Overview
- New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham told a Democratic National Committee Rules and Bylaws meeting that “if women, Democratic women, just show up and vote, we’re good. We don’t need any of the men,” a line that was captured on video and shared widely online.
- Hours after the clip circulated, Grisham softened the comment on the record, saying “I want the men” and calling herself “greedy” to underscore she did not literally reject male voters.
- Right-leaning outlets and partisan accounts quickly amplified and criticized the remark, using short video and social posts to frame it as politically tone-deaf and to press a broader narrative about Democratic messaging.
- Reporting places the exchange against long-standing data showing a growing gender gap in party ID and turnout, and a DNC 2024 autopsy that urged direct engagement with male voters using male messengers and economic messaging.
- The episode highlights a live strategic dilemma for Democrats about whether to double down on mobilizing high-turnout women or to intensify outreach to men, and it could shape messaging and candidate recruitment debates inside the party.