U.S. House, New Mexico 3rd Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in New Mexico's 3rd Congressional District?
Teresa Leger Fernández has the strongest record in New Mexico's 3rd Congressional District. Teresa Leger Fernández scores 63 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Martin Zamora at 60, as of October 6, 2026. Teresa Leger Fernández's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Martin Zamora's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Teresa Leger Fernández
On the ballot as Teresa Leger Fernandez
63 / 100
Public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 44
- Qualifications
- 85
- Performance
- 56
Republican
Martin Zamora
60 / 100
Public evidence on 10 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 70
- Performance
- NR
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Teresa Leger Fernández
- Mark against2021-01 to 2022-12
Reported a Jan. 20, 2021 stock sale on a periodic transaction report signed Dec. 7, 2022, about 23 months after the trade, past the STOCK Act's 45-day deadline; an aide cited an electronic error.
Sources: House Clerk periodic transaction report, Filing ID 20011775, Santa Fe New Mexican via Yahoo News, Sept. 2026
- On the record2022
After the U.S. Forest Service-caused Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon fire, she and Sen. Luján secured $5.45 billion for victim compensation, by her account; $3.9 billion had been paid.
- On the recordbefore 2020
Was registered as a lobbyist with the state Legislature for 18 years while working as an attorney for tribes, per her opponent's ad and her spokesperson's response.
- Credit2021-01
Voted against both January 2021 objections to certified electors.
- Credit2021 to 2026
GovTrack counts three enacted bills with her as primary sponsor.
Source: GovTrack, Teresa Leger Fernandez
Martin Zamora
- On the record2026-09
Ran a TV ad calling his opponent's 2021 stock trade disclosure hidden; Santa Fe New Mexican found the charge had hints of truth but was nuanced.
- On the record2026
Declined interview requests from Source NM and the Albuquerque Journal for their general election profiles while agreeing to an Oct. 30 debate.
Sources: Source NM via Yahoo News, Oct. 1, 2026, Albuquerque Journal, Oct. 4, 2026
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Teresa Leger Fernández. Reported a January 20, 2021 sale of $15,001 to $50,000 in Golub Capital BDC stock on a periodic transaction report signed Dec. 7, 2022, nearly two years past the 45-day deadline; an aide attributed the delay to an electronic error.
Sources: House Clerk periodic transaction report, Filing ID 20011775, Santa Fe New Mexican via Yahoo News, Sept. 2026
Martin Zamora. A 2026 candidate financial disclosure is on file with the House Clerk (filed Sept. 10, 2026) and campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10082825, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Teresa Leger Fernández. No public record found.
Martin Zamora. The Albuquerque Journal reports that as a state legislator he has occasionally broken with Republicans.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Teresa Leger Fernández. Agreed to an Oct. 30, 2026 debate hosted by the Albuquerque Journal and gave interviews to the Journal and Source NM.
Sources: Albuquerque Journal, Oct. 4, 2026, Source NM via Yahoo News, Oct. 1, 2026
Martin Zamora. Agreed to an Oct. 30, 2026 debate hosted by the Albuquerque Journal; declined interview requests from the Journal and Source NM.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Teresa Leger Fernández. U.S. representative since 2021 after a career as a public interest lawyer and White House fellow. No censure, reprimand or House Ethics Committee report found.
Martin Zamora. State representative for District 63 since January 2019 and an agricultural business owner. No censure or formal conduct finding found.
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Teresa Leger Fernández. Voted Nay on both January 2021 objections to certified electors (Roll Calls 10 and 11). No official finding of misuse of office found.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021
Martin Zamora. Took the oath as a state representative in 2019. No official finding of misuse of office and no action to reject certified election results found.
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Teresa Leger Fernández. U.S. representative for the 3rd District since January 2021, in her third term.
Sources: GovTrack, Teresa Leger Fernandez, Source NM via Yahoo News, Oct. 1, 2026
Martin Zamora. State representative since January 2019, re-elected unopposed twice, and a farmer and rancher with agricultural businesses in Curry, Torrance and Socorro counties.
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Teresa Leger Fernández. Ranking member of the Natural Resources subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs and of the Rules subcommittee on Legislative and Budget Process; names housing, water rights settlement and rural health bills as priorities.
Sources: GovTrack, Teresa Leger Fernandez, committees, Source NM via Yahoo News, Oct. 1, 2026
Martin Zamora. Campaign site lists priorities on agriculture and water rights, jobs and crime and drug trafficking in general terms.
Source: Campaign site
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Teresa Leger Fernández. Gave interviews to Source NM and the Albuquerque Journal, offers a constituent newsletter and agreed to a televised debate.
Sources: Office site, Albuquerque Journal, Oct. 4, 2026
Martin Zamora. Publishes priorities on his campaign site and agreed to a televised debate; did not respond to Source NM or Journal interview requests.
Sources: Campaign site, Source NM via Yahoo News, Oct. 1, 2026
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Teresa Leger Fernández. A native of Las Vegas, New Mexico, where she grew up. About 59 percent of itemized individual contributions by state in 2025 to 2026 came from New Mexico (FEC by-state totals).
Sources: Albuquerque Journal, Oct. 4, 2026, FEC contribution totals by state
Martin Zamora. Born on a farm near Clovis, from a family in eastern New Mexico since before statehood. About 97 percent of itemized individual contributions by state came from New Mexico (FEC by-state totals).
Sources: Albuquerque Journal, Oct. 4, 2026, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Teresa Leger Fernández. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Martin Zamora. Owns agricultural businesses with his wife. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC with no administrative fine found.
Sources: Albuquerque Journal, Oct. 4, 2026, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Teresa Leger Fernández. Center for Effective Lawmaking rated her meets expectations in the 118th Congress (LES 2.0 of 0.67 against a benchmark of 0.53). GovTrack counts three enacted bills as primary sponsor.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, Teresa Leger Fernandez
Martin Zamora. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Teresa Leger Fernández. Missed 107 of 2,915 roll call votes, 3.7 percent, from January 2021 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, Teresa Leger Fernandez
Martin Zamora. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Teresa Leger Fernández. Keeps district offices in Santa Fe, Clovis and Gallup and a Las Vegas office by appointment.
Source: Office site
Martin Zamora. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Teresa Leger Fernández. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of minus 0.92652 for 2023, the latest posted House scores, ranked 315th, a negative score outside the bottom quarter.
Martin Zamora. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Teresa Leger Fernández. No public record found.
Martin Zamora. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 6, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in New Mexico's 3rd Congressional District?
Teresa Leger Fernández has the strongest record in New Mexico's 3rd Congressional District. Teresa Leger Fernández scores 63 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Martin Zamora at 60, as of October 6, 2026. Teresa Leger Fernández's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Martin Zamora's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in New Mexico's 3rd Congressional District in 2026?
Teresa Leger Fernández (Democratic, incumbent), Martin Zamora (Republican). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Teresa Leger Fernández a good candidate for Congress?
Teresa Leger Fernández scores 63 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria: character 44 of 100, qualifications 85 of 100, performance 56 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Martin Zamora a good candidate for Congress?
Martin Zamora scores 60 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 10 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 70 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every New Mexico race scored, the trailing candidate's path to victory, and the New Mexico 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.