Two Republicans and a Democrat representing parts of Otero, Lincoln and Chaves counties were reelected in the Tuesday, Nov. 3 Midterm Election.
State Sen. Rex Wilson (R-33) and Rep. John Block (R-51) retained their seats, while Democratic State Rep. Sarah Silva was reelected to serve the 53rd House District.
Wilson represents parts of Lincoln, Otero and Chaves counties, while Block’s district covers most of the city of Alamogordo in Otero County. Silva represents parts of Otero and Dona Ana counties.
The results become official once they are certified by the State Canvass Board, which is made up of the governor, secretary of state and New Mexico chief justice. Senate Districts 33 and House District 51 and 53 were the only contested legislative races in the region.
Senators in the legislature serve four-year terms, while Representatives served for two years.
Overall, the GOP lost four seats in the election, giving the Democratic Party a 47-to 23-seat supermajority starting January.
Voters also agreed to pay lawmakers a base salary, supporting Democrat-led Constitutional Amendment 4. The amendment passed 63% to 37%, with 415,498 for it and 239,681 against it, according to unofficial results posted on the Secretary of State’s website.
It set the salary at the state’s median household income. Median household income is the midpoint, with half of households earning more and half earning less, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The 2025 median household income in New Mexico was $70,342. The salary would rise or fall with the median.
Block and Wilson opposed the salary, while Silva was supportive.
“We have an $11 billion state budget, and it is ridiculous to think that we can do the business of the state in the time that we’re given, and with the resources we have,” she said.
District 33
Wilson’s win came in a special election allowing him to remain in the Legislature until 2029 after he was appointed to fill a vacancy left in October 2025 by resigning Nick Paul, who cited health issues.
Wilson, 66, a rancher from Ancho and former Lincoln County commissioner, defeated William Neil Griffin, a Democrat and attorney from Ruidoso, 62% to 38%, or 10,408 votes to 6,280, according to unofficial results posted by the New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office.
Lujan Grisham chose Wilson last year from three nominees to replace Paul, one from each county commission in the district. The Chaves County Commission nominated Wilson, the Otero County Commission nominated state Rep. John Block (R-51) of Alamogordo, and the Lincoln County Commission nominated Mark Fischer who is a current Lincoln County commissioner.
Because Wilson was appointed to a vacant Senate seat, he was required to stand for election at the next general election to serve the remainder of that term. The seat is up again in 2028 along with the rest of the Senate, with the new term beginning in early 2029.
“I’m real humbled and honored that the outcome was strong as it was,” Wilson said Wednesday in a phone interview with the Roswell Tribune.
House District 53
Silva of Las Cruces was reelected Tuesday to a second term, fending off a challenge from Republican Ben Luna.
She won the race 61% to 39%, or 4,759 votes to 2,987, according to unofficial results posted on the New Mexico Secretary of State’s website.
The district is unique because more voters are registered as indpendent or with a minor party (38%) than Democrats (35%) and Republican (27%), according to the Secretary of State’s website.
The final result in Tuesday’s election was a bigger win than Silva, 45, said she expected.
“Wow is my reaction,” she said Wednesday. Silva noted that she won the seat in 2024 by 158 votes, far less than the 1,772-vote margin this year.
Luna, 38, of Chaparral, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Before the results came in Tuesday, he said he “had quite a bit of Democrats tell me they’re going to vote for me.”
Both parties invested heavily in the race expected to be decided on a narrow margin. The Speaker’s Fund, a political action committee associated with State House Speaker Javier Martinez (D-11) of Albuquerque, contributed $34,964.86 to Silva’s reelection bid, according to campaign finance information on the Secretary of State’s website. Martinez’s own reelection campaign also donated $8,700. The New Mexico House Democratic Campaign Committee, the fundraising arm of House Democrats, contributed $7,762.13.
Republicans also invested in Luna’s campaign, with the New Mexico House Republican Campaign Committee contributing $82,832.44. State Rep. House Republican leader Gail Armstrong (R-49) of Magdalena gave Luna’s campaign $6,600.
House District 51
Block, 29, a small business owner, was elected to a third term over Grace Nagamine, an independent, also from Alamogordo, 55% to 45%, or 5,037 votes to 4,045, according to unofficial results posted on the Secretary of State’s website. The district is entirely within Otero County.
Block said his district “is strong as a conservative area, and we will continue to fight hard for our conservative values at the Roundhouse.”
Nagamine congratulated Block on his victory. Though she did not win the election, Nagamine expressed thanks to those who supported, and said that wants to continue to push for change.
“I will continue fighting for our children, especially CYFD reform, our seniors, veterans, millitary families and everyone who deserves to be heard,” she wrote.
Affordability and steering money back to his district to fix and maintain infrastructure were what Block said were the issues that he heard the most about from constituents. He also opposed Constitutional Amendment 4, which he said will “usher in a wave of career politicians to run for the legislature.”
“If there are no constitutional safeguards like term limits and ethics reforms included in it, then it will indeed usher in that big wave of corruption to the legislature and exacerbate our issues,” Block said.
