Representative Lujan Grisham hopes to make the jump to the New Mexico Governor’s office. To win, she’ll need the support of most left-leaning voters, including those in the LGBTQ community. If accusations against her office gain momentum in the press, her hopes of replacing Susana Martinez may be dim.
Transgender Woman Said Lujan Grisham’s Office Discriminated Against Her
Riley Del Rey told the Santa Fe New Mexican she was fired from the Democrat’s office almost three years ago and is speaking now because she has seen a number of stories about sexual harassment but transgender voices are missing.
Lujan Grisham, who is chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and a candidate for New Mexico governor, said her office would not discriminate against anyone.
“Our office takes the rights of the [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] community very seriously, and we are dumbfounded by any suggestion that we would discriminate against anyone for any reason,” spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said.
New Mexico has alternated between Democrats and Republicans for over 30 years. With Martinez being a Republican, the trend is that she’ll be replaced by a Democrat.
The #MeToo movement has inspired many women to come forward and tell their stories of sexual misconduct allegedly perpetrated by men in power. These accusations have resulted in men from Washington DC to Hollywood being forced to resign in shame.
This incident is unlikely to force such an issue with Grisham as the claims are being made against supervisors in her office rather than directly from her, but it could cause challenges for her gubernatorial aspirations.
