Ben Ray Luján is running for re-election in the Democratic Primary for New Mexico’s U.S. Senate seat. Luján was born and raised on a small family farm in Nambé, New Mexico to parents who were a union ironworker and a public school employee. He is the first Head Start graduate ever elected to the U.S. Senate and the first Hispanic to represent New Mexico in the Senate in over 40 years. Before his election to the Senate in 2020, Luján served six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives (2009-2021) and on the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (2004-2008). In 2018, he chaired the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, leading Democrats to win back the House majority. Luján's track record includes legislation aimed at lowering costs for working families, expanding access to affordable health care, protecting food assistance programs, strengthening public safety, expanding broadband access, and protecting New Mexico's public lands and natural resources. He has consistently voted to support working families and unions, including voting for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the American Rescue Plan, the Inflation Reduction Act, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, and the Respect for Marriage Act. Luján continues to represent all 33 counties of New Mexico, prioritizing rural and Tribal communities while holding corporate power accountable. We highly recommend Ben Ray Luján for U.S. Senate based on his proven track record of fighting for New Mexicans.

Deb Haaland is a 35th-generation New Mexican and enrolled member of the Laguna Pueblo, and made history as the first Native American Cabinet Secretary serving as U.S. Secretary of the Interior from 2021 to 2025. She was also one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress. Haaland grew up in a military family, faced homelessness and financial insecurity as a single mother, and relied on SNAP food benefits and Planned Parenthood for healthcare while building a career in public service. Haaland has deep roots in New Mexico community organizing, having chaired the New Mexico Democratic Party (2015-2017), served as tribal administrator at San Felipe Pueblo, and serving as the first woman on the board of the Laguna Development Corporation. During Haaland’s tenure in Congress (2019-2021), she established herself as a steadfast progressive champion, voting yes on every major priority for working families and marginalized communities. She supported the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act to strengthen labor unions, the American Rescue Plan to expand healthcare access and economic relief, and the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to address systemic racism in law enforcement. Haaland consistently fought for civil rights by voting for the Equality Act protecting LGBTQ+ communities, the For the People Act to protect voting rights, and bipartisan background check legislation for gun safety. She co-sponsored transformative legislation including the Green New Deal to address climate justice, Medicare for All to guarantee healthcare as a human right, and the MORE Act to decriminalize marijuana and address racial disparities in the criminal justice system. As the first Native American Cabinet Secretary leading the Department of the Interior (2021-2025), Haaland continued her progressive legacy by launching the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative to address historical trauma, creating protections for 55 million acres of tribal lands, and prioritizing environmental justice for frontline communities. Her record demonstrates unwavering commitment to economic justice, racial equity, Indigenous sovereignty, and climate action—making her a proven leader who delivers for working families and our planet. Haaland’s plans for Governor of New Mexico include expanding healthcare access through a public option, creating clean energy jobs, raising the minimum wage to $15, investing in public education and debt-free college, protecting women's reproductive rights, and addressing the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women. We highly recommend Deb Haaland in the Democratic Primary for governor, based on her deep roots in New Mexico, her work in Congress and as Secretary of Interior, and her detailed plans to improve healthcare, create living wage jobs, and increase educational access.

Amanda López Askin is the current Doña Ana County Clerk, a position she has held since 2018 when she was appointed by county commissioners just before the midterm elections. She has since won two elections to keep the seat in 2020 and 2024. She is also presently serving her second term as a board member on the New Mexico Counties Board of Directors. She is endorsed by current New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver. Born and raised in Las Cruces by a hardworking single mother who relied on public housing assistance to provide a stable life for her children, López Askin became a therapist and dedicated herself to helping kids in foster care before entering public service. She holds a master's degree in marriage and family therapy and a PhD in educational leadership from New Mexico State University. As County Clerk, López Askin has led one of New Mexico's most diverse counties through challenging elections, dealing with extremists, election deniers, and litigation—including a death threat from former Republican candidate Solomon Peña prior to his arrest for organizing drive-by shootings at Democratic politicians' homes. She has stated she is "battle-tested" and will bring her lived and professional experience to serve all New Mexicans. López Askin’s priorities include protecting voting rights against federal overreach, ensuring elections remain safe and secure, providing transparency in campaign finance, and supporting New Mexico's businesses. She was also the only County Clerk to publicly support SB 264 during the 2026 State Legislative session which banned federal law enforcement agents from being on site at New Mexico polling locations. We highly recommend Amanda López Askin for Secretary of State based on her experience running safe and secure elections, advocating for policies that improve access to voting, and her experience in tallying and auditing complicated elections.

Juan De Jesus Sanchez III is running in the Democratic Primary for New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands. Juan De Jesus Sanchez III is a 13th-generation New Mexican, farmer, and conservation advocate. Sanchez was raised in a ranching family in Valencia and Socorro counties, with roots that go back to the 1730s and connect to the historic Tomé Land Grant. He holds a bachelor's degree from New Mexico Highlands University, where he served as Vice President of the Associated Students, and a Master's in Water Resources from the University of New Mexico. He lives in Los Chavez with his wife and daughter on a small farm where they grow food and raise goats. Sanchez was elected Vice Chair of the Democratic Party of NM at 24 years old, where he helped eliminate $67,000 in debt, raised over $200,000 in grassroots contributions, and supported winning back the NM House of Representatives in 2016. His professional experience includes serving as a Natural Resource Specialist and Ranger with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Cochiti Lake, where he worked on water quality management and wildlife habitat restoration in collaboration with Cochiti Pueblo, earning the inaugural "Lifesaving Safety Award." He also spent five years at the New Mexico Acequia Commission protecting traditional irrigation systems and water rights, and served five years as Political Director for U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich, later becoming Deputy Campaign Manager for Heinrich's 2024 re-election. Sanchez champions protecting public lands and strengthening rural economies. His priorities include supporting agriculture and ranching families, expanding outdoor recreation access to state trust lands, partnering with communities on renewable energy development that spur local jobs, holding the oil and gas industry to responsible operation standards while protecting Land Grant Permanent Fund revenues for schools, and continuing protection of tribal cultural resources. He plans to decentralize the State Land Office by opening satellite offices across New Mexico and fight against selling public lands to special interests. We recommend Juan De Jesus Sanchez III for Commissioner of Public Lands based on his proven track record of protecting water rights, habitat restoration, and experience as Political Director for U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich.