Ben Ray Lujan looks poised to retain his Senate seat after collecting a vast majority of the votes over Republican challenger Larry Marker in Tuesday’s midterm election.
The Associated Press called the election shortly after 7 p.m. Tuesday. As of 7:30 p.m., Lujan had 55,438 votes, or 69.4% of the votes counted so far. Marker had 24,423 votes as of 7:30 p.m.
Lujan, 54, was first elected to the Senate in 2020, defeating Republican Mark Ronchetti.
A native of Pojoaque, Lujan was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives 2008. Lujan succeeded Tom Udall in both the House and Senate races.
Born in 1963 in Hobbs, Marker grew up in Roswell and became successful in New Mexico’s oil and gas industry.
Marker, a self-proclaimed conservative Republican, had previous unsuccessful runs for state land commissioner and state senate.
Lujan declared victory in a public statement on election night, thanking his campaign staff and vowing to continue addressing key issues such as affordability, food insecurity while in Congress.
“Our work to lower costs, end hunger in America, and ensure families can get the health care they need will continue,” Lujan said. “There is a lot of important work ahead, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to keep doing it together. Let’s keep showing up for one another to build a stronger New Mexico for everyone who calls our state home.”
