John,

From the moment we first heard about the COVID-19 virus spreading in the U.S., Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham took quick and decisive action to protect New Mexicans from this deadly pandemic. She enacted safety regulations early, encouraged masking and social distancing – and now, she’s spearheading our campaign to continue to get New Mexicans vaccinated – making New Mexico one of the nation’s leading states in vaccination rates – so that we can defy the odds and return to normalcy.

I won't mince words about the importance of the vaccine: There are still far too many unvaccinated eligible adults in our state, and it is jeopardizing New Mexico’s economic recovery and putting vulnerable New Mexicans at risk. That's why Michelle is working with experts to encourage everyone to get the vaccine.

But Michelle can’t do this alone. It's crucial that every leader in the U.S. – Democrat or Republican – uses their platform to speak about the importance of the vaccine. Vaccination should not be a partisan issue. Several prominent members of New Mexico's GOP – including those who are running against Michelle to flip New Mexico red – have been totally silent on vaccines. Even top Republicans like Mitch McConnell and Sarah Huckabee Sanders saw the threat of the delta variant and encouraged Americans to get vaccinated.

The truth is, the silence of these New Mexican GOP politicians leaves their constituents vulnerable to conspiracy theorists who peddle falsehoods and misinformation. We need New Mexico GOP voices to join the war on COVID-19 by encouraging New Mexicans to get vaccinated, helping to end the pandemic.  

I encourage these GOP leaders to join Michelle and use their platform to stop the spread of misinformation – because doing so is literally a matter of life or death. But whether the New Mexican GOP comes around or not, Governor Lujan Grisham will continue to be right there, working as hard as she can to get as many shots into arms as possible. 

No matter what, Michelle will never stop fighting to protect the people of New Mexico.

Kendall Witmer

P.S. If you or a loved one would like more information about our safe, effective COVID-19 vaccines, please click here.