Ben Ray Luján ( loo-HAHN; born June 7, 1972) is an American politician serving since 2021 as the junior United States senator from New Mexico. From 2009 to 2021, he represented New Mexico's 3rd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives; he served as assistant speaker from 2019 to 2021. Luján is a self-described progressive Democrat.
Before being elected to Congress, Luján served as a member of the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission from 2005 to 2008, where he was also chairman. He and Senator Martin Heinrich are the co-deans of New Mexico's congressional delegation. Luján served as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee from 2014 to 2019; Democrats won a House majority in the 2018 elections. In his role as assistant House Democratic leader, Luján was the highest-ranking Hispanic in Congress.
In 2020, Luján was elected to the Senate. He is running for reelection in 2026.
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Early life and education
Ben Ray Luján was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the last child of Carmen Luján and Ben Luján; he has two older sisters and an older brother. He was raised in Nambe, New Mexico. His mother's maiden name was also Luján. His father, Ben, went into politics in 1970, when he was elected to the County Commission; beginning in 1975, he was a longtime member of the New Mexico House of Representatives, serving as majority whip and speaker.
After graduating from Pojoaque Valley High School in 1990, Ben Ray Luján worked as a blackjack dealer at a tribal casino. After that, he attended the University of New Mexico and received a Bachelor of Business Administration from New Mexico Highlands University.
Early career
Public Regulation Commission
Luján was elected to the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission in November 2004. He represented PRC district 3 which encompasses northeastern, north central and central New Mexico. His served as chairman of the PRC in 2005, 2006 and 2007. His term on the PRC ended at the end of 2008. He helped to increase the Renewable Portfolio Standard in New Mexico that requires utilities to use 20 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2020. Luján also required utilities to diversify their renewable use to include solar, wind and biomass.
Luján joined regulators in California, Oregon, and Washington to sign the Joint Action Framework on Climate Change to implement regional solutions to global warming.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
In 2008, Luján ran to succeed U.S. Representative Tom Udall in New Mexico's 3rd congressional district. Udall gave up the seat to make what would be a successful bid for the United States Senate. On June 3, 2008, Luján won the Democratic primary, defeating five other candidates. His closest competitor, developer Don Wiviott, received 26 percent to Luján's 42 percent.
Luján faced Republican Dan East and independent Carol Miller in the general election and won with 57% of the vote to East's 30% and Miller's 13%.
Luján won reelection against Republican nominee Thomas E. Mullins with 56.99% of the vote.
Luján won reelection against Republican nominee Jefferson Byrd with 63.12% of the vote.
Luján won reelection against Byrd again, with 61.52% of the vote.
Luján won reelection against Republican nominee Michael H. Romero with 62.42% of the vote.
Luján won reelection against Republican nominee Jerald Steve McFall with 63.4% of the vote.
Tenure
Luján has been a proponent of health care reform, including a public option. In October 2009, he gave a speech on the House floor calling for a public option to be included in the House health care bill.
In June 2009, Luján voted for an amendment that would require the U.S. Secretary of Defense to present a plan including a complete exit strategy for Afghanistan by the end of the year. The amendment did not pass. In September 2009, Luján wrote a letter urging the Obama administration not to increase the number of troops in Afghanistan. In his letter, he drew on conversations he had with General Stanley A. McChrystal and Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
In 2011, Luján was a co-sponsor of Bill H.R. 3261, the Stop Online Piracy Act.
According to his campaign website, Luján has been active in environmental regulation. He chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus's Green Economy and Renewable Energy Task Force. Luján has initiated several pieces of legislation regarding renewable energy such as the SOLAR Act. He co-authored the Community College Energy Training Act of 2009. He also supports natural gas usage and the New Alternative Transportations to Give Americans Solutions Act of 2009. Luján has high ratings from interest groups such as Environment America and the Sierra Club.
Luján serves on the bipartisan Congressional PFAS Task Force. He has introduced legislation to provide relief to communities and businesses impacted by PFAS/PFOA contamination in groundwater around Air Force bases in New Mexico and across the country.
In addition to supporting the Green New Deal, an economic stimulus package that aims to address climate change and economic inequality, Luján has developed legislation to put the United States on a path to net zero carbon emission and address climate change.
Luján has been supported by the National Education Association. He supported the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and student loan reform. He cosponsored the STEM Education Coordination Act in an effort to produce more scientists and innovators in the United States.
Committee assignments
Committee on Energy and Commerce
Subcommittee on Communications and Technology
Subcommittee on Health
Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection
Select Committee on the Climate Crisis
Caucus memberships
Congressional Arts Caucus
Congressional Hispanic Caucus
U.S. Senate
Elections
On April 1, 2019, Luján announced he was running to succeed retiring Senator Tom Udall in the 2020 election. On June 2, 2020, Luján won the Democratic primary unopposed. In the general election, he defeated Republican nominee Mark Ronchetti, 51.7% to 45.6%.
Tenure
Luján was sworn into the Senate on January 3, 2021. He was accompanied by the outgoing Senator, Tom Udall.
On January 6, 2021, Luján was participating in the certification of the 2021 United States Electoral College vote count when Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. He called the attack a "siege" and "a direct attack on our nation's democracy." In the wake of the attack, Luján said he would vote to convict Trump "for inciting an insurrection."
Luján was absent from the Senate while recovering from a major stroke in early 2022.
In February 2021, Luján was one of seven Democratic senators to join Republicans in blocking a ban of hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as "fracking".
In January 2024, Luján voted for a resolution, proposed by Bernie Sanders, to apply the human rights provisions of the Foreign Assistance Act to U.S. aid to Israel's military. The proposal was defeated, 72 to 11.
In January 2026, after federal immigration agents fatally shot Renée Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Luján announced he would vote against the Department of Homeland Security funding bill. He wrote, "with multiple deadly shootings of American citizens by federal agents in Minnesota and no accountability, I will not support an appropriations bill that funds DHS without real oversight, transparency, and consequences." Luján called for a full and independent investigation into Pretti's shooting and demanded the resignation or firing of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. His position aligned with fellow New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich, who separately introduced legislation to redirect ICE funding to local law enforcement agencies.
Committee assignments
Luján served on the following Senate committees in the 118th United States Congress:
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry
Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade
Subcommittee on Conservation, Climate, Forestry, and Natural Resources
Subcommittee on Rural Development and Energy
Committee on the Budget
Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband (Chair)
Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security
Subcommittee on Oceans, Fisheries, Climate Change and Manufacturing
Subcommittee on Space and Science
Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety
Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security
Committee on Indian Affairs
Personal life
Luján is a Catholic.
Health
On January 27, 2022, Luján was hospitalized in Santa Fe after feeling fatigued and dizzy. He was found to have had a stroke affecting his cerebellum and was transferred to the University of New Mexico Hospital for treatment, which included a decompressive craniectomy. A statement from his office said that "he is expected to make a full recovery". Luján returned to work at the Senate on March 3 and stated by April 21 that he was 90% recovered.
Electoral history
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