New Mexico Rep. Ben Ray Luján to Run for Senate; 5th 2020 House Retirement

New Mexico Rep. Ben Ray Luján announced Monday (video) that he will run for U.S. Senate in 2020. The seat is being vacated by fellow Democratic Sen. Tom Udall, who is retiring.  Luján will seek to replicate the 2008 election, where he won his current job as then Rep. Udall departed to seek the U.S. Senate seat.

Luján is the 4th ranking Democrat in the U.S. House.  His safely Democratic 3rd district covers much of the northern half of the state. Luján won a 6th term by 32% last November, while Hillary Clinton won here by 15% over Donald Trump in 2016.

Five current House members have indicated they won't seek reelection in 2020. In Alabama, GOP Rep. Bradley Byrne is looking to challenge Democratic Sen. Doug Jones. Rob Woodall (R, GA-7), Jose Serrano (D, NY-15), and Rob Bishop (R, UT-1) are retiring. Aside from GA-7 - which gave us 2018's closest congressional race - all these seats appear safe for the incumbent party.

comments powered by Disqus

Headlines

Reps. Evans and Johnson to Leave House; Now 16 Retirements in 2026 Cycle

Both represent safe seats for the incumbent party; Johnson is running for South Dakota governor

Live Results: New York City Ranked Choice Tabulation

Zohran Mamdani is expected to move one step closer to being certified as the Democratic nominee for mayor

Sen. Thom Tillis Will Not Seek Reelection Next Year

He had come under attack from Trump after voting "no" to advance the president's signature legislation

Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon Not Seeking Reelection in 2026

A formal announcement will come Monday; Bacon was seen as among the more endangered Republicans next year

Overview and Live Results: New York City Mayoral Primary

Several other city offices are on the ballot