Pragmatism Over Polarization: A Conversation with U.S. Governors

As part of its Democracy Talks series, the Notre Dame Democracy Initiative will host a fireside chat with Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D- NM) and Governor Spencer Cox (R-UT), moderated by John McGreevy, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost. The governors will discuss their experiences as Western state governors working together on policy issues like water, housing, and energy, focusing on how Western state pragmatism can serve as a model for the country to overcome toxic polarization. Introductory remarks will be provided by University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C.

Join us on Friday, September 19, 2025, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. ET.

Speakers:
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D- NM) is the thirty-second governor of the state of New Mexico, and the first Democratic Latina elected governor in U.S. history.

She has also served as a county commissioner, state cabinet secretary, and member of Congress. A 12th-generation New Mexican, she is a former chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Western Governors Association.

Governor Spencer Cox (R-UT) is the 18th governor of Utah, a fourth-generation Utahn who has served as a mayor, county commissioner, state legislator, and lieutenant governor.

He is the current chair of the Western Governors’ Association and served as chair of the National Governors Association from 2023 to 2024.

For more information visit the event website.