Candidate · November 3, 2026

Ben R Lujan

On the ballot for U.S. Senate · New Mexico

DEMIncumbent
raised through Oct 14, 2026
$6.5M
cash on hand
$2.8M
issues with public statements
11
outside spending for or against
$274K

§1On the ballot

Why this matters: This is exactly how the candidate appears on your ballot, from the state's official candidate list.

OfficeU.S. Senate · New Mexico1
Party on the ballotDEM1
StatusIncumbent — Currently serves as a U.S. senator from New Mexico.2
Also on the ballot

§2Who they are

Why this matters: Background and experience help you judge how someone might do the job. These come from public records and the candidate's own materials.

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

Ben Ray Luján grew up in Nambé, a farming community north of Santa Fe, New Mexico.3,4 He was director of administrative services and chief financial officer of the New Mexico Cultural Affairs Department, and later served on the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission, including as its chairman.3 He was elected to the U.S. House in 2008, represented New Mexico's 3rd Congressional District, and was House Assistant Speaker in the 116th Congress.3 He has represented New Mexico in the U.S. Senate since January 2021, and serves on the Senate committees on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; Finance; Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; Indian Affairs; and the Budget.3 He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from New Mexico Highlands University.3

Why they say they're running

Under the heading of why he is running, his campaign website says he has worked to create good-paying jobs, expand access to affordable health care and protect New Mexico's natural resources.5 The site says he is working to lower costs and to give New Mexico families access to affordable health care, strong schools and economic opportunity.5

Service in Congress since 2023

  • 2021–nowU.S. Senator, NM2

Websites and accounts

§3What they've said on the issues

Why this matters: These are positions the candidate has stated publicly — on their campaign website or in public statements — summarized in plain words with a link to where they said it. Issues they haven't spoken about publicly are left out.

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

Each issue has its own range of views. A position is marked on that range only when the candidate's own statement clearly matches one option; there is no overall left–right score.

Family and Social Policy

Food assistance (SNAP)

His campaign website says he opposed the budget that cut SNAP food assistance and is leading an effort to reverse those cuts.7

  1. Undo the 2025 changes or expand benefits and eligibility
  2. Keep the program as changed in 2025
  3. Tighten eligibility and work rules further
Marked: the option their statement matches.
Child care costs

His campaign website says he co-led the Childcare for Working Families Act, which would cap child care costs at 7% of a family's income.7

  1. Make child care free, or cap what families pay at a set share of income (such as 7%), paid for with new public funding
  2. Expand help for lower- and middle-income families through grants and tax credits
  3. Keep current child care funding and tax credits
  4. Lower costs mainly by easing rules on providers, not with new federal spending
Marked: the option their statement matches.

Health Care

ACA premium tax credits

His campaign website says that after the ACA premium tax credits expired, he led Senate Democrats in introducing a bill to extend them permanently.7

  1. Don't bring back the larger credits
  2. Instead of the larger credits, give the aid to people directly, such as deposits into health savings accounts
  3. Bring them back for a limited time, such as through 2028, with or without changes such as income limits or minimum premiums
  4. Bring back the larger credits permanently
Marked: the option their statement matches.

Social Security and Medicare

Medicare drug price negotiation

His campaign website says he helped pass the law that lets Medicare negotiate drug prices, along with caps on insulin and seniors' out-of-pocket drug costs.7

Economy, Jobs and Trade

Tariffs

His campaign website says President Trump's tariffs are raising prices for families and that he is fighting against them.4,7

Housing

Zoning and new housing

His campaign website says he helped pass the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which it describes as providing federal incentives for new housing, cheaper financing for manufactured and modular homes, and fewer regulatory hurdles.7

Energy and Climate

Clean energy tax credits

His campaign website says he helped pass clean energy tax credits and efficiency rebates and has sponsored legislation to lower energy costs.7

Technology, Privacy and AI

High-speed internet access

His campaign website says he supports infrastructure investment so that rural and Tribal communities have access to quality, affordable internet service.8

Veterans

Veterans' disability and survivor benefits

His campaign website says he is working to improve veterans' health care, expand their earned benefits, and address veteran homelessness and suicide prevention.8

Immigration

Immigration enforcement inside the country

His campaign website says he has introduced legislation to require training for ICE and CBP officers and to hold them accountable, and calls for reforms to ICE.9

Environment and Public Lands

Conservation and development on federal lands

His campaign website says he is working to preserve New Mexico's public lands and environment for future generations.4

§4Popular bills that never got a vote

Why this matters: Many bills with wide support from both parties never reach a vote, so no member of Congress is ever on record for or against them. Signing on as a sponsor or cosponsor is the only public record of support.

While Ben R Lujan served, these bills had broad support from both parties but never reached a floor vote. No officeholder ever had to vote on them. Ben R Lujan sponsored or cosponsored 27 of the 50. How bills die without a vote.

See all 50

§5Money

Why this matters: Campaigns report where their money comes from and how much they have left. Outside groups that spend on their own, without coordinating with the campaign, report that too.

Reported to the Federal Election Commission for the 2025–2026 election cycle, through October 14, 2026.60

Raised$6,460,522
Spent$4,831,038
Cash on hand$2,843,276

Where the money came from

Individual donors$3.4M · 52%
PACs and other political committees$2.1M · 32%
Transfers from the candidate's other committees$990K · 15%
Other receipts (other loans, refunds, interest)$22K · 0%

Outside spending

Groups spending independently reported $274,429 supporting and $0 opposing Ben R Lujan this cycle, primary and general combined, in the 24- and 48-hour reports the law requires for larger expenditures, filed through October 19, 2026.61

Largest independent spenders, as named in their FEC filings.
GroupSupportingOpposing
AB PAC$217,386—
WORKERS EN ACCION PAC$57,044—

Smaller expenditures that appear only on a group's regular monthly or quarterly report aren't in these totals, so the full amounts can be somewhat higher. When a group amends a report, only its latest version is counted.

§6Financial disclosures

Why this matters: Federal candidates and members of Congress must report their assets, income, debts and outside jobs, and members must report stock trades. These filings show possible conflicts of interest.

Senate candidates and senators file with the Senate's own disclosure system, which asks each visitor to agree to its terms before searching, so we can't link straight to a filing. You can search for Ben R Lujan at efdsearch.senate.gov62.