CNN Newsroom: Interview with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM)

Interview

"That's a tough question, Jim. It's a tough day. You know, while we were colleague, he was also my boss. I never felt like he wasn't my friend. And particularly now. I think there's a lot of people around the globe and right here who are going to really miss his sage advice. He was voracious about knowing everything that was going on, engaging productively and positively.

We can talk about a legacy. It's knowing that you always had someone who is going to support you, right, to meet whatever your goal or issue was. And I've already spoken about the economic impacts he's had here and educational investments. And I'm reaping incredible benefits from his vision in commercial safe travel and in film and media, and early childhood. But I'm going to tell you that when you've got a really tough problem to solve, which is why he's such an effective negotiator, you know, release (INAUDIBLE) hostages, but also in brokering the old -- that stop conflict. He can navigate.

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No question. As the sitting governor I can tell you right now people aren't calling me to do these negotiations and to engage in this kind of diplomacy. So it's a huge hole in that work. It's a huge hole in foreign policy expertise. But it's also a source of great pride that a New Mexico, you know, he's our diplomat, former governor, former congressman, ambassador to the United Nations, energy secretary. We have two of the five national labs. You know, in a place where poverty is still very much present, Richardson is an iconic presence for young New Mexicans who aspire to be anything and everything. And that was also true with the presidential bid.

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It is. And, you know, I didn't get to talk to him. I just left him a message two days ago asking him to travel with me to the border and to engage in some thoughtful economic effort and plan but also to talk about any number of issues that need to be addressed at the border. And he is the kind of, you know, former governor and expert that in my day-to-day work is still very influential and incredibly helpful. And I literally just reached out. So he was present in the beneficial work everywhere and anywhere every single day. And he is absolutely going to be missed.

All our phones are blowing up. People are, you know, reeling and incredulous because, like I said, he's working from the small stuff making sure that businesses are getting what they need and little tiny rural communities. He's helping me, he was helping me navigate some of the FEMA issues because he's had to do that before. And it's really shocking news. And I do want everyone to make sure they keep his family and Barbara, as a widow myself, who woke up one morning and lost a husband, it is a terrible, shocking circumstance, with no notice, no preparation, and she's going to need our very best and all of our love and attention.

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Thanks for having me.

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