2026 Midterms State GuideNew Mexico
Hold on to your green chiles and hot air balloons.
- PrimaryStatewideJun. 2This date has passed.
- Election DayGeneralNov. 3
Updated
Hi! It’s me, Shadrach. Apparently, I’m your civic guide today. If you’ve been complaining about how things are going (and I’ve heard you, the walls are thin), this guide will help you feel informed and able to vote in this year’s midterms. Now, hold on to your green chiles and hot air balloons, and let’s get into it.
New Mexico at a glance
New Mexico votes on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, for governor, U.S. Senate, all 3 U.S. House seats and seven statewide ballot measures.
- Election Day
- Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026
- Voter registration
- Oct. 6: Voter registration deadline for mail/online registration. Early voting begins at county clerk offices (can register in person there). Mailed ballots start going out.
- Early voting
- Oct. 17: Early voting expands to alternate sites in many counties.
- Governor
- 2 candidates
- U.S. Senate
- 2 candidates
- U.S. House
- 3 seats
- Statewide ballot measures
- 7
Your to-do list
0 of 3 doneImportant dates
- Jun. 2Primaries This date has passed.
- Oct. 6Voter registration deadline for mail/online registration. Early voting begins at county clerk offices (can register in person there). Mailed ballots start going out.
- Oct. 17Early voting expands to alternate sites in many counties.
- Oct. 20Last day for your county clerks to receive mailed ballot applications.
- Oct. 31Early voting ends.
- Nov. 3Election Day, polls open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Same-day registration is available. Absentee ballots due by 7 p.m.
What’s at stake
If you’re looking for close races, you’re not likely to find them in the Land of Enchantment. Every race is ranked safely blue with the exception of one House district (NM-2), which still leans Democratic, making the deep blue state a sure thing for Dems and a long shot for Republicans. In a 2026 Emerson College poll, voters ranked both healthcare and the economy as the most important issues New Mexico is facing at 23%. 17% ranked crime as most important, followed by education (12%), housing affordability (9%), threats to democracy (7%), and immigration (5%).
Who’s on your ballot
Tap a race to see the candidates.
New Mexico is choosing a governor
See whose priorities line up with yours
Here are the top priorities each candidate lists, in their own words. Pick the 2 that matter most to you. Names stay hidden until you see your results.
0 of 2 picked
- Top priorities
Deb HaalandDemocrat- Improving public education by supporting early literacy programs, providing hands-on career experience to middle and high schoolers, incorporating outdoor learning into K-12 curriculum, and more.
- Increasing affordability by raising minimum wage and child tax credit, banning rent fixing, cracking down on price gouging, and more.
- Increasing public safety by equipping law enforcement to combat violent crime and drug trafficking, making moves toward community policing models, focusing on recovery for substance abuse rather than incarceration, and more.
- Top priorities
Gregg HullRepublican- Expanding access to quality healthcare by protecting and strengthening rural healthcare systems, reforming medical malpractice laws to reduce costs, advocating for competitive reimbursement rates, and more.
- Prioritizing public safety by increasing police presence throughout the state, enhancing border security to end the fentanyl crisis, and establishing a zero-tolerance policy for all violent crimes and crimes against children.
- Bringing new business and strengthening existing employers by using targeted incentives to attract high-paying jobs, expanding the state’s energy portfolio while unleashing oil and gas operations, improving transportation routes, and more.
- Get to know ’em
Larry E. MarkerRepublican
All U.S. House of Representatives seats are up for election every two years. Find your district here.
- Shadrach’s big picture
New Mexicans will elect three candidates to represent them in the U.S. House. Democrats are expected to hold all three of those seats.
- Open seats
None
- Competitive districts
NM-2 is considered slightly competitive (leaning but not solidly Democratic). NM-1 and NM-3 are ranked solidly Democratic. Candidates in both parties filed to run in all districts, so no district is guaranteed to either party.
Statewide ballot measures
7 to read before you go. Tap one to open it.
