Ben Ray Luján is New Mexico's junior senator, elected in 2020 after serving six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. He grew up in Nambé, New Mexico, in a family with deep roots in the state, and was the first in his family to graduate from college. Before his Senate run, he served as chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, playing a key role in Democrats' 2018 House majority.
Luján sits on the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, where he has championed rural broadband expansion and digital equity initiatives. He has been a strong advocate for tribal communities, veterans, and rural health care access across New Mexico. Luján also focuses on nuclear security and energy policy, issues of particular importance given the state's national laboratories and legacy nuclear sites.