2020 United States Senate election in New Mexico

The 2020 United States Senate election in New Mexico was held on November 3, 2020, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of New Mexico, concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections.

On March 25, 2019, incumbent Democratic Senator Tom Udall announced that he would retire. Udall was the only Democratic senator who did not run for reelection in 2020. Democratic U.S. Representative Ben Ray Luján defeated Mark Ronchetti by a 6.1% margin. Luján underperformed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden by 4.6%, who won the concurrent presidential election in the state against President Donald Trump by 10.8%. Luján was the first Hispanic to have won a Senate seat in New Mexico since Joseph Montoya in 1970.

Democratic primary Candidates

Nominee Ben Ray Luján, U.S. representative for New Mexico's 3rd congressional district

Withdrew Giovanni Haqani, businessman, television host, and candidate for state representative in 2016 Andrew Perkins, accountant and former Española finance director Maggie Toulouse Oliver, secretary of state of New Mexico (endorsed Ben Ray Luján)

Declined Jeff Apodaca, businessman and candidate for governor in 2018 Hector Balderas, Attorney General of New Mexico Terry Brunner, former United States Department of Agriculture regional director Pete Campos, state senator Jacob Candelaria, state senator Joe Cervantes, state senator and candidate for governor in 2018 Brian Egolf, speaker of the New Mexico House of Representatives Deb Haaland, U.S. representative (endorsed Ben Ray Luján); (running for re-election) Tim Keller, mayor of Albuquerque Michelle Lujan Grisham, Governor of New Mexico (endorsed Ben Ray Luján) Howie Morales, Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico Valerie Plame, former CIA operations officer Jeff Steinborn, state senator Xochitl Torres Small, U.S. representative Raúl Torrez, Bernalillo County district attorney (running for re-election) Tom Udall, incumbent U.S. senator (endorsed Ben Ray Luján) Alan Webber, mayor of Santa Fe

Endorsements

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error Ben RayLuján MaggieToulouse Oliver UndecidedGBAO Strategies (D)GBAO Strategies (D) April 15–18, 2019 600 (LV) ± 4.0% 64% 25% –

Results

Republican primary Candidates Nominee Mark Ronchetti, former KRQE chief meteorologist

Eliminated in primary Gavin Clarkson, former professor at New Mexico State University and nominee for New Mexico Secretary of State in 2018 Elisa Martinez, member of the Navajo Nation and executive director of the New Mexico Alliance for Life

Withdrawn Rick Montoya, businessman Mick Rich, businessman and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2018 Louie Sanchez, indoor shooting range owner

Declined Rod Adair, former state senator Richard J. Berry, former mayor of Albuquerque Kevin DuPriest, businessman, data scientist Kelly Fajardo, state representative Nate Gentry, minority leader of the New Mexico House of Representatives Michael Hendricks, attorney and nominee for Attorney General in 2018 Yvette Herrell, former state representative and nominee for New Mexico's 2nd congressional district in 2018 (Herrell is running for U.S. House of Representatives CD2) David Hyder, Valencia County Commissioner Steve Maestas, real estate developer Sarah Maestas Barnes, former state representative Susana Martinez, former governor of New Mexico Mark Moores, state senator Judith Nakamura, New Mexico Supreme Court justice Steve Pearce, chair of the New Mexico Republican Party, former U.S. representative, nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2008, and nominee for governor in 2018 John Sanchez, former lieutenant governor of New Mexico

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error GavinClarkson ElisaMartinez MarkRonchetti UndecidedPublic Opinion Strategies (R)Public Opinion Strategies (R)March 18–22, 2020400 (V)± 4.9%11%11%45% –

Results

Other candidates

Libertarian Party Nominee Bob Walsh, nuclear safety scientist

Declined Gary Johnson, former governor of New Mexico and nominee for U.S. Senate in 2018

Results

General election Debate HostDate & timeLink(s)ParticipantsBen Ray Luján (D)Mark Ronchetti (R)Bob Walsh (L)KOB4 and the Santa Fe New MexicanOctober 5, 2020

Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political Report October 29, 2020 Inside Elections October 28, 2020 Sabato's Crystal Ball November 2, 2020Daily Kos October 30, 2020PoliticoNovember 2, 2020RCPOctober 23, 2020DDHQNovember 3, 2020538November 2, 2020EconomistNovember 2, 2020