Right now, if a governor doesn’t do anything about a bill (like sign it or veto it), it just… dies. That’s called a pocket veto. The constitutional amendment would change that: instead of dying, the bill automatically becomes law if the governor neither signs nor vetoes it within three days during the legislative session or within 20 days for bills presented during the last three days of the legislative session.
Voting yessupports eliminating the “pocket veto”Voting noopposes this constitutional amendment, maintaining the current process in which governors have a “pocket veto,” meaning the governor effectively vetoes a bill by not signing within the required timeframe.Right now, school elections have to happen in a different year from partisan (like federal or statewide) elections. This amendment would repeal that constitutional requirement, allowing them to be held on the same dates as partisan elections.
Voting yessupports allowing school elections to be held on the same date as partisan electionsVoting noopposes this constitutional amendment, maintaining that school elections be held on a different date from partisan elections.Right now, the governor can appoint whoever they want to run New Mexico's public university boards, as long as the board stays roughly balanced between parties. This amendment would establish a committee to vet candidates and make a list the governor can choose from.
Voting yessupports creating a committee to vet candidates for the governor to choose fromVoting noopposes this constitutional amendment, allowing the governor to continue choosing whoever they want to run NM’s public university boardsThis amendment would establish a salary for members of the New Mexico State Legislature. The salary would be based on the state's median household income, and it would increase or decrease automatically based on the median household income in the state. New Mexico is currently the only state that doesn’t pay its legislators.
Voting yessupports paying state legislatorsVoting noopposes this constitutional amendment, maintaining that New Mexico state legislators do not receive a salaryThis measure would allow the state to borrow $30 million in general obligation bonds to fund construction, equipping, and improvement of senior citizen centers in the state.
Voting yessupports allowing the state to borrow $30M for senior facilitiesVoting noopposes allowing the state to borrow $30M for senior facilitiesThis measure would allow the state to borrow $20 million in general obligation bonds to fund the acquisition of library resources in the state.
Voting yessupports allowing the state to borrow $20M for library acquisitionsVoting noopposes allowing the state to borrow $20M for library acquisitionsThis measure would allow the state to borrow $230 million in general obligation bonds to fund capital improvements and acquisitions for higher education institutions, special schools, and tribal schools statewide. The funding would be used for construction, renovation, and purchasing equipment.
Voting yessupports allowing the state to borrow $230M for higher ed improvementsVoting noopposes allowing the state to borrow $230M for higher ed improvements
Also on the ballot
Other races New Mexico voters will decide.
- Lieutenant Governor
- Attorney General
- Secretary of State
- Auditor
- Commissioner of Public Lands
- Treasurer
- Public Education Commission (5 seats)
- State House
- Special state legislative
- State Supreme Courts
- Intermediate appellate courts
- Municipal government
Whose job is it?
Ten things government does. Tap the office that does each one.
Whose job is it to…
1 of 10
Declare a state of emergency after a hurricane or flood?
Pass it on
Know someone voting in New Mexico?
Send them the guide. It takes one tap, and it saves them an evening of arguing in a group chat.
From the newsroom
How TPO has covered New Mexico this cycle. Tap one to read it here.
A prayer for New Mexico
Creator of rugged mountains and breathtaking desert, the life and breath of every creature in the Land of Enchantment is in Your hands. As voters approach the polls, may they not be overwhelmed by their ballots’ length or complexity. Give them wisdom to weigh each measure carefully, discernment in their choice, and the grace to trust You with the outcomes.
May candidates run with integrity and not with contempt for those who oppose them. Surround the winners with wise counsel and guide them toward decisions that serve their constituents. Comfort those who lose, and give them grace in their words and deeds.
Draw near to all New Mexicans tempted toward anxiety, anger, or despair. Guard their hearts with a peace that this political moment cannot give. Open doors for believers to share the good news that no candidate or ballot decision usurps Your sovereignty or thwarts Your good purposes.
Amen.