Stefani Lord, a house representative from New Mexico, said that she and Representative John Block have sought to impeach Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham for actions they deem unconstitutional, including her 2023 suspension of gun rights. The statement was made on the social media platform X.
"We (Rep. Block and myself) have tried for years to impeach the Governor over this issue and other unconstitutional violations," said Lord, New Mexico State Representative for 22nd District (R). "It would be nice if we had ALL Republicans on board. One of the Governor's allies is State Sen. Bill Sharer, Republican, who.…stood in vehement opposition to calls for Lujan Grisham's impeachment after she unconstitutionally suspended Second Amendment rights in 2023."
After Governor Lujan Grisham issued a public health order in 2023 restricting public gun carry, Republican lawmakers in New Mexico pushed for impeachment, claiming she violated constitutional rights. In January 2024, Representatives Lord and Block introduced a resolution to impeach her, describing the move as an abuse of power. According to the Associated Press, this effort underscored partisan divides over executive authority and the Second Amendment.
The order led to swift legal action, with at least six lawsuits filed by mid-September 2023. A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking enforcement of the most sweeping provisions while the cases continued. These developments demonstrated how courts quickly checked the governor’s order amid broad opposition, according to reporting by KOB 4.
Impeachment of governors in the United States is historically rare and typically linked to corruption rather than policy disputes. Since statehood, 15 governors have been impeached and only eight convicted and removed from office. This context highlights the uphill challenge of efforts like those in New Mexico, according to History.com.
Lord is a Republican representing District 22 in the New Mexico House of Representatives, where she has served since 2021. In 2024 she co-sponsored the impeachment resolution against Governor Lujan Grisham, citing executive overreach and violations of Second Amendment rights. Her work emphasizes a focus on constitutional rights and public safety, according to the Associated Press.
