Sen. Ben Ray Luján will not have an official Republican opponent on the November ballot after the only GOP hopeful failed to qualify for the primary.
Christopher Vanden Heuvel did not gather enough valid signatures to secure the Republican nomination, leaving the Senate race without a major party challenger from the GOP. According to reporting from the Albuquerque Journal, this marks the first time the state’s Senate race has featured only one of the two major parties on the general election ballot.
A spokesperson for Luján’s campaign said the senator will continue campaigning and “doing the job” voters elected him to do, regardless of who appears on the ballot. Luján is seeking his second term after first winning the seat in 2020.
Other candidates in New Mexico also failed to qualify for their respective primary ballots, including Democratic congressional hopeful Thomas Wakely, Republican gubernatorial candidate Belinda Robertson, and Republican congressional candidate Carlton Pennington.
New Mexico Republican Party Chairwoman Amy Barela said the party made repeated outreach efforts to assist candidates who fell short on signatures. She described the party’s strategy as deliberate and focused on ensuring competitiveness, adding that the Senate candidate is still in communication with the Secretary of State’s office regarding possible discrepancies in qualification guidance.
Some Republican activists expressed frustration over the development. GOP activist Scott Presler criticized the situation on social media, noting that without a certified Republican candidate, Luján could move toward reelection without a formal two-party contest unless a write-in effort materializes before the filing deadline.
Luján previously served in the U.S. House from 2009 through 2021 before winning his Senate seat. In 2020, he defeated Republican Mark Ronchetti with just under 52 percent of the vote, while the GOP nominee earned nearly 46 percent.
Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate and face a competitive 2026 map. According to Cook Political Report projections, the most closely watched races are expected to unfold in Maine, Georgia, Michigan, and North Carolina as both parties prepare for what could be another tightly contested cycle.
The post Democratic Senator Won’t Face Republican Challenger On November Ballot In New Mexico appeared first on Real News Now.
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