# 2026 United States Senate election in New Mexico
The 2026 [United States Senate](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-senate) election in [New Mexico](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-mexico) is a contest for the state's Class 2 Senate seat, held since 2021 by Democrat Ben Ray Luján, with the general election scheduled for Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Luján is seeking a second six-year term against Republican Larry E. Marker, who won his party's nomination as a write-in candidate in the June 2, 2026 primary.[1](https://www.thegreenpapers.com/G26/NM) • [2](https://electionstats.sos.nm.gov/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Seat | Class 2 U.S. Senate seat, six-year term; held by Ben Ray Luján (D) since January 3, 2021[1](https://www.thegreenpapers.com/G26/NM) • [3](https://www.senate.gov/states/NM/senators.htm) |
| Primary | June 2, 2026; Luján won the Democratic primary with 84% against Matt Dodson; Marker won the Republican primary as a write-in[2](https://electionstats.sos.nm.gov/) |
| General election | Tuesday, November 3, 2026; polls open 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.[4](https://www.sos.nm.gov/candidate-and-campaigns/how-to-become-a-candidate/2026-elections-candidate-information/) • [5](https://www.sos.nm.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/IT-0106-19C7D5376E7-0C313E22A39F07A1B0-2026-Primary-Candidate-Guide_Final-.pdf) |
| Fundraising | Luján reported $5,626,629 in total receipts and $4,396,754 cash on hand through June 30, 2026; Marker reported $33,525 raised and $11,850 cash on hand over the same period[6](https://myreptracker.com/new-mexico/elections/2026/federal/senate/statewide) |
| Marker's later totals | FEC filings as of September 30, 2026 show Marker at $92,011 total receipts and $81,050 disbursed[1](https://www.thegreenpapers.com/G26/NM) |
| Outside spending | Independent groups reported $218,768 in spending in the race through October 15, 2026, nearly all for the general election[7](https://paidforpolitics.com/races/nm-senate) |
| Statewide certification | November 24, 2026, with certificates of election issued December 4, 2026[5](https://www.sos.nm.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/IT-0106-19C7D5376E7-0C313E22A39F07A1B0-2026-Primary-Candidate-Guide_Final-.pdf) |
## The seat and the incumbent
New Mexico elects its two senators in staggered classes. The Class 2 seat, on the ballot in 2026, has been held by [Ben Ray Luján](https://www.edgepedia.org/ben-ray-lujan) since January 3, 2021; he previously served in the U.S. House from 2009 to 2021 and was first elected to the Senate in 2020.[1](https://www.thegreenpapers.com/G26/NM) • [3](https://www.senate.gov/states/NM/senators.htm) The state's other seat, Class 1, is held by [Martin Heinrich](https://www.edgepedia.org/martin-heinrich), who was re-elected in 2024 and is not up again until 2030.[1](https://www.thegreenpapers.com/G26/NM) • [8](https://psephologix.com/us/midterms/2026/seat/NM-1/)
Luján's Senate term has included a health episode: on February 1, 2022, he suffered a stroke and was expected to make a full recovery.[1](https://www.thegreenpapers.com/G26/NM)
## Primary election
The primary was held June 2, 2026, under rules changed the year before. Governor [Michelle Lujan Grisham](https://www.edgepedia.org/michelle-lujan-grisham) signed Senate Bill 16 on April 7, 2025, allowing independent voters, meaning voters not affiliated with a major or minor party, to participate in the party primary of their choice effective July 1, 2025.[1](https://www.thegreenpapers.com/G26/NM) The Secretary of State's office described the 2026 contest as the state's first semi-open primary, alongside pilots of same-day voter registration and a revised write-in tabulation process.[9](https://www.sos.nm.gov/2026/06/23/state-canvass-board-certifies-2026-primary-election-results-orders-automatic-recounts/)
In the Democratic primary, Luján won renomination with 84% of the vote against Matt Dodson.[2](https://electionstats.sos.nm.gov/) The Republican side produced an unusual result: no candidate qualified for the regular primary ballot, and Larry E. Marker secured the nomination through a write-in campaign, taking 100% of the primary vote.[2](https://electionstats.sos.nm.gov/) • [10](https://opgov.news/articles/new-mexico-primary-elections-results-revealed) Statewide turnout across all contests was 24.60%, with 346,460 ballots cast out of 1,408,181 eligible voters.[11](https://nmresults.azurewebsites.us/Default.aspx) The State Canvass Board certified the primary results on June 23, 2026.[9](https://www.sos.nm.gov/2026/06/23/state-canvass-board-certifies-2026-primary-election-results-orders-automatic-recounts/)
## Candidates
**Ben Ray Luján** is the Democratic incumbent, first elected to the Senate in 2020 after seven terms in the House.[1](https://www.thegreenpapers.com/G26/NM) His campaign committee files with the FEC under identifier S0NM00058.[1](https://www.thegreenpapers.com/G26/NM)
**Larry E. Marker** is the Republican nominee, listed on some ballot materials as Larry E. "Lead" Marker. He won the primary as a write-in and files under FEC identifier S6NM01186.[1](https://www.thegreenpapers.com/G26/NM)
## Campaign finance
The money race has been one-sided. Through June 30, 2026, Luján reported $5,626,629 in total receipts against $33,525 for Marker, with cash on hand of $4,396,754 versus $11,850.[6](https://myreptracker.com/new-mexico/elections/2026/federal/senate/statewide) By the September 30 filing, Marker's cycle totals had reached $92,011 raised and $81,050 spent, while Luján's committee reported $6,405,516 in total receipts and $4,004,744 disbursed.[1](https://www.thegreenpapers.com/G26/NM)
