SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has won reelection to a second term by defeating Republican Mark Ronchetti on pledges to safeguard access to abortion and sustain public spending on social safety-net programs.
Lujan Grisham’s reelection in a state with entrenched swaths of extreme poverty is likely to prolong state support for tuition-free college, expanded preschool and subsidized health care.
Her victory extends a string of Democratic political victories in a heavily Hispanic and Native American state that is a major energy exporter. Ronchetti fell short as he skewered Lujan Grisham on concerns about public safety and violent crime.