The Las Cruces Democrat defeated Republican Julia Ruiz with nearly 60% of the vote and says affordability, health care and water will guide his return to Santa Fe.

Damien Willis, Organ Mountain News

LAS CRUCES - Democratic Rep. Nathan Small won a sixth term representing New Mexico House District 36 on Tuesday, defeating Republican challenger Julia E. Ruiz by more than 2,200 votes.

Unofficial results from the New Mexico secretary of state's office showed Small receiving 6,918 votes, or 59.7%, compared with 4,666 votes, or 40.3%, for Ruiz.

Small's margin was 2,252 votes out of 11,584 cast in the Doña Ana County district. The figures come from the secretary of state's election results export downloaded at 9:28 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4.

Small, a former Las Cruces city councilor and conservationist, has represented District 36 since 2017. His reelection gives him another two-year term in the state House, where he chairs the powerful House Appropriations and Finance Committee.

Small outlines priorities for next term

In a written statement emailed to Organ Mountain News at 10:58 p.m. Tuesday, Small said conversations with voters had reinforced his priorities for the legislative session beginning in January.

"At doors across Las Cruces and Doña Ana County, I heard the same things again and again. People are worried about the cost of housing, groceries, and utilities. They want to be able to see a doctor when they get sick and to feel safe in their neighborhoods. And they want to know there will be enough water for our kids and grandkids," Small said.

"Those are the priorities I’m bringing back to Santa Fe in January. With Washington cutting Medicaid and driving up costs, New Mexico has to step up. I’ll keep fighting for a budget that does just that."

Small's remarks underscore the role he expects the state budget to play in addressing affordability, health care access and water security.

In a pre-election questionnaire published by Source New Mexico, Small identified the state budget as his first priority for 2027.

As chairman of the House Appropriations and Finance Committee, Small helped guide the state's 2026 budget legislation. He and Democratic Rep. Meredith Dixon sponsored the budget bill, which passed both chambers and was signed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in March after she vetoed portions of it.

Ruiz campaigned on crime, taxes and economic opportunity

Ruiz, a Las Cruces office manager and New Mexico State University graduate, challenged Small with a platform emphasizing public safety, government accountability and economic opportunity.

In Source New Mexico's candidate questionnaire, Ruiz identified crime and homelessness as the district's most pressing issues. She said her first priority in 2027 would be evaluating state programs based on their results.

In a separate questionnaire published by the Albuquerque Journal, Ruiz called for expanded skilled-trades training, lower taxes for working families and fewer regulatory obstacles for small businesses.

The candidates also offered different perspectives on economic development in southern New Mexico.

Small told Source New Mexico that Project Jupiter, the proposed data center development in Santa Teresa, should be subject to safeguards protecting local water supplies and residents' utility bills.

Ruiz told the League of Women Voters of Southern New Mexico that major economic development projects should provide tangible benefits to district residents as well as investors.

On health care, Ruiz favored incentives to attract doctors and nurses to southern New Mexico and expanding treatment for addiction and mental illness.

The election returns give Small another term representing the district as lawmakers prepare for the 2027 legislative session.

Organ Mountain News also contacted Ruiz for comment, but she had not responded by the time of publication.

The election results remain unofficial until certified by the state.

Damien Willis is founder and editor of Organ Mountain News. If you have a personal story to share or a lead we should follow up on, reach out at OrganMountainNews@gmail.com or connect with him on X at @damienwillis.