Skip to main content
The Full Record
Menu

U.S. Senate · New Mexico

Statewide.

General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

RESULT · UNOFFICIAL UNTIL CERTIFIED

Ben Ray Luján, projected winner

CandidateVotesShare
Ben Ray Lujan458,75663.3%
Larry Marker266,43436.7%

About 99% of the expected vote counted. As of November 9. Winners take office next year. Counts can change until states certify. NBC News ↗

Sources re-checked September 25, 2026 · How we research

  • Incumbent Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D), first elected in 2020, defeated Matt Dodson 84.2%-15.8% in the June 2, 2026 Democratic primary. On the Republican side, Larry E. Marker ran as a write-in candidate in the primary (after a rival's signatures were rejected) and needed 2,351 write-in votes to qualify for the general-election ballot; he received 31,220 write-in votes and qualified. Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Decision Desk and Sabato's Crystal Ball all rated the general election Solid/Safe Democratic as of the primary.[1]

On the November 3 ballot · 2 candidates

Ben Ray LujánDINCUMBENTPROJECTED WINNERU.S. Senator (since 2021)Full profile →Larry E. MarkerRFull profile →

Issue evidence — side by side

Recorded votes, documented positions and candidates’ own words are shown with sources. “In their own words” quotes a candidate on the topic without inferring a stance. Votes describe specific bills or motions; they do not establish overall support or opposition to a broad issue. A dash means our research has no evidence on that topic, not that the candidate has no position.

Protect legal access to abortion

  • Ben Ray Luján
    Recorded votes[30]

    Voted no on Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (H.R. 36, 2017-10-03), which would have banned most abortions after 20 weeks.

  • Larry E. Marker
    —

Stricter gun laws

  • Ben Ray Luján
    Recorded votes[27][28]

    Voted yes on Bipartisan Background Checks Act (H.R. 8, 2019-02-27), which would have required background checks on most private gun sales. Voted no on Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act (H.R. 38, 2017-12-06), which would have required states to honor other states' concealed-carry permits.

  • Larry E. Marker
    —

Expand immigration enforcement and deportations

  • Ben Ray Luján
    Recorded votes[16][17][18][19]

    Voted no on Laken Riley Act (S. 5, 2025-01-20). Voted no on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-07-01), which funded expanded immigration enforcement, detention and border operations. Voted yes on American Dream and Promise Act of 2019 (H.R. 6, 2019-06-04).

  • Larry E. Marker
    In their own words[5]
    “I will utilize my vote in the Senate to block any administrative, judicial, or department nominee who does not publicly support enforcing existing immigration laws and completing necessary border infrastructure.”

    On the border page of his campaign website (Larry's Pledge)

Raise taxes on high earners or corporations

  • Ben Ray Luján
    Recorded votes[17][18][26]

    Voted no on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-07-01; 2017-12-20), which made the 2017 individual tax rates, including the 37% top rate, permanent.

  • Larry E. Marker
    —

Expand public health coverage

  • Ben Ray Luján
    Recorded votes[17][18][24][25]

    Voted no on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-07-01), which reduced federal Medicaid spending and added Medicaid work requirements. Voted yes on Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590, 2010-03-21). Voted no on American Health Care Act (H.R. 1628, 2017-05-04), which would have capped federal Medicaid funding and ended enhanced funding for the Medicaid expansion.

  • Larry E. Marker
    —

Faster transition away from fossil fuels

  • Ben Ray Luján
    Recorded votes[17][18]

    Voted no on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-07-01), which phased out Inflation Reduction Act clean-energy tax credits.

  • Larry E. Marker
    In their own words[6]
    “The answer is not retreat. It is an all-of-the-above strategy that respects New Mexico’s current strength while opening the door to hydrogen, nuclear, and next-generation industrial growth.”

    On the energy page of his campaign website

Raise the minimum wage

  • Ben Ray Luján
    Recorded votes[29]

    Voted yes on Raise the Wage Act (H.R. 582, 2019-07-18).

  • Larry E. Marker
    —

Broad tariffs on imported goods

  • Ben Ray Luján
    Recorded votes[20][21]

    Voted yes on Resolution to end the global tariff emergency (S.J. Res. 49, 2025-04-30), which would have ended the emergency used to impose global tariffs. Voted yes on Resolution to end the global tariff emergency (S.J. Res. 88, 2025-10-30), which would end the emergency used to impose global tariffs.

