I know, I know … the primary isn’t over, but it’s close to over. I am assuming that Joe Biden will be our nominee, but even if Sanders pulls off a miracle (or Biden chokes and hands it to him) we will somehow have to unify as a party to defeat the Menace In Chief. A great VP selection could be one way to unify and energize us.
I only became familiar with New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham in the past week, but what I have seen so far really impresses me. First, she meets many of the base requirements I think we need in a VP candidate. First, we need a woman! She’s 60 years old, 18 years younger than the two geezers who are our remaining contenders. Before becoming Governor in January 2019 she spent six years in the US House of Representatives, where she was elected chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. She has the executive and federal experience to be president if an 80 year old heartbeat fails. She represents both a growing Dem constituency (Hispanics) and a growing geographic area (Southwest).
She has only been governor for a little over a year, but she has already achieved some impressive, progressive accomplishments in a state that had a Republican governor until Grisham took over just last January:
Green Energy:
Signed bill requiring NM electric power to be 50 percent renewable by 2030; 80 percent renewable by 2040; 100 percent renewable by 2050.
https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/local/2019/03/23/new-mexico-governor-lujan-grisham-clean-energy-bill-solar-panel/3251016002/
Gun Safety:
Signed a “red flag law” allowing courts to seize firearms from individuals deemed a danger to themselves or others. When some law enforcement officials objected and said that they may not enforce, she said that they could either enforce the law or resign!
https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/26/politics/new-mexico-governor-red-flag-gun-law/index.html
Minimum Wage:
Signed legislation raising the state minimum wage from $7.50/hour to $12/hour.
https://apnews.com/d850661aa92440ad8f9ad214188bc4ed
Labor Rights:
Signed legislation banning counties’ “right to work” laws, ensuring that workers have the right to unionize and collect fees from all members.
https://nmpoliticalreport.com/2019/03/29/lujan-grisham-signs-bill-invalidating-counties-right-to-work-laws/
Abortion rights:
Pushed hard to repeal a 1969 New Mexico law banning abortion. The law became unenforceable after Roe v. Wade, but Grisham wanted it off the books in case the Supreme Court voids Roe. The proposal passed the NM House but unfortunately died in the NM Senate:
apnews.com/...
Pretty impressive! Grisham could be a strong addition to the ticket, one that could energize many Dem constituencies not just to vote but to donate and volunteer.
I am not a New Mexico resident, so if you are a NM Kossack I’d love to see your comments on Grisham, positive or negative.
Also, my intention here is less to push a single candidate but more to propose the TYPE of VP candidate that could rally all of us together — progressives, mainstream Dems, working class, suburbanites, people of color, etc. — to take back our country.