The truth about NM’s poverty rankings—What MLG isn’t telling you

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has sparked controversy following her recent appearance on MSNBC, where she voiced strong opposition to the Trump administration’s policy proposals. However, critics, including the Rio Grande Foundation, a free-market think tank based in Albuquerque, have taken issue with several of her claims, including those related to child poverty and education.

During the interview, Lujan Grisham asserted that New Mexico had dramatically improved its child poverty ranking, moving from 50th to 17th in the nation. The Rio Grande Foundation swiftly countered this claim, stating that the alleged improvement is based on a shift in data measurement rather than real progress. “New Mexico’s ‘improvement’ in child poverty is driven by the use of a different data set—the Census Bureau’s supplemental poverty measure,” the foundation explained in a recent analysis. They noted that while the supplemental measure accounts for factors like tax credits and housing costs, it has been criticized for its complexity and inconsistencies.

The think tank added, “We don’t take a position on whether the traditional or supplemental measure is better, but MLG is being her usual disingenuous self in claiming this massive improvement, especially when all other reports show New Mexico to be not doing a good job with child outcomes.”

Critics also took aim at MSNBC’s portrayal of Lujan Grisham as an education policy expert. Despite the governor’s firm opposition to the Trump administration’s proposal to eliminate the Department of Education, the Rio Grande Foundation questioned her credibility on the topic. “It is both hilarious and a sign of the media’s extreme bias that they would include New Mexico’s Gov. as an ‘expert’ on education policy,” the group remarked. They pointed to New Mexico’s persistent struggles with education outcomes, which remain among the worst in the nation.

The think tank also expressed openness to the idea of eliminating the Department of Education, arguing that its presence has done little to improve outcomes in New Mexico or across the country. They concluded, “It is laughable to value MLG’s opinions on an issue where she has failed so miserably.”

Lujan Grisham has yet to respond directly to these criticisms, but the debate underscores the ongoing scrutiny of New Mexico’s progress—or lack thereof—on key social and economic issues under the current governor’s regime.