The 2026 U.S. Senate race in New Mexico will feature no Republican after the state disqualified several GOP candidates for failing to meet ballot requirements. Thus, Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) would not face a Republican challenger should he win the Democratic primary. “The disqualification of Republican candidate Christopher Vanden Heuvel of Rio Rancho means that for the first time in modern state history the state’s general election ballot for a U.S. Senate race will have only one major party candidate,” the Albuquerque Journal reports. Report: Republicans in New Mexico won’t have a candidate for the 2026 general election against Democrat Incumbent Senator Ben Ray Luján The only candidate who was running was disqualified This is the first time this has ever happened New Mexico State history pic.twitter.com/WL0Hw6acN6 — The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) February 12, 2026 More from the Albuquerque Journal: In addition to Vanden Heuvel, other disqualified candidates include Republican Carlton Pennington of Moriarty in the 1st Congressional District race and Republican gubernatorial hopeful Belinda Robertson of Las Cruces. In addition, U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M., will avoid a primary election challenge from fellow Democrat Thomas Wakely of Columbus after Wakely was disqualified from the ballot. Vasquez would face the winner of a GOP primary contest between Gregory Cunningham and Jose Orozco, both of Albuquerque, in the November general election. Luján, who defeated Republican Mark Ronchetti to win election to the U.S. Senate in 2020, could face a primary challenge from Matt Dodson of Farmington, depending on the outcome of a Democratic pre-primary convention next month. He could also draw a minor party or independent opponent this summer. Dodson, a community organizer and business owner, describes himself on his campaign website as a “Democratic Socialist” who has been fighting with “establishment Democrats” for more than 15 years. Harris won New Mexico by 6 points in 2024, one of the closest states carried by her. Luján won his previous election in 2020 by 6.1 points. — VoteHub (@VoteHub) February 12, 2026 “New Mexico Democrats just pulled off the ultimate voter suppression move,” one X user commented. ELECTION INTEGRITY ALERT: New Mexico Democrats just pulled off the ultimate voter suppression move! Democrat SOS Maggie Toulouse Oliver DISQUALIFIED the Republican challengers for US Senate, Governor, AND CD-1—citing "not enough signatures." Result? NO GOP candidate on the… pic.twitter.com/S4l5S38IIA — Reverend Jordan Wells (@WellsJorda89710) February 12, 2026 Luján, who served as the representative for New Mexico’s 3rd Congressional District before serving in the U.S. Senate, suffered a stroke in 2022. “He’ll continue earning their support on the campaign trail while doing the job they elected him to do by lowering costs and delivering results for New Mexico,” a campaign spokesman for Luján said, according to the Albuquerque Journal. “That commitment does not change based on who else is the ballot,” he added. Santa Fe New Mexican noted: The primary field in the 1st Congressional District was also thinned out a bit. Democratic U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury is running for renomination unopposed, and Steve Jones and Ndidiamaka Ekwua Charlene Okpareke will be on the Republican ballot. Carlton Pennington has also hoped to run for the Republican nomination but did not make the ballot. The two Democratic candidates for governor, Sam Bregman and Deb Haaland, both made the primary ballot. The Republican field was trimmed to five — Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull, state Sen. Steve Lanier, Duke Rodriguez, Jim Ellison and Doug Turner. One more Republican hopeful, Belinda Robertson, did not make the ballot. Everyone else who filed last week was found to be qualified.