Photo: nmlegis.govNM · Officeholder
DState Representative · District 65
On the ballot Nov 3, 2026: New Mexico House District 65
Derrick Lente is a Democratic state representative from New Mexico who has represented House District 65 since 2017 and is seeking re-election in the November 3, 2026 general election.[1][2] He is a business owner with a law degree from the University of New Mexico.[1]
Lente graduated from Bernalillo High School, earned a B.A. in intercultural communications and English from the University of New Mexico, and received his J.D. from the University of New Mexico School of Law.[1] His professional experience includes working as a small businessman and as a professor and visiting professor at several universities across the country.[1]
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.
Derrick Lente is on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot for New Mexico House District 65 as D. Not researched in depth — candidate list only.
Their recorded votes on bills that divided the chamber (unanimous votes left out), grouped by topic. A bill can sit under more than one topic. "With" and "against" compare each vote with how most Democrats voted. How topics are assigned
Most contested
Creates a trust fund, with no initial appropriation, for children born in New Mexico since Jan. 1, 2025, for education, housing, business or retirement if they remain lifelong residents, obtain a high school equivalency credential and take a financial literacy course; exempts payouts from state income tax; creates a planning task force.
Mar 15, 2025 · Passed 38–26 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Paid Family & Medical Leave Act
As passed by the House, creates the Welcome Child and Family Wellness Leave Act: up to six weeks of paid family or medical leave within a 12-week limit per rolling 12 months, funded by employee and employer contributions, plus a $9,000 payment per child at birth or adoption.
Feb 28, 2025 · Passed 38–31 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Creates a 0.28 percent surtax on certain oil products when West Texas crude averages $55 or more a barrel, cuts the natural gas emergency school tax from 4 to 3.9 percent, and replaces the working families tax credit with an earned income tax credit.
Mar 15, 2025 · Passed 40–27 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Most contested
Bars New Mexico public bodies from entering, extending or renewing agreements to detain people for federal civil immigration violations or to let local officers perform federal immigration functions, and requires existing such agreements to end at the earliest permitted date.
Jan 30, 2026 · Passed 40–29 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Extreme Risk Firearm Protection Order Changes
Lets law enforcement officers file petitions for extreme risk firearm protection orders based on information gathered in their official duties, and requires a person served with such an order to give up firearms immediately.
Feb 25, 2025 · Passed 41–27 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Sealing of Certain Court Records
Requires courts to seal eviction case records once an eviction case is filed, lets landlords seek unsealing at least 15 days after winning possession, requires resealing within three years, limits access to parties, court staff and authorized attorneys, and says tenants need not disclose sealed records.
Mar 10, 2025 · Passed 38–25 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Most contested
Distribution System and Electrification Plans
Requires electric utilities to file distribution system plans and beneficial electrification plans with the Public Regulation Commission, and lets them recover related costs; the committee amendment removes the proposed virtual power plant program.
Mar 8, 2025 · Passed 36–23 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Public Utility Rate Structures
Lets the Public Regulation Commission approve utility rates and programs that reduce the burden of energy costs on low-income customers.
Feb 25, 2025 · Passed 42–25 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Geothermal Projects Development Fund
Widens the types of entities that can receive grants from the geothermal projects development fund to include others in a competitive bidding process; the committee amendment removed the bill's $20 million appropriation.
Mar 6, 2025 · Passed 35–23 · against most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Most contested
Creates a trust fund, with no initial appropriation, for children born in New Mexico since Jan. 1, 2025, for education, housing, business or retirement if they remain lifelong residents, obtain a high school equivalency credential and take a financial literacy course; exempts payouts from state income tax; creates a planning task force.
Mar 15, 2025 · Passed 38–26 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Allowable Responses to Student Behavior
As passed by the House, bans chemical, mechanical and prone restraint in public schools, limits seclusion to supervised confinement during imminent serious harm, allows physical restraint only when a student endangers self or others and lesser steps fail, and requires staff training and approved behavior plans.
Feb 27, 2025 · Passed 40–26 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Graduate Scholarship Act Changes
Changes the Graduate Scholarship Act to require New Mexico residency and a bachelor's degree with a 3.0 GPA, prioritize students from groups underrepresented in graduate education, drop citizenship requirements, and cap awards at the full cost of tuition and fees instead of $7,200 a year.
Mar 1, 2025 · Passed 40–25 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Most contested
Reporting of Induced Abortions
Repeals the requirement that induced abortions performed in New Mexico be reported to the state registrar within five days.
