Ben Ray Luján

Incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján will face Republican Larry Marker on the Nov. 3 general election ballot for New Mexico's U.S. Senate seat, a six-year term paying $174,000 annually. Luján won his primary decisively, while the state Republican Party failed to field an official candidate, prompting Marker, a Roswell oil and gas businessman, to mount a write-in campaign that drew nearly as many votes as Luján's primary opponent.

Luján, in office since 2020 and a veteran of New Mexico politics, cites the cost of living and water access as top priorities, touts legislation like the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, and has criticized Trump administration policies on tariffs, Medicaid and immigration enforcement. Marker, making his first bid for statewide office after previous unsuccessful runs, is focused on stabilizing Social Security, reducing federal debt, and supporting oil, gas and ranching industries, while expressing measured support for Trump's agenda. Republicans haven't won statewide in New Mexico in a decade, but Marker points to shifting voter registration trends as reason for optimism.