The composition of Luján's fundraising reflects a broad donor base: about $2.91 million came from individuals and $1.74 million from PACs, with 26% of contributions in small-dollar amounts and 23% from in-state donors, and the campaign had spent $2.44 million as of mid-October 2026.[12](https://www.bankrolled.org/2026/senate/nm) Outside groups reported $218,768 in independent spending in the race through October 15, 2026, of which $217,386 was directed at the general election; reported supporters of Luján include the group ProgressNow New Mexico.[7](https://paidforpolitics.com/races/nm-senate)
## Election calendar
The Secretary of State set the following dates for the cycle:[4](https://www.sos.nm.gov/candidate-and-campaigns/how-to-become-a-candidate/2026-elections-candidate-information/) • [5](https://www.sos.nm.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/IT-0106-19C7D5376E7-0C313E22A39F07A1B0-2026-Primary-Candidate-Guide_Final-.pdf)
- June 2, 2026: primary election, with polls open 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- June 25, 2026: filing day for independent, minor party, and write-in candidates for the general election, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- November 3, 2026: general election.
- November 24, 2026: statewide certification of results.
- December 4, 2026: certificates of election issued to winning candidates.
## Context in the 2026 midterms
The New Mexico race sits at the safe end of a 2026 Senate map that has shifted toward Democrats elsewhere. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report, which rates every Senate seat up in the cycle, listed 9 seats as Solid Democrat, 1 Likely Democrat, 3 Lean Democrat, 6 Toss Up, 2 Likely Republican, and 14 Solid Republican in its August 20, 2026 summary; New Mexico does not appear among the competitive categories.[13](https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/senate-race-ratings?os=0) In July 2026, Cook moved New Mexico's gubernatorial race, an open seat contest on the same ballot, to "Solidly D" in Democrats' favor.[14](https://www.thedailybeast.com/cook-political-report-swings-4-races-in-favor-of-democrats-in-fresh-maga-red-flag/) Nationally, Democrats need to pick up four Republican-held seats to win Senate control, and Cook moved three key Senate races toward Democrats in October 2026.[15](https://theweek.com/politics/midterm-poll-woes-gop-republicans)
## References
1. [New Mexico 2026 General Election, The Green Papers](https://www.thegreenpapers.com/G26/NM)
2. [Elections Database, New Mexico Secretary of State](https://electionstats.sos.nm.gov/)
3. [New Mexico Senators, United States Senate](https://www.senate.gov/states/NM/senators.htm)
4. [2026 Elections Candidate Information, New Mexico Secretary of State](https://www.sos.nm.gov/candidate-and-campaigns/how-to-become-a-candidate/2026-elections-candidate-information/)
5. [2026 Candidate Information Guide, New Mexico Secretary of State](https://www.sos.nm.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/IT-0106-19C7D5376E7-0C313E22A39F07A1B0-2026-Primary-Candidate-Guide_Final-.pdf)
6. [U.S. Senate At-Large - 2026 Election, New Mexico, MyRepTracker](https://myreptracker.com/new-mexico/elections/2026/federal/senate/statewide)
7. [New Mexico Senate 2026: outside spending, PaidForPolitics](https://paidforpolitics.com/races/nm-senate)
8. [New Mexico Senate seat history, Psephologix](https://psephologix.com/us/midterms/2026/seat/NM-1/)
9. [State Canvass Board Certifies 2026 Primary Election Results, New Mexico Secretary of State](https://www.sos.nm.gov/2026/06/23/state-canvass-board-certifies-2026-primary-election-results-orders-automatic-recounts/)
10. [New Mexico Primary Election results revealed, OpGov News](https://opgov.news/articles/new-mexico-primary-elections-results-revealed)
11. [Official Results, 2026 Primary, New Mexico Secretary of State](https://nmresults.azurewebsites.us/Default.aspx)
12. [New Mexico Senate 2026, Bankrolled](https://www.bankrolled.org/2026/senate/nm)
13. [2026 CPR Senate Race Ratings, Cook Political Report](https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/senate-race-ratings?os=0)
14. [Cook Political Report Swings 4 Races in Favor of Democrats, The Daily Beast](https://www.thedailybeast.com/cook-political-report-swings-4-races-in-favor-of-democrats-in-fresh-maga-red-flag/)
15. [Polls show deepening midterm woes for GOP, The Week](https://theweek.com/politics/midterm-poll-woes-gop-republicans)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Politics and government › Elections and representation › Elections and referendums › United States election events › United States federal election events › US Senate election events › Senate elections in Western states and territories (state series)*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license