Candidates in Senate and 2nd Congressional District races largest fundraisers for midterms so far

The 2026 congressional midterm elections are still a year away, but incumbent Sen. Ben Ray Luján already has a sizable war chest with more than $5 million raised for his reelection campaign.

The midterms will determine if Republicans retain control of the House of Representatives and Senate. Along with a Republican president in the White House, the party has slim majorities in both chambers, allowing President Donald Trump to rapidly move forward with much of his agenda.

Some states have taken the unusual step of attempting to redraw the lines of their congressional districts ahead of the midterms. Typically redistricting happens every 10 years after the U.S. census. Trump encouraged Republican-led states to redistrict in an effort to hold on to the Republican majority in the House. The comments sparked contentious and litigious efforts to redistrict in 17 states with leadership on both ends of the political spectrum.

The Texas Legislature pushed through redistricting changes that could garner five more House seats for Republicans next year. Meanwhile, California voters approved changes to their state constitution Tuesday that will allow the state Legislature to redistrict and potentially secure five more House seats for Democrats.

Democrats fill the ranks of New Mexico’s congressional delegation, and so far those Democratic incumbents have out-raised their Republican challengers. Some of the Republican candidates filed to run last month, meaning they have yet to file a campaign finance report.

Luján, a Democratic U.S. senator, is running for a second six-year term, with two opponents so far. Senate races have a history of being some of the most expensive political fights in New Mexico. In 2024, Martin Heinrich raised $13 million defending his Senate seat, while Republican challenger Nella Domenici raised $7 million.

But the competitive 2nd Congressional District race is also bringing in high-dollar donations, with $1.4 million raised for sitting congressman Gabe Vasquez’s reelection campaign, a fundraising level his three Republican opponents have yet to match. Traditionally, the 2nd Congressional District is the most competitive House seat in New Mexico.

Vasquez broke a streak of one-term representatives in the seat when he won reelection last year. His 2024 campaign brought in $7 million, while Republican challenger Yvette Herrell spent close to $5 million attempting to unseat him.

The majority of Republican challengers have raised less than $16,000 for each of their campaigns so far, according to campaign finance reports.

The exception is Martin Zamora, a state House member who is challenging incumbent Teresa Leger Fernández to represent a northern New Mexico-based district. The 3rd Congressional District stretches across northern New Mexico, but also reaches down through the eastern part of the state into Republican strongholds like Eddy and Lea counties. Zamora raised $247,000, while Leger Fernández brought in $611,000.

Senate

Luján raised $5.5 million by the end of September, spent $2.5 million and had $3.1 million cash on hand. More than half of his funds — $3.6 million — came from individual contributions. The $1 million in committee contributions included support from Heinrich’s Lobo PAC.

Neither Republican Ben Luna nor Jewish-Christian National Party candidate Toby Smith has filed campaign finance reports yet. Smith only filed to run last week, after the most recent campaign finance reporting period.

1st Congressional District

Incumbent Democrat Melanie Stansbury raised just under $600,000, spent $424,000 and had $322,000 cash on hand. Of that, $485,000 came from individual contributions and almost $100,000 from other political committees. Stansbury’s donations included many from workers’ unions and Native American tribes.

Republican Ndidiamaka Okpareke raised just over $15,000, spent close to $9,000 and had almost $7,000 cash on hand.

Republican Steve Jones, who also challenged Stansbury for the seat last year, had raised just over $8,000, including a $7,900 loan from the candidate. His campaign spent $4,000 and had $30,000 cash on hand, according to finance reports. His campaign committee has a debt of $200,000.

2nd Congressional District

Vasquez raised $1.4 million, has spent $513,000 and had $989,000 cash on hand. The bulk of those funds, $830,000, came from individual contributions, but he did receive over $450,000 from other political committees, including $1,000 each from Luján and Stansbury’s committees.

Republican challenger Eddy Aragon raised $4,522, spent $178 and had $4,343 cash on hand by the end of September.

Republican candidates Greg Cunningham and Jose Orozco filed to run in October, after the campaign finance reporting period.

3rd Congressional District

Leger Fernández had raised $611,000 in her bid to secure a fourth term, spent $468,000 and had almost $551,000 cash on hand at the end of September.

Zamora raised $247,000, spent $21,000 and had $226,000 cash on hand.

The vast majority of both candidates’ campaign donations came from individual contributions.