An ousted Democratic socialist challenges a Democratic Party favorite

Danielle Prokop, Source New Mexico

This article was originally published by Source New Mexico.

In the New Mexico Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, a Democratic Socialist who has been ousted from the state Democratic Party is taking on a party favorite who has represented the state in Congress for close to 20 years.

Matt Dodson hopes to unseat incumbent U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján, who is seeking his second term in the U.S. Senate, following more than a decade representing the state’s 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Dodson contends a new state law allowing independents to participate in primary elections gives him a shot to win against the long-serving incumbent.

“Now that independents can vote in the primary, that changes everything,” he said. “I cannot picture more than 10% of the independents voting for Ben Ray Luján. They are independents for a reason, because they’re fed up with both parties.”

According to the most recent Secretary of State data, just over 26% of registered voters identify as “decline to state” or independent voters. Democrats have the most registered voters at 40.5%; Republicans have 31.3% and 2% are listed as “other,” or minor party members.

In 2020, when Luján first ran for U.S. Senate, he did not face a primary election opponent. In the general election, he received 52% of the vote against challenger Republican Mark Ronchetti, who took 46%. Libertarian Bob Walsh garnered 3%.

The winner of this year’s Democratic primary will face write-in Republican candidate Larry Marker, an oil and gas businessman from Hobbs who has run unsuccessfully for commissioner of public lands and state senate seats.

Source NM posed several questions to both candidates about their races. Their answers have been edited for clarity and concision.

Matt Dodson

Matt Dodson, a former vehicle mechanic for the U.S. Air Force, is originally from Chadron, Nebraska, has lived in Farmington for 35 years and currently works as a landlord.

Dodson, 62, has never held public office, but has campaigned unsuccessfully for positions in the New Mexico state Senate, New Mexico House of Representatives and twice for mayor of Farmington, as an Independent and Democrat.

“I just keep running for office, because we need change, and it’s becoming more and more evident how much we need it,” Dodson said. “I’m going to keep doing this, I have no problem bringing the issues that need to be discussed to the fore.

Last year, the New Mexico Democratic Party leadership “permanently suspended” Dodson from the state party following a dispute with a county chair and subsequent ethics probe.

Dodson said he’s aiming to push the race further on the issues of taxation, climate and healthcare, and that he’s a stronger candidate than Luján because of his strong opposition to the United States’ positions on the wars in Gaza and Iran.

“There’s a lot somebody can do, and he’s doing nothing,” Dodson said of Luján.

What is the most important issue facing New Mexicans?

The overall reaching issue is wealth inequality, which leads to so many other negatives: homelessness, joblessness, drug addiction, the crime rates, etc.

The lack of healthcare, the lack of clinics in rural communities, that affects everything. If we tax the rich, then we have the money for good-paying jobs and building out what’s needed in New Mexico. We’re a top state for solar, we’ve got wind corridors, geothermal potential — we should be a leader in renewable energy.

If elected, what would be the first legislation you would introduce in Congress?

Well, I have three: universal healthcare, get money out of politics and tax the rich.

What is the strongest skill that makes you the most effective choice for voters?

I take on injustice everywhere I see it. I am really good at coming up with problem-solving and new ideas.

Why are you challenging incumbent Ben Ray Luján?

Because the Democratic Party will absolutely not let anyone else challenge an incumbent, corporatist, legacy last name Democrat. With everything that is going on in the country, I cannot sit idle, so I had to do it. It needs to be done. I think every incumbent should be primaried.

How is the Trump administration impacting New Mexico and the U.S. more broadly?

The Trump administration is a rogue organization. U.S. [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] is destroying communities and needs to be abolished immediately.

[President Donald Trump’s] concentration is spending our money on war and the military, which is enriching billionaires even further, even as he openly is going to cut Medicare, Medicaid and other social services. It’s ridiculous. He’s out of control, and nobody is standing up to him.

Can you say more about what you would do to address healthcare for New Mexicans? 

