Ben Ray Luján Wins Reelection to U.S. Senate
Democratic Senator Ben Ray Luján defeated Republican challenger Larry Marker to secure a second six-year term in the U.S. Senate representing New Mexico.
Ben Ray Luján won reelection to a second six-year term in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, defeating Republican challenger Larry Marker. Luján, the junior senator from New Mexico, maintained a double-digit lead according to unofficial totals and network projections.
Luján campaigned on a platform of infrastructure, economic development, and affordable healthcare, while criticizing tariffs implemented by President Donald Trump. Marker, an oil and gas businessman, entered the general election through a write-in campaign after the original Republican candidate failed to qualify.
The election process faced a last-minute legal disruption when the League of Women Voters of New Mexico published a voters guide featuring an incorrect photo of Marker. District Judge Jared Kallunki subsequently ordered county clerks to remove the guides from polling places statewide. Hannah Burling, president of the League of Women Voters of New Mexico, issued an apology for the error.