Feb 16, 2026 · Passed 39–27 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Paid Family & Medical Leave Act
As passed by the House, creates the Welcome Child and Family Wellness Leave Act: up to six weeks of paid family or medical leave within a 12-week limit per rolling 12 months, funded by employee and employer contributions, plus a $9,000 payment per child at birth or adoption.
Feb 28, 2025 · Passed 38–31 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Prohibit Discrimination Against 340b Entities
Bars drug manufacturers and their agents or affiliates from restricting the acquisition or delivery of 340B discounted drugs to contract pharmacies of federally qualified health centers and look-alikes, interfering with those pharmacies dispensing, or requiring the centers to submit claims or utilization data.
Mar 15, 2025 · Passed 36–28 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Most contested
Requires mobile home park owners to notify residents and the Mortgage Finance Authority of an offer they intend to accept, giving residents a chance to buy first if 51 percent signal intent within 75 days and secure financing within 90 more.
Mar 17, 2025 · Passed 37–26 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Housing Discrimination & Human Rights Act
As passed by the House, adds source of income, including wages, Social Security and housing vouchers, as a protected category in the Human Rights Act, treats screening that omits some income sources as discrimination, and sends public and housing accommodation complaints to the Attorney General.
Mar 1, 2025 · Passed 42–24 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Regulated Child Care Zoning Requirements
Bars local zoning rules, fees and taxes that treat child care homes differently from private residences, allows licensed child care centers by right in commercial, mixed-use and multifamily zones, and limits homeowner association rules and fees that apply only to child care homes.
Feb 17, 2026 · Passed 41–23 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Most contested
Motor Vehicle Code "Personal Info
Adds sex, gender identity, immigration status and national origin to the Motor Vehicle Code's definition of personal information, making them confidential.
Feb 18, 2026 · Passed 37–24 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Require Bicycle Stops for Safety
Lets bicyclists treat red lights as stop signs and stop signs as yield signs: proceed through a red light after stopping if safe, and pass a stop sign without stopping if no one is approaching. Takes effect July 1, 2025.
Mar 17, 2025 · Passed 39–27 · against most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Sets rules for automated license plate readers, barring sharing of data a user reasonably believes may be used for immigration enforcement or to investigate or prosecute protected health care activity, requiring use reporting, and allowing civil enforcement by the attorney general and district attorneys.
Feb 17, 2026 · Passed 42–22 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Most contested
Motor Vehicle Code "Personal Info
Adds sex, gender identity, immigration status and national origin to the Motor Vehicle Code's definition of personal information, making them confidential.
Feb 18, 2026 · Passed 37–24 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Sets rules for automated license plate readers, barring sharing of data a user reasonably believes may be used for immigration enforcement or to investigate or prosecute protected health care activity, requiring use reporting, and allowing civil enforcement by the attorney general and district attorneys.
Feb 17, 2026 · Passed 42–22 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Requires hotels, restaurants, theaters and other public accommodations to turn on closed captioning on TVs in public areas, with civil penalties of $1, $50 and $250 for first, second and third violations, and lets people harmed by violations sue.
Feb 19, 2025 · Passed 41–19 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Voted against most of their party on 6 of 71 party-divided votes on file.
Most often on: Rights & public safety (2), Climate & energy (2), Jobs & cost of living (1)
Legislative Compensation, Ca
What it does: Proposes a constitutional amendment setting legislators' pay at New Mexico's annual median household income, adjusted as that income changes, effective for members of the Fifty-Ninth Legislature if voters approve.
Voted no · most Democrats voted yes · Democrats 41–2, Republicans 0–24
Feb 13, 2026Official record ↗
State Fairgrounds District Act
What it does: Creates the State Fairgrounds District, a new governmental body with authority over planning, construction, redevelopment or demolition at the State Fairgrounds and nearby property, drawing on tax increment and redeve…
Voted no · most Democrats voted yes · Democrats 38–3, Republicans 1–23
Mar 21, 2025Official record ↗
Require Bicycle Stops for Safety
What it does: Lets bicyclists treat red lights as stop signs and stop signs as yield signs: proceed through a red light after stopping if safe, and pass a stop sign without stopping if no one is approaching. Takes effect July 1, 2025.
