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Ben Ray Luján

U.S. Senate · NM · Democrats · since 2021

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Candidate for U.S. Senate · NM

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Biography

Overview

Ben Ray Luján is a Democratic U.S. Senator from New Mexico who has served since 2021. Previously, he represented New Mexico's 3rd congressional district in the House from 2009 to 2021, where he served as assistant speaker and chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. He describes himself as a progressive Democrat and is a member of a prominent New Mexico political family—his father served in the state legislature as majority whip and speaker.

Career

In the House, Luján championed renewable energy legislation, including work to increase New Mexico's Renewable Portfolio Standard, and promoted the Green New Deal. He supported health care reform and backed education initiatives like STEM Education Coordination Act. In the Senate, he returned after recovering from a stroke in early 2022 and has continued focusing on energy, agriculture, health, and Native American issues. He voted to convict former President Trump for inciting insurrection on January 6, 2021, and in 2026 opposed Department of Homeland Security funding over concerns about federal agents' use of force against citizens.

Prior political experience

Luján was elected to the House in 2008 with 57 percent of the vote against Republican Dan East. He won reelection five times (2010–2018) with margins ranging from 56 percent to 63 percent. In 2020, he won the Democratic primary unopposed and defeated Republican Mark Ronchetti 51.7 percent to 45.6 percent in the general election for the U.S. Senate, succeeding retiring Senator Tom Udall.

Biographical material adapted from the Wikipedia article (retrieved April 29, 2026), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Ideology

Liberal–Conservative (DW-NOMINATE dim 1)

Liberal
Conservative
119th Congress-0.380

Secondary axis (DW-NOMINATE dim 2)(?)

−1
+1
+0.032
Source: Voteview DW-NOMINATE · 670 scored votes

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Officeholding history

TermSeatTerm datesTerminationPredecessorSuccessor
1stU.S. Senate NM Class 22021–presentIn progress——
6thU.S. House NM-32019–2021Term endedBen Ray LujánTeresa Leger Fernandez
5thU.S. House NM-32017–2019Term endedBen Ray LujánBen Ray Luján
4thU.S. House NM-32015–2017Term endedBen Ray LujánBen Ray Luján
3rdU.S. House NM-32013–2015Term endedBen Ray LujánBen Ray Luján
2ndU.S. House NM-32011–2013Term endedBen Ray LujánBen Ray Luján
1stU.S. House NM-32009–2011Term ended—Ben Ray Luján

Committee assignments

Current term legislation

Bills sponsored this term10

Bills cosponsored this term10

Elections

YearSeatResultVote shareField
——Pending——