Ben Ray Luján
Democrat junior Senator of New Mexico
Representative
New Mexico, district 3
January 6, 2009 - January 3, 2011
Representative
New Mexico, district 3
January 5, 2011 - January 3, 2013
Representative
New Mexico, district 3
January 3, 2013 - January 3, 2015
Representative
New Mexico, district 3
January 6, 2015 - January 3, 2017
Representative
New Mexico, district 3
January 3, 2017 - January 3, 2019
Representative
New Mexico, district 3
January 3, 2019 - January 3, 2021
Senator
New Mexico
January 3, 2021 - January 3, 2027
8
Congresses Served
6
House Terms
1
Senate Terms
January 1, 1972 (52 years old)
Birthday
- Has served as the junior United States senator from New Mexico since 2021.
- Served as the U.S. representative for New Mexico’s 3rd congressional district from 2009 to 2021.
- Held the position of Assistant Speaker from 2019 to 2021.
- Was a member and chairman of the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission from 2005 to 2008.
- Chaired the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) from 2014 to 2019, leading Democrats to win a House majority in 2018, becoming the first Hispanic to serve in this role.
- Announced candidacy for the United States Senate in 2019 for the seat vacated by Tom Udall and won the election in 2020.
- Advocated for health care reform, including a public option, and opposed troop increases in Afghanistan.
- Co-sponsored the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in 2011.
- Actively involved in environmental regulation, supporting renewable energy initiatives and the Green New Deal.
- Supported education policies including the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and student loan reform.
- Advocated for increased funding for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Health Service, and worked on legislation benefiting Native American communities.
- Served on several committees in both the House and Senate, including the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry.
- Opposed a ban on hydraulic fracturing in 2021.
- Voted for a resolution to apply human rights provisions of the Foreign Assistance Act to U.S. aid to Israel’s military in 2024.
- Experienced a major stroke in early 2022 but returned to work in the Senate, expecting a full recovery.
- Raised in Nambe, New Mexico, and attended the University of New Mexico and New Mexico Highlands University, earning a BBA degree.
- His father was a longtime member of the New Mexico House of Representatives.