U.S. Senate, New Mexico · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in the New Mexico U.S. Senate race?
Ben Ray Luján has the strongest record in the New Mexico U.S. Senate race. Ben Ray Luján scores 69 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Larry Marker at 59, as of October 6, 2026. Ben Ray Luján's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Larry Marker's highest marks are roots in the constituency and communication. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Ben Ray Luján
On the ballot as Ben R Lujan
69 / 100
Public evidence on 12 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 56
- Qualifications
- 80
- Performance
- 67
Republican
Larry Marker
On the ballot as Larry E Marker
59 / 100
Public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 65
- 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.
Ben Ray Luján
- On the record2022
Survived a stroke in 2022, and later helped secure $3 million for an MRI scanner at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center.
- On the record2018
Chaired the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in the 2018 cycle.
- Credit2023
Lugar Center Bipartisan Index ranked him 36th in the Senate for 2023 with a positive score.
- Credit2021-01
Voted against both January 2021 objections to the certified electors from Arizona and Pennsylvania.
Sources: GovTrack, Senate Vote 1 (117th), GovTrack, Senate Vote 2 (117th)
- Credit2009 to 2026
GovTrack counts 20 enacted bills with him as primary sponsor, including the Autism CARES Act of 2024 and the Native American Child Protection Act.
Source: GovTrack, Ben Ray Luján
Larry Marker
- On the record2026-08
Asked NMSU's Domenici Public Policy Conference to turn Luján's keynote into a debate; NMSU cited the timing of his entry into the race.
- On the record2017 to 2026
His campaign site lists about 19 suits and petitions, mostly as plaintiff against state agencies, the governor and the secretary of state; it says courts denied or dismissed most and some remain open.
Source: Campaign site, Legal Matters
- On the record2017 to 2026
Says a civil case filed against him in 2017 contributed to the bankruptcy of his oil company, and that public records show garnishments, liens, levies and judgments.
Sources: Campaign site, Legal Matters, Albuquerque Journal Candidate Q&A
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Ben Ray Luján. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, with no FEC administrative fine found. Says he does not own or trade individual stocks and supports a congressional stock trading ban.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search, Albuquerque Journal Candidate Q&A
Larry Marker. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, with no FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Ben Ray Luján. No public record found.
Larry Marker. Says he supports most of the president's policies but that the president lacks constitutional authority to levy tariffs, and that the Constitution intended to limit presidential war powers.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Ben Ray Luján. Gave the Sept. 9, 2026 keynote at NMSU's Domenici Public Policy Conference and interviews to Source NM and the Albuquerque Journal. No general election debate with Marker found.
Sources: Albuquerque Journal, Aug. 31, 2026, Source NM via Yahoo News, Sept. 11, 2026
Larry Marker. Gave interviews to Source NM and the Albuquerque Journal and has asked for a public debate with Luján. No general election debate has been scheduled.
Sources: Albuquerque Journal, Aug. 31, 2026, Source NM via Yahoo News, Sept. 11, 2026
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Ben Ray Luján. Public Regulation Commission member from 2004, U.S. representative from 2009 and senator since 2021, with no censure, reprimand or Ethics Committee finding found.
Larry Marker. No public record found.
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Ben Ray Luján. Voted Nay on the Jan. 6, 2021 objection to Arizona's electors and the Jan. 7, 2021 objection to Pennsylvania's electors. No official finding of misuse of office found.
Sources: GovTrack, Senate Vote 1 (117th), GovTrack, Senate Vote 2 (117th)
Larry Marker. No public record found.
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Ben Ray Luján. U.S. senator since January 2021, completing a full term, after six terms in the U.S. House (2009 to 2021) and the Public Regulation Commission.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Ben Ray Luján, Source NM via Yahoo News, Sept. 11, 2026
Larry Marker. Self-employed oil and gas businessman who has also worked in farming, ranching, manufacturing and construction. Has not held public office; previously ran for state land commissioner and state senate.
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Ben Ray Luján. Ranking member of the Senate Agriculture subcommittee on food and nutrition, sits on Agriculture, Budget, Commerce, Finance and Indian Affairs, and chaired the DCCC; names home health care support and a farm bill as priorities.
Sources: GovTrack, Ben Ray Luján, committees, Source NM via Yahoo News, Sept. 11, 2026
Larry Marker. Names the national debt and stabilizing Social Security as his first priorities and states positions on the border, data centers and energy in general terms.
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Ben Ray Luján. Answered the Albuquerque Journal questionnaire, gave an interview to Source NM and spoke at the Domenici Public Policy Conference.
Sources: Albuquerque Journal Candidate Q&A, Source NM via Yahoo News, Sept. 11, 2026
Larry Marker. Answered the Albuquerque Journal questionnaire, gave an interview to Source NM, publishes issue pages and holds a weekly Zoom call open to supporters.
Sources: Albuquerque Journal Candidate Q&A, Campaign site, Source NM via Yahoo News, Sept. 11, 2026
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Ben Ray Luján. Grew up on a farm in Nambé and still lives there. About 19 percent of itemized individual contributions by state in the 2025 to 2026 period came from New Mexico (FEC by-state totals).
Sources: Source NM via Yahoo News, Sept. 11, 2026, FEC contribution totals by state
Larry Marker. Born in Hobbs in 1963 and raised in Roswell, where he lives. All $27,460 of itemized individual contributions by state through June 30, 2026 came from New Mexico (FEC by-state totals).
Sources: Campaign site, Meet Larry, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Ben Ray Luján. 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
Larry Marker. 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
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Ben Ray Luján. Center for Effective Lawmaking rated him meets expectations in the 118th Congress (LES 2.0 of 0.55 against a benchmark of 0.91) and the 117th. GovTrack counts 20 enacted bills as primary sponsor, including the Native American Child Protection Act.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking Senate dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, Ben Ray Luján
Larry Marker. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Ben Ray Luján. Missed 94 of 2,544 roll call votes, 3.7 percent, from January 2009 to September 2026 (lifetime, House and Senate).
Source: GovTrack, Ben Ray Luján
Larry Marker. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Ben Ray Luján. No public record found.
Larry Marker. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Ben Ray Luján. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of 0.20157 for 2023, the latest posted Senate scores, ranked 36th, a positive score outside the top quarter.
Larry Marker. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Ben Ray Luján. No public record found.
Larry Marker. 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 the New Mexico U.S. Senate race?
Ben Ray Luján has the strongest record in the New Mexico U.S. Senate race. Ben Ray Luján scores 69 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Larry Marker at 59, as of October 6, 2026. Ben Ray Luján's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Larry Marker's highest marks are roots in the constituency and communication. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in the New Mexico U.S. Senate race in 2026?
Ben Ray Luján (Democratic, incumbent), Larry Marker (Republican). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Ben Ray Luján a good candidate for U.S. Senate?
Ben Ray Luján scores 69 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 12 of 15 criteria: character 56 of 100, qualifications 80 of 100, performance 67 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Larry Marker a good candidate for U.S. Senate?
Larry Marker scores 59 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 65 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.