Voted no · most Democrats voted yes · Democrats 38–2, Republicans 1–25
Mar 17, 2025Official record ↗
Game Commission Reform
What it does: Renames the Department of Game and Fish the Department of Wildlife, changes how Game Commission members are chosen and removed, and raises most hunting and fishing license fees, including a $90 nonresident hunting lic…
Voted no · most Democrats voted yes · Democrats 40–3, Republicans 2–23
Mar 12, 2025Official record ↗
Rename "Juvenile Corrections Act
What it does: As passed by the House, renames the Juvenile Community Corrections Act the Juvenile Community Connections Act, extends short-term juvenile commitments from one year to 15 months and long-term from two years to 27 mont…
Voted no · most Democrats voted yes · Democrats 34–3, Republicans 0–21
Mar 8, 2025Official record ↗
The votes in their chamber that came out closest and most divided by party, among those they voted on. How we rank
With most of their party · Passed 38–26 · Yes 38–No 26 · Democrats 38–0, Republicans 0–26
Mar 15, 2025Official record ↗
Reporting of Induced Abortions
With most of their party · Passed 39–27 · Yes 39–No 27 · Democrats 39–1, Republicans 0–26
Feb 16, 2026Official record ↗
Allowable Responses to Student Behavior
With most of their party · Passed 40–26 · Yes 40–No 26 · Democrats 40–0, Republicans 0–26
Feb 27, 2025Official record ↗
Motor Vehicle Code "Personal Info
With most of their party · Passed 37–24 · Yes 37–No 24 · Democrats 37–0, Republicans 0–24
Feb 18, 2026Official record ↗
Paid Family & Medical Leave Act
With most of their party · Passed 38–31 · Yes 38–No 31 · Democrats 38–5, Republicans 0–26
Feb 28, 2025Official record ↗
With most of their party · Passed 40–27 · Yes 40–No 27 · Democrats 40–1, Republicans 0–26
Mar 15, 2025Official record ↗
Public Peace, Health, Safety & Welfare
With most of their party · Passed 41–26 · Yes 41–No 26 · Democrats 41–0, Republicans 0–26
Feb 17, 2026Official record ↗
Public Peace, Health, Safety & Welfare
With most of their party · Passed 41–26 · Yes 41–No 26 · Democrats 41–0, Republicans 0–26
Mar 17, 2025Official record ↗
Substantive votes concern legislation or nominations; procedural votes concern how the chamber considers them. A Yes vote applies to the motion shown, which may not be final passage.
Motion: FINAL PASSAGE
Defines "structure" for burglary and aggravated burglary as a protected space enclosed enough to confine people or property and carrying an expectation of privacy, which may include a partially enclosed extension of a dwelling.
Motion: FINAL PASSAGE
Appropriates about $11.9 million in FY27 to local governments, including Torrance County and Estancia, for revenue lost under the law barring local governments' new contracts with private immigration detention facilities, plus $9.7 million (FY26) and $24 million (FY27) to state agencies.
Motion: FINAL PASSAGE
Requests the Legislative Finance Committee to study options for extending health insurance to all public higher education educators and graduate student employees, with results requested by October 1, 2026.
Motion: FINAL PASSAGE
Invites state agencies, including Game and Fish, the State Land Office and Agriculture, to join an insect identification and education workshop run by UNM's Wild Friends Program and the Xerces Society, and share insect education materials.
Motion: FINAL PASSAGE
Repeals the scheduled July 1, 2026 end of the spay and neuter program fee on registered pet food, so the fee continues to be collected.
Motion: FINAL PASSAGE
Decouples corporate income tax from three 2025 federal provisions from 2027, creates credits for local news organizations, local news printers and physicians, adds a gross receipts deduction for affordable multifamily housing construction, extends the high-wage jobs credit, and funds a 1 percent pay raise.
Motion: FINAL PASSAGE
Authorizes the State Fairgrounds District to issue revenue bonds with up to $92 million in net proceeds, repaid from state gross receipts and gaming tax revenue attributable to economic activity within the district.
Motion: FINAL PASSAGE
Bars prior authorization and step therapy for drugs treating serious mental illness, bars repeat prior authorization for chronic maintenance drugs for three years, deems drug requests approved if not decided within three business days, and covers certain pharmacy benefit managers, starting Jan. 1, 2027.
Motion: FINAL PASSAGE
Requires approved driver's education courses, starting Jan. 1, 2027, to include at least three hours on driving around vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, roadside workers, people riding or leading animals and riders of less-protected vehicles, with the Transportation Department setting standards.
Motion: FINAL PASSAGE
Proposes a constitutional amendment to remove the requirement that school elections be held at different times from partisan elections, for voters to decide.
Showing 10 of 222 votes in this collection. Coverage may be incomplete; each entry links to the official record.