Legislative season and campaign season collide

Danielle Prokop, Source New Mexico

This article was originally published by Source New Mexico.

Mid-January marked the start of the legislative season, with the 30-day finance-focused session, which began Tuesday, Jan. 20. Lawmakers and lobbyists will descend on the capital city to build the budget. But crucial election deadlines sit just around the corner. Candidates must declare by Feb. 3 if they wish to participate in New Mexico’s June 2 primary and Nov. 3 midterm elections.

Here’s an overview of campaign activity in the first few weeks of 2026.

Campaign finance and more in the U.S. Congressional races

New Mexico’s three members in the U.S. House of Representatives, all Democrats, each face challengers in the 2026 elections.

In Congressional District 1, which spans from Albuquerque east to Santa Rosa, incumbent Melanie Stansbury thus far will campaign against two Republican challengers: Steve Jones, a former accountant who’s run for congressional seats several times; and Ndidiamaka “Didi” Okpareke, a Rio Rancho pharmacist.

Gabe Vasquez represents Congressional District 2, which covers southern New Mexico along the border, up to the western part of the state and a slice of Albuquerque’s South Valley.

Democratic Socialist Tom Wakely, an Air Force veteran and peace activist in Deming who ran an unsuccessful 2024 campaign as a Green Party member for the U.S. Senate, is challenging Vasquez in the Democratic primary.

So far three Republican challengers have thrown in their names for the swing district (Vasquez held on to his seat in 2024 against a challenge from its former representative, Republican Yvette Herrell).

Those Republican candidates are: Eddy Aragon, a conservative talk radio host and former Albuquerque mayoral candidate; Greg Cunningham, marine veteran, former detective and two-time state legislative candidate; and Jose Orozco, a former contractor with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and unsuccessful two-time state representative candidate.

Congressional District 3, which spans the state’s northern half and runs along a stretch of its eastern border, is represented by incumbent Teresa Ledger Fernández. She is so far facing one challenger: Republican Rep. Martin Zamora, who was first elected as a state lawmaker in 2019.

In the U.S. Senate, no one has filed yet to challenge Democratic incumbent Ben Ray Luján, who has more than $3.1 million cash on hand, according to federal campaign documents. A “Toby Smith,” from the “Jewish/Christian National Party” — which has no online presence —  filed to run for the seat in October, but with erroneous information (such as using the address from Walter White’s “Breaking Bad” home). The Federal Election Commission already sent a notice to Smith that the filing did not contain a checking account for any campaign donations, which could open an audit or further enforcement.

Forward Party leaders say they’re moving … forward.

Leaders of the New Mexico arm of the Forward Party told Source NM last week they have gathered enough signatures to qualify as a minor party in the state, and also endorsed two Democratic candidates.

The Forward Party — founded by Democrat Andrew Yang after an unsuccessful bid in the 2020 presidential election and former Republican Gov. Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey — posits itself as a centrist party focused on a return to civil politics and improving U.S. democracy.

Deb Haaland announces education platform

One gubernatorial candidate hit the halls of her former high school earlier last week to announce her education platform, which received endorsements from teacher’s unions.

Former U.S. Interior Secretary and U.S. Congresswoman Deb Haaland, who is running in the June 2 Democratic primary, promoted her ideas to bolster outdoor learning for K-12 kids, expanding trade pathways in middle schools, continuing universal pre-k and bilingual education and backed by chairs of the House and Senate Education committees, and Picuris Pueblo leadership.

Haaland said she will announce platform policies on affordability, health care and public safety  in the coming weeks. Other candidates in the race include former Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima and Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman.

Danielle Prokop covers the environment and local government for Source New Mexico.