Biden To Stump For Embattled New Mexico Governor As Poll Shows Her Trailing Republican Challenger

President Joe Biden will stump for Democratic New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham ahead of her closely-contested race.

The White House announced Thursday that Biden would travel to New Mexico to attend events with Grisham on November 3. No additional details were given, but the events will occur less than a week from Election Day of the 2022 midterms; it also comes in the middle of a series of campaign events that Biden will attend in Florida and Pennsylvania. The news comes as a new poll showed Grisham trailing Republican challenger Mark Ronchetti.

Insider magazine politics reporter Bryan Metzger shared a screenshot of the White House’s official announcement. “On Thursday, November 3, the President will travel to New Mexico for events with Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and other state and local officials,” the announcement said. “Additional details to follow.”

Biden going to *New Mexico* next Thursday pic.twitter.com/EPIDgPrJEN

— bryan metzger (@metzgov) October 27, 2022

While the White House did not announce the specific reasons for the trip, the circumstances indicate that the White House is attempting to boost Grisham in the final days of the campaign.

Vice President Kamala Harris visited the state Tuesday to attend a fundraiser at the University of New Mexico, the Albuquerque Journal reported. Biden’s visit also comes in the middle of two other campaign events that Biden will attend for Democrats in key races. Biden will attend a rally on November 1 in Miami Gardens, Florida, where he will stump for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist and Senate candidate Val Demings, the Tampa Bay Times reported. Then on November 5, Biden and former President Barack Obama will attend campaign events for Democratic Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro and Senate candidate John Fetterman in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Biden and Harris are also attending a fundraiser for Fetterman on Friday, Axios reported.

Biden’s trip also comes after a new poll from the Trafalgar Group showed that Grisham is trailing Ronchetti in her re-election campaign. The poll showed that Ronchetti, a former weatherman for Albuquerque-based news station KQRE, leads Grisham by just over one point, 46.6%-45.5%; 4% of voters were undecided. Grisham is struggling from the fallout over her COVID policies; as well as controversy from 2021 in which she allegedly grabbed a gay male staffer’s genitals, then reached a $150,000 settlement with the staffer to quash claims of sexual harassment.

Ronchetti reacted to the news of Biden’s appearance on Twitter. “I look forward to Pres. @JoeBiden coming to New Mexico to campaign for @Michelle4NM,” Ronchetti said. “Biden-MLG policies have led to higher gas prices, open borders, and drugs in our neighborhoods. New Mexicans know how out of touch Joe Biden and MLG are with kitchen table issues.”

“Our campaign is excited to have President Biden come to town!” Ronchetti’s campaign manager, Jeff Glassburner, added in a tweet of his own. “Can he stay in New Mexico a couple days and not just one?”

Republican Governors’ Association spokesman Will Reinert said that Biden’s campaign stop was trying to fill an enthusiasm gap among Democratic voters. “A sign of a major enthusiasm gap,” he wrote. “@Michelle4NM thought she could win running on abortion – the 3rd most important issue to voters. @MarkRonchettiNM centered his campaign around #1 & #2 most important issues – economy & crime – and it’s paying dividends.”