The Santa Fe Democrat also said he will not seek another term as Senate majority leader next year.

Joshua Bowling, Source New Mexico

This article was originally published by Source New Mexico.

New Mexico state Sen. Peter Wirth (D-Santa Fe) announced on Tuesday he won’t seek his leadership position again for next year’s legislative session, nor will he seek a sixth term in 2028.

Wirth, who has served in the state Senate since 2009 after a stint in the state House of Representatives and has served as majority floor leader for 10 years, in a statement said he decided not to seek re-election to his leadership position or Senate seat because it was “the right moment” to pass the torch.

“I have always believed that strong institutions outlast any individual leader, and that one of the most important things a leader can do is prepare the ground for what comes next,” he said. “The New Mexico Senate Democratic Caucus has never been stronger. This is the right moment to make way for a new Majority Leader, not because the work is done, but because the work must continue, and continue well.”

The state Senate Democratic Caucus will elect a new majority floor leader before the next legislative session begins in January of 2027. Wirth’s Senate term expires in late 2028.

Wirth’s statement attributed his legislative successes to an eight-year “collaborative relationship with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Lt. Gov. Howie Morales.”

He pointed to his achievements with water and the environment, particularly the passage of Senate Bill 21 in 2025, which created a state program to regulate water quality, and Senate Bill 1 in 2023, which established the Regional Water Resiliency Act.

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Wirth also played a key role in leading legislative efforts regarding behavioral health infrastructure, creating state trust funds and expanding early childhood programs. He also was instrumental in repealing the state’s 1960s-era statute that criminalized abortion.

In a statement, his GOP counterpart Senate Republican Leader Bill Sharer (R-Farmington), said he was “grateful for the time I have had working alongside” him.

“Sen. Wirth and I have not always agreed, and we never pretended otherwise. But from my first day in this role, he treated me and our caucus with respect, and I hope I returned the same,” Sharer wrote. “That kind of relationship does not happen by accident. It takes two people who care more about doing the job right than scoring points, and Sen. Wirth has always been that kind of leader.”

Sharer added that he believed their friction was often productive.

“What we demonstrated together is that you can fight hard for what you believe in, disagree openly and honestly, and still find a way to move the state forward,” he said. “That is what the people of New Mexico sent us here to do, and I am proud of the way we did it. I am grateful for the time I have had working alongside him, and I look forward to continuing to work with him as a colleague in the Senate.”

New Mexico House Speaker Javier Martínez (D-Albuquerque) also issued a statement following the announcement, describing Wirth as a “thoughtful, collaborative, and dedicated public servant, who has always put the needs of New Mexicans first.” Wirth’s decision to “open up his leadership role to the next generation during his final term in office reflects his steadfast commitment to doing what’s right for the people of our state,” he said.

Martínez’s statement also said that while Wirth’s “leadership, kindness, and humor will be sorely missed throughout the Capitol, his “legacy will live on for many decades to come. Whether they realize it or not, New Mexicans’ lives are better today because of the policies and investments he has championed over the past 20 years to protect our land and water, improve fairness in our tax code, safeguard New Mexicans’ human rights, and expand access to educational and economic opportunities statewide.”

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State Sen. Linda López (D-Albuquerque), with a laugh, recalled to Source NM how Wirth served as her vice chair on the Senate Rules Committee when he was first elected. The two have worked closely in the nearly 20 years he’s served in the Senate, notably on repealing the ’60s-era criminalization of abortion — a bill López sponsored and Wirth took up “maneuvering on the floor.”

“You become a family,” López told Source NM. “There’s a special place for each of my colleagues who have left. But for Sen. Wirth, we still have two years, so there’s still work to be done.”

Wirth in a statement said he believed his legislative accomplishments were the result of a team effort and not his alone.

“None of this happened because of me alone. It happened because of us: the caucus, our colleagues in the House, and a Governor in Michelle Lujan Grisham who came into office with a vision for this state and the determination to see it through,” he wrote. “What we built together during the Lujan Grisham administration is something New Mexico can be genuinely proud of. I am grateful to have played a part in it, and I am proud of every member of this team.”

For the remainder of his term, Wirth said he’ll continue to focus on the issues that he’s long held as priorities: water and the environment; fiscal discipline; public health; education; tax reform and human rights.

Joshua Bowling is a senior reporter for Source New Mexico. He's reported in New Mexico, where he broke stories of lavish spending at Western New Mexico University and more, since 2022.