect Ben Ray Luján reportedly jumped into the fray.
The New York Times reported that the outgoing congressman
criticized the incoming administration’s treatment of Lujan Grisham, the first Latina Democratic governor in the United States.
“One day after reports surfaced that Ms. Lujan Grisham had been offered, and turned down, the position of Interior secretary, Mr. Luján rebuked the incoming White House chief of staff, Ron Klain, and other senior Biden officials for the leak,” according to the newspaper, which cited a Democrat familiar with the virtual meeting between members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and top advisers to Biden.
In a statement provided to
The New Mexican late Thursday, Luján declined to address the accuracy of the report.
“I’m a firm believer that family discussions should remain between family,” Luján said. “The Congressional Hispanic Caucus had a productive conversation with the President-elect’s senior staff. I’m grateful for all of their hard work during this difficult presidential transition, and I look forward to working with them to deliver for the people of New Mexico.”
Politico reported last week that the Congressional Hispanic Caucus had been making a “strong push” for Lujan Grisham, a former congresswoman who used to be a member of the group, to be tapped as health secretary. But this week, it reported that Lujan Grisham “is no longer favored for the role” and that she had turned down an offer from the Biden administration to serve as secretary of the Department of the Interior.
The report that Lujan Grisham had been offered the post of interior secretary stunned political observers, particularly because another high-profile Democratic woman in New Mexico, U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland, who is Native American, has expressed interest in the job. Two other New Mexicans, retiring U.S. Sen. Tom Udall and U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, are also said to be under consideration for interior secretary.
Politico reported earlier this week that Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo was the front-runner to be the next secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. But Raimondo told reporters Thursday she was “not going to be President-elect Biden’s nominee for HHS secretary.”
“My focus is right here in Rhode Island, as I have said,” Raimondo said during a news conference.
The New York Times said it remains unclear whether Lujan Grisham, who previously served as secretary of the New Mexico Department of Health, is still being considered for health and human services secretary under Biden.
What is clear, though, at least for the moment, is that New Mexico’s governor will be chairwoman of an organization that describes itself as an independent, voluntary political organization that supports Democratic governors and candidates across the nation.
The vote to confirm Lujan Grisham as chairwoman occurred at the association’s annual meeting, which was held online this year due to the pandemic, according to the association.
“I am honored to lead the Democratic Governors Association, and I join my fellow governors in thanking Gov. Phil Murphy for his remarkable leadership,” Lujan Grisham said in a statement, referring to the governor of New Jersey, who served as the 2020 chairman. “This past year has been full of unexpected challenges, but with Gov. Murphy at the helm, the DGA successfully weathered the storm.”