Education
New Mexico Highlands University
Campaign Phone
505-225-8640
Occupation
US Senator
I dedicated my career to improving the lives of those in New Mexico, whether fighting to create good-paying jobs for hardworking New Mexican men and women, increasing access to quality, affordable health care, and protecting New Mexico’s natural resources. I’ve proudly represented New Mexico in the U.S. Senate since 2021, where I’ve worked every day to lower costs, strengthen public safety, protect food assistance and affordable health care, expand broadband, and invest in New Mexico’s future. Prior to the U.S. Senate, I was proud to serve as a member of the House of Representatives for over 10 years, including as chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and as the Assistant Speaker of the House.
Across our state, families are feeling the squeeze as the cost of everyday necessities continues to rise. Reckless tariffs are driving up prices and making it harder for hardworking New Mexicans to put food on the table. I will be a relentless advocate for policies that bring down costs and put families first. I also remain steadfast in the fight to ensure that every New Mexican has access to high-quality, affordable health care. And I will continue working to grow our local economy by supporting the diverse industries that create jobs across the state and investing in infrastructure that improves our roads and delivers reliable broadband.
New Mexicans spend their lives paying into Social Security, and they deserve to know that the program will be there to support them upon retirement. As a member of the Senate Finance Committee, which oversees Social Security programs, I know Social Security benefits are a vital lifeline for retirees and people with disabilities. Social security must be protected from funding cuts and Republican-led efforts to reduce benefits. I was proud to support and champion the Social Security Fairness Act, which was signed into law. This legislation fully repealed the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset, two outdated rules that reduced earned benefits for public servants like teachers, firefighters, and police officers.
The United States has not significantly updated its immigration laws since the 1980s, which is why I have long championed comprehensive immigration reform to address our broken immigration system and create an earned pathway for legal immigration. I support legislation like the DREAM Act to provide a legal pathway for Dreamers, the SECURE Act, which provides qualified Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) recipients a path to legal permanent residency, and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act to reform and modernize our temporary agricultural worker visa program. I am also a proponent of modern and effective border security that uses technology rather than walls to keep out narcotics and the cartels.
Growing up on a small family farm in New Mexico, I learned early that water is life. That is why I believe we must ensure our federal laws respect our ways of life and treat water as the life-giving resource it is. As a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I introduced legislation like the ACEQUIAS Act to ensure farmers and ranchers qualify for drought disaster assistance, and legislation to guarantee greater federal respect for our traditional land grants and acequias. I also believe we have a duty to support responsible, clean energy policies that protect our environment, improve our air quality, and encourage innovation. I’ll continue to ensure that New Mexico is a leader in the clean energy economy, benefiting our families.
Health care is a human right, not a privilege for the few. The Affordable Care Act that voted for in 2009 made critical reforms that expanded New Mexicans access to care. I continue to fight against the attempts to rip health care away by repealing the ACA and gutting Medicaid. I am also a co-sponsor of Medicare for All because every single person deserves high-quality health care when they need it, no matter how much money they make. Access to health care means being able to afford it, which is why I voted to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices so seniors and American taxpayers stop being overcharged.
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