Post-primary endorsements

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error Ben RayLuján (D) MarkRonchetti (R) BobWalsh (L) UndecidedResearch & Polling Inc.Research & Polling Inc.October 23–29, 20201,180 (LV)± 2.9%52%44%3%1%GBAO Strategies (D)GBAO Strategies (D)October 14–17, 2020600 (LV)± 4.0%52%41%5%–54%43% – –Public Policy PollingPublic Policy PollingSeptember 30 – October 1, 2020886 (LV)± 3.3%51%41%3%6%Research & Polling Inc.Research & Polling Inc.August 26 – September 2, 20201,123 (LV)± 2.9%49%40%4%8%Public Policy PollingPublic Policy PollingJune 12–13, 2020740 (V)± 3.6%48%34% –18%

Ben Ray Luján vs. Gavin Clarkson Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error Ben RayLuján (D) GavinClarkson (R) UndecidedEmerson CollegeEmerson College January 3–6, 2020 967 (RV) ± 3.1% 54% 35% 12% Generic Democrat vs. generic Republican Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error GenericDemocrat GenericRepublicanGBAO Strategies (D) October 14–17, 2020 600 (LV) ± 4.0%54%42%

Results

By county

CountyBen Ray LujánDemocraticMark RonchettiRepublicanBob WalshLibertarianMarginTotalvotes#%#%#%#%Bernalillo178,88056.69128,04240.588,6062.7350,83816.11315,528Catron54323.551,69473.46692.99-1,151-49.912,306Chaves6,14327.6215,62470.254752.14-9,481-42.6322,242Cibola4,47850.484,18747.202052.312913.288,870Colfax2,54942.353,31455.061562.59-765-12.716,019Curry4,26128.5710,09467.675613.76-5,833-39.1014,916De Baca22825.2565372.31222.44-425-47.06903Doña Ana46,92057.5731,69738.892,8893.5415,22318.6881,506Eddy5,30123.2117,07974.774632.03-11,778-51.5622,843Grant7,37751.456,61046.103522.457675.3514,339Guadalupe1,24056.9689841.25391.7934215.712,177Harding15731.2134167.7950.99-184-36.58503Hidalgo79841.351,08556.22472.43-287-14.871,930Lea4,01819.6215,95077.905082.48-11,932-58.2720,476Lincoln2,91528.457,10269.312302.24-4,187-40.8610,247Los Alamos7,01857.064,86639.564153.372,15217.5012,299Luna3,42643.004,31954.212222.79-893-11.217,967McKinley17,08165.218,30431.708073.088,77733.5126,192Mora1,67462.3295735.63552.0571726.692,686Otero7,98734.2414,62762.707153.06-6,640-28.4623,329Quay1,21431.552,54366.09912.36-1,329-34.543,848Rio Arriba10,61464.045,68934.322711.634,92529.7216,574Roosevelt1,77427.164,50568.982523.86-2,731-41.826,531Sandoval37,78249.5236,66648.061,8412.411,1161.4676,289San Juan17,25033.1833,14563.761,5883.05-15,895-30.5851,983San Miguel7,81767.853,54530.771591.384,27237.0811,521Santa Fe60,43273.8719,81424.221,5631.9140,61849.6581,809Sierra2,12735.933,65361.711402.36-1,526-25.785,920Socorro3,52949.543,38447.512102.951452.037,123Taos12,89075.923,74922.083402.009,14153.8416,979Torrance2,17929.984,90467.481842.53-2,725-37.507,267Union39922.501,32374.62512.88-924-52.121,773Valencia13,34441.5318,05356.197302.27-4,709-14.6632,127 Totals474,48351.73418,48345.6224,2712.6556,0006.11917,237 Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Colfax (largest municipality: Raton) Harding (largest municipality: Roy) Hidalgo (largest municipality: Lordsburg) Luna (largest municipality: Deming) Valencia (largest municipality: Los Lunas)

By congressional district Ray Luján won two of three congressional districts.

District Ray Luján Ronchetti Representative 56% 41%Deb Haaland42%55%Xochitl Torres SmallYvette Herrell56%42%Ben Ray LujánTeresa Leger Fernandez

2020 United States Senate election in New Mexico

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