New Mexico governor goes globetrotting as she nears final year in office

SANTA FE — With her second term as governor nearing its final stanza, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has been here, there and everywhere.

Since the 60-day legislative session ended in March, the governor has spent more time outside New Mexico than she has in the state, with trips to Asia, Maryland, Los Angeles and the Kentucky Derby.

Specifically, the governor has spent 40 of the 76 days since the session ended on March 22 fully or partially out of state, according to a Journal analysis of her official calendar and shared records.

Just this week, Lujan Grisham led a state delegation to Alaska, where she met with Trump administration officials and attended an energy summit.

The Governor’s Office says the trips are in the interest of the state by forging possible business partnerships and advocating for federal resources.

“The governor’s travel is of significant benefit to New Mexico’s economic development, efforts to secure federal funding and other policy initiatives,” said Lujan Grisham spokeswoman Jodi McGinnis Porter. “Each trip is strategically planned to deliver tangible results for New Mexico families and businesses.”

She also told the Journal the Governor’s Office is in regular contact with Lt. Gov. Howie Morales about the governor’s travel schedule to ensure state business is unaffected and agencies are ready to respond in case of emergency.

Per the state Constitution, Morales serves as acting governor while Lujan Grisham is out of state. He said in April he was in frequent communication with the Governor’s Office when he signed more than 30 executive orders freeing up state funding for recovery efforts connected to damages from flooding and wildfires.

With most of New Mexico currently experiencing drought conditions, McGinnis Porter said the governor is staying up to speed on the latest risks even when traveling outside New Mexico.

“The governor ... maintains full engagement on wildfire preparedness from any location while staying informed on fire activity throughout the state,” she told the Journal.

Longtime New Mexico political observer Brian Sanderoff said out-of-state travel by elected officials can sometimes be fodder for criticism by political opponents. But he said Lujan Grisham might feel more freedom to travel with her tenure as governor winding down.

“The governor can not seek a third consecutive term, so she’s going to feel a lot less constrained politically about travel, both nationally and internationally,” said Sanderoff, who is the president of Albuquerque-based Research & Polling Inc.

The costs for the governor’s busy travel schedule have been paid for by a mix of state and outside groups, depending on the trip. For instance, her Alaska trip was paid for with taxpayer dollars, while her travel to Chicago for last year’s Democratic National Convention event was covered by her political action committee, according to the Governor’s Office.

Meanwhile, Lujan Grisham’s trade mission to Japan and Singapore in April — and a similar trip to India last year — were paid for by the New Mexico Partnership, an Albuquerque-based nonprofit group that focuses on business recruitment efforts.

Lujan Grisham also traveled out of state extensively last year, including a trip to Mexico. She also crisscrossed the country last fall to stump for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.

The governor, who will finish her second term in office at the end of 2026, has increasingly clashed with Democratic lawmakers over crime and public safety issues in recent years.

She said at the end of this year’s session she planned to call lawmakers back to Santa Fe this year to tackle legislation dealing with juvenile crime and firearm restrictions, but later said no such special session was imminent.