  • Larry E. Marker
    —

Require Congress to approve U.S. military action abroad

  • Ben Ray Luján
    Recorded votes[22][23]

    Voted yes on War Powers Resolution on Iran (S.J. Res. 59, 2025-06-27), a motion to bring a war powers resolution on Iran to a vote. Voted yes on War Powers Resolution on Venezuela (S.J. Res. 90, 2025-11-06), a motion to bring a war powers resolution on Venezuela to a vote.

  • Larry E. Marker
    —

Research notes & limits

Sitting-member key floor votes and FEC finance totals for Luján are added separately by script. Luján's specific policy positions and priorities were not independently documented within the research budget beyond his official biography and committee record; his campaign website (lujan.senate.gov) was not surveyed for issue statements. Marker has not completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in any cycle; positions above come from his campaign website only. Biography gaps: Marker's early-life and work history come from his campaign website and an Albuquerque Journal profile; Luján's House dates and leadership titles are from his Senate site and Ballotpedia.

Sources · 36

Researched 2026-09-25. Green citations are official government records.

  1. 1.United States Senate election in New Mexico, 2026 · Ballotpedia Reference
  2. 2.Ben Ray Luján · Ballotpedia Reference
  3. 3.Elect Larry Marker for U.S. Senate · Larry Marker campaign website Candidate's own words
  4. 4.Environment · Office of Sen. Ben Ray Luján Official record
  5. 5.Secure New Mexico Borders · Larry Marker campaign website Candidate's own words
  6. 6.New Mexico Energy Independence · Larry Marker campaign website Candidate's own words
  7. 7.United States Senate election in New Mexico, 2026 · Ballotpedia Reference
  8. 8.Ben Ray Luján · Ballotpedia Reference
  9. 9.About Ben · U.S. Senate, Office of Sen. Ben Ray Luján Official record
  10. 10.US Sen. Ben Ray Luján faces long-shot challenge from Republican Larry Marker in reelection bid · Albuquerque Journal News report
  11. 11.Ben Ray Luján · Wikipedia · 2026-10-21 Reference
  12. 12.New Mexico U.S. Senate election results 2026 · NBC News News report
  13. 13.S. 1531, the Assault Weapons Ban of 2025 (Assault Weapons Ban of 2025) — sponsors and cosponsors · Congress.gov Official record
  14. 14.S. 46, the Health Care Affordability Act of 2025 (Health Care Affordability Act of 2025) — sponsors and cosponsors · Congress.gov Official record
  15. 15.S. 2150, the Women's Health Protection Act of 2025 (Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025) — sponsors and cosponsors · Congress.gov Official record
  16. 16.Roll call: Laken Riley Act — Senate passage · U.S. Senate · 2025-01-20 Official record
  17. 17.Roll call: One Big Beautiful Bill Act — Senate passage · U.S. Senate · 2025-07-01 Official record
  18. 18.H.R. 1 (119th Congress) — One Big Beautiful Bill Act: text and summary · Congress.gov Official record
  19. 19.Roll call: American Dream and Promise Act of 2019 — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2019-06-04 Official record
  20. 20.Roll call: Resolution to end the global tariff emergency · U.S. Senate · 2025-04-30 Official record
  21. 21.Roll call: Resolution to end the global tariff emergency · U.S. Senate · 2025-10-30 Official record
  22. 22.Roll call: War Powers Resolution on Iran — motion to discharge · U.S. Senate · 2025-06-27 Official record
  23. 23.Roll call: War Powers Resolution on Venezuela — motion to discharge · U.S. Senate · 2025-11-06 Official record
  24. 24.Roll call: Affordable Care Act — final House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2010-03-21 Official record
  25. 25.Roll call: American Health Care Act — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2017-05-04 Official record
  26. 26.Roll call: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act — final House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2017-12-20 Official record
  27. 27.Roll call: Bipartisan Background Checks Act — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2019-02-27 Official record
  28. 28.Roll call: Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2017-12-06 Official record
  29. 29.Roll call: Raise the Wage Act — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2019-07-18 Official record
  30. 30.Roll call: Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2017-10-03 Official record
  31. 31.Elect Larry Marker for U.S. Senate · Larry Marker campaign website Candidate's own words
  32. 32.Larry E. Marker · Ballotpedia Reference
  33. 33.Meet Larry "Lead" Marker · Friends of Larry Marker (campaign website) Candidate's own words
  34. 34.United States Senate election in New Mexico, 2026 · Ballotpedia Reference
  35. 35.US Sen. Ben Ray Luján faces long-shot challenge from Republican Larry Marker in reelection bid · Albuquerque Journal News report
  36. 36.U.S. Senate · New Mexico results 2026 · NBC News News report