Too many people do not have jobs providing healthcare so too many New Mexicans do not have healthcare. We need universal healthcare so that everybody has healthcare, and clinics, hospitals and rural communities that are serving such a large low-income population have a steady income stream; otherwise they can’t keep doctors, they can’t upgrade their facilities, if they can keep their doors open at all. And universal healthcare solves all of that.

U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján

Ben Ray Luján, born in Nambe, was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2020. Before that, he served for six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives for New Mexico’s 3rd Congressional District, and held the assistant speakership in 2019. His late father, Ben Luján Sr., served for 37 years in the New Mexico state Legislature, including as house speaker.

In the U.S. Senate, Luján sits on the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation; the Committee on Finance; the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; the Committee on Indian Affairs; and the Committee on the Budget.

He said one of his greatest achievements was passing legislation last year to expand compensation for New Mexicans exposed to nuclear radiation, an issue he has worked on since he was first elected to Congress.

Luján, who survived a stroke in 2022, told Source NM that he’s “more than healthy” enough for a second term, adding that he ran a 10k for the first time in 2026.

“The healthcare challenges that I’ve gone through — surviving a stroke and translating that to the importance of access to healthcare [is] part of listening,” Luján said, “translating the stories and challenges from folks back home and doing something about it to make things better.”

At 53, he’s one of the youngest U.S. senators.

What is the most important issue facing New Mexicans?

One of them is access to food. There’s always been a compromise between Democrats and Republicans when we work on the Farm Bill to ensure that there will be access to food in America, namely the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. This president, for the first time ever, eliminated federal dollars for SNAP and I’m very proud that my colleagues have entrusted me to lead the effort to reverse those cuts.

If reelected, what is the first legislation you would introduce in Congress?

One of the first pieces of legislation that I would introduce in the next Congress would be bringing attention to the fact that there are very few programs, if any, that provide support for elder care. We need to look at reforming Medicare as well, to deliver the promise of whole health. And what I mean by that is including vision, dental and hearing coverage in Medicare.

What is the strongest skill that makes you the most effective choice for voters?

New Mexico is who I am, through and through. Everything I can do to share the stories of the people I’m so proud to represent and translate to policy and make things better back home is what I do. I’m a good listener, I’m available, I’m there in the community. Whether it’s at the grocery store, and after church — not during church — let’s sit down and chat, at a ball game, a round table and town hall.

How do you respond  to critics who say the Democratic Party is not mounting effective enough resistance to President Donald Trump’s policies?

I think everyone can do better, including the Democratic Party, in holding Donald Trump accountable. I stand by standing up to bullies. Any time the president has gone after New Mexicans, our priorities, projects, constituents, I’ve been absolutely vocal, whether it’s to secretaries in the administration, or the nonsense that this president is pulling.

I’m leading legislative efforts against the ridiculous policies from the president and U.S. secretary of agriculture that have torn at our access to food programs. Wherever it is I can stand up to the president, I am and will continue to do so.

How is the Trump administration impacting New Mexico and the U.S. more broadly?

Beyond the cuts to healthcare and food, this president continues to go after our public lands, and goes after the notion of having access to safe drinking water and air that we can breathe by ignoring the climate crisis as well.

I mean it’s one assault after another that comes from this administration, including making it harder for Head Start teachers to get paid; causing confusion on research grants that go to places like the University of New Mexico to study brain health, to help survivors of stroke or dementia; and funds for rural health clinics.

Can you say more about what you would do to address healthcare for New Mexicans? 

New Mexico needs to have access to the best doctors, the best providers in the most affordable way. You’ve got to get more people covered.

There is devastation that’s to come from Donald Trump’s assault on Medicaid programs, as many people in New Mexico depend on the important program. Another very big concern is that many rural health clinics will close in New Mexico because of the elimination of federal Medicaid tax dollars as well. I’ve led efforts, including working on legislation with colleagues, to reverse those Medicaid cuts.

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