We did it! Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham secured another term, meaning New Mexicans can rest assured that the future of abortion care can continue.
The topic of abortion was a critical one this election cycle. With the fall of Roe this past summer, states across the country quickly enacted trigger bans while lawmakers in other states were fiercely motivated to pass laws that heavily restricted our bodily autonomy. New Mexico was under that same fire as Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham battled the fickle-GOP candidate, Mark Ronchetti.
But we came out victorious! It’s because of many grassroots organizations, volunteers canvassing to turn voters out, and the New Mexican voters who believe that each person can hold their own moral views on abortion and still trust someone to make their own decisions for themselves, that helped secure another term for our governor.
This is our time to celebrate! And we weren’t alone— voters in California, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana and Vermont secured abortion rights. Some highlights:
- California approved a measure with 65% of the voters choosing to protect the right to an abortion in their constitution. The amendment said “the state shall not deny or interfere with an individuals’ reproductive freedom,” and gave Californians the “fundamental right” to make their own decisions over contraception and abortion.
- Kentucky voted against a harmful measure that would have excluded abortion rights from their state constitution. It passed with 53% of the voters striking the measure down.
- Michigan protected abortion rights in their state constitution with 53% of the vote supporting “a new individual right to make all decisions about pregnancy and abortion”
- Montana rejected a “Born Alive” bill supported by anti-abortion opponents in the state. This law would have recognized a fetus as a legal individual and would have criminalized doctors.
- Vermont approved a measure protecting abortion rights in their state constitution with 75% of voters taking part in becoming the 1st state to solidify abortion protections into their constitution.
As we all celebrate our wins, we’ve gotta step it up, because Roe was never the ceiling, it was the floor. And now that Roe has fallen, we’ve got to push harder in our support for abortion care across New Mexico, and push beyond that to include conversations around comprehensive healthcare that includes all of us.
So, do your happy dance, and let’s get back to work.