Born in Los Alamos and raised in Santa Fe, Michelle has lived in Albuquerque for over 30 years  .A 12th-generation New Mexican, Michelle has devoted virtually her entire adult life to serving New Mexicans.  Public service runs in her family and comes naturally to her, as the granddaughter of the late New Mexico Supreme Court Justice Eugene Lujan.  Her father, a highly respected dentist, served New Mexicans in a less visible but equally important manner, providing quality dental care to thousands of New Mexico's children whose families could never have afforded to pay, and her mother was an advocate for blind New Mexicans.

 

Michelle graduated from high school in 1977 and went on to receive Bachelor's and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of New Mexico.  Following law school and admission to the State Bar of New Mexico in 1987, she took a position as a Staff Attorney with that organization's Lawyer Referral for the Elderly Program.  Less than a year later she was named as the program's director.

 

In 1991 the late Governor Bruce King appointed Michelle to head up New Mexico's State Agency on Aging, a position she held in the administrations of three consecutive governors, including Republican Gary Johnson's.  As a life-long Democrat working within a Republican administration, Michelle developed the skills essential to working in a bipartisan environment.  Early in 2004 Governor Bill Richardson elevated Michelle's position to cabinet-level with the creation of the Aging & Long-Term Services Department, and then appointed her to be Secretary of Health six months later.

 

Michelle left the Richardson Administration in 2007 to seek the Democratic Party's nomination for the congressional seat once held by her Republican cousin, Manuel Lujan.  Although she was unable to win that nomination, the campaign left her even more determined to continue serving the public.  After considering several options for the 2010 campaign season, she decided that she could be most effective as a Bernalillo County Commissioner, and on December 21st announced her candidacy for the District 1 seat currently held by term-limited Alan Armijo.  An avid outdoorswoman, she chose the Rio Grande Nature Center as the site for her announcement, highlighting the importance of our county's environment, its effect on the overall quality of life for Bernalillo County residents and the impact that County Commissioners have on it.

 

Recently turned 50, Michelle is a widow and the mother of two grown daughters.  She offers voters in County Commission District 1 a wealth of experience, a proven track record of tireless service, the proven ability to work across party lines and an unparalleled dedication to the people she serves. 

 

 

 

 

 
 

Paid for by the Committee to Elect Michelle Lujan Grisham, Inc. - Wendy York, Treasurer

© 2010 - Michelle Lujan Grisham

 

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