New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham urged potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidates to prioritize children and universal childcare, citing her state's program while warning a national plan could be difficult without tax increases. She recommended federal incentives and grants to help states scale childcare. Lujan Grisham has met several hopefuls, including Wes Moore and Pete Buttigieg, and noted New Mexico's new early-primary status could reshape campaign strategies. She also defended the Democratic Governors Association amid criticism over its spending choices.
Lujan Grisham Tells 2028 Democrats: Put Children — And Childcare — First
A potential 2028 Democratic kingmaker has advice for candidates
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is urging Democratic presidential hopefuls who visit her state to center their campaigns on children and family policy, with a particular emphasis on universal childcare.
Lujan Grisham, a Democrat who will leave office at the end of this year, told Semafor that candidates "absolutely should" be running on universal childcare proposals. She pointed to New Mexico's own universal childcare program as a model while cautioning that establishing a nationwide system could be "challenging" without some form of tax increases.
Federal Role: Lujan Grisham suggested how Washington could help scale state programs: by providing incentives, grants and flexible funding so states have a real opportunity to expand access.
"What I would do in that position is make it really clear that you'll create incentives and grants so that states have real opportunity," she said.
The governor said she has met or spoken with several prospective 2028 contenders who have visited New Mexico, including Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. She described those conversations as substantive policy discussions rather than simple introductions.
New Mexico was recently added to the early primary calendar alongside South Carolina, Nevada and New Hampshire — a change that could reshape Democratic campaign strategies and increase the state's influence in the nomination process. Lujan Grisham said she plans to consider endorsing a candidate depending on how the field develops and who ultimately runs.
She also weighed in on criticism of the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) for not investing more heavily in the Texas gubernatorial race. While acknowledging the tough decisions the DGA faces in a wide map, she argued the group should pursue a broader spending strategy and warned against singling out the organization for blame.
Political Context: Lujan Grisham's comments highlight a growing push among Democratic leaders to make family-support policies a differentiator in the 2028 primary — and underscore how state-level experiments, like New Mexico's childcare program, may inform national proposals.
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