, insignia = Seal of the Governor of New Mexico.svg , insigniasize = 110px , insigniacaption = Seal of the Governor , image = File:Michelle Lujan Grisham 2021.jpg , imagesize = 200px , alt = , incumbent = Michelle Lujan Grisham , incumbentsince = , style = , status = , residence =

New Mexico Governor's Mansion The New Mexico Governor's Residence is the official residence of the governor of New Mexico and their family. The current structure, located at 1 Mansion Drive in Santa Fe, New Mexico, has served as the Governor's official residence since 1954. I ...

, termlength = Four years, renewable once consecutively , constituting_instrument =

New Mexico Constitution The Constitution of the State of New Mexico ( es, Constitución del Estado de Nuevo México) is the document governing the political framework of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It was adopted by Constitutional Convention on November 21, 1910, ratif ...

, precursor = *Governor of Nuevo México ** Spanish governors ** Mexican governors *Governor of

New Mexico Territory The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912. It was created from the U.S. provisional government of New Mexico, as a result of '' Nuevo México'' becomin ...

, inaugural = William C. McDonald , formation = , deputy = Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico , salary = $110,000 (2013) , website = The governor of New Mexico ( es, Gobernador de Nuevo México) is the

head of government The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, a ...

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...

. The governor is the head of the

executive branch The Executive, also referred as the Executive branch or Executive power, is the term commonly used to describe that part of government which enforces the law, and has overall responsibility for the governance of a state. In political systems ...

of New Mexico's state government and the commander-in-chief of the

New Mexico National Guard The New Mexico National Guard is the militia of the U.S. state of New Mexico. Comprising the New Mexico Army National Guard and the New Mexico Air National Guard, it is part of the National Guard of the United States, a reserve force under both ...

. As noted in the governor's seal, this gubernatorial office is a scion of the Spanish and

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

governors of Nuevo México (1598) and the governors of the

(1851). The officeholder is afforded the courtesy title of ''

The Honorable ''The Honourable'' (British English) or ''The Honorable'' (American English; see spelling differences) (abbreviation: ''Hon.'', ''Hon'ble'', or variations) is an honorific style that is used as a prefix before the names or titles of certain ...

'' for life. The current governor is Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, who was sworn in as the 32nd governor of New Mexico on January 1, 2019.

History

During the occupation of New Mexico by the United States Military starting in 1846, a military governor was appointed to oversee the area; military governors, at times, were assisted by civilian governors. In 1850, New Mexico was organized as a

Territory A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or a ...

, and the governor was appointed by the President of the United States. The office of governor was created in 1912 when New Mexico was officially admitted to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

as the 47th state.

Election to the governorship

Requirements to hold office

Section Three of Article V of the

establishes the requirements a person must meet in order to become governor. The governor must be a

citizen Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection". Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...

of the United States, be at least 30 years old, and have been a resident of New Mexico for at least five years prior to election.

Term(s) of office

Under Section One of Article V of the New Mexico Constitution, a governor may be elected any number of times, but not more than twice in a row. Governors serving two consecutive terms are eligible to run again after sitting out one full term.

Relationship with lieutenant governor

The lieutenant governor of New Mexico is elected jointly as the

running mate A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position (such as the vice presidential candidate running with a p ...

of the gubernatorial candidate in general elections.

Powers

While the governor heads the Executive Branch of the New Mexico state government, the governor does not have absolute power. Other state executives, such as the

lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

, the secretary of state, and the

attorney general In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

are also elected to office.

Duties

Responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the New Mexico State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced.

Residence

Since 1954, the Governor of New Mexico has resided in the

. Prior to its construction, the governor's residence was located adjacent to the New Mexico State Capitol in downtown Santa Fe. Before 1909, the governor resided in the Palace of the Governors, which is listed as a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places liste ...

. The Palace of the Governors is the oldest continuously occupied public building in the United States.

Line of succession

According to Section Seven of Article V of the New Mexico Constitution, in the event of the death, resignation, removal,

impeachment Impeachment is the process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements. In ...

, absence from the state, failure to qualify, or incapacity due to illness of the governor, the

is the first person in the

order of succession An order of succession or right of succession is the line of individuals necessitated to hold a high office when it becomes vacated such as head of state or an honour such as a title of nobility.Secretary of State serves as governor. If there is no Secretary of State, the President pro Tempore of the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

serves as governor. If there is no President pro Tempore of the Senate, or if that person is unable to perform the duties of governor, then the Speaker of the

House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air cond ...

serves as governor.

References

External links

* {{US Chief Executives 1912 establishments in New Mexico