Who is Larry Marker and what is Marker running on in the 2026 New Mexico Senate race?

Larry Marker is the Republican candidate for New Mexico U.S. Senate. Roswell oil and gas businessman; past unsuccessful runs for land commissioner and state senate; nominated via write-in. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

The race

• The seat: Incumbent Ben Ray Luján (D) seeking a second term.
• Rating: Solid D (Cook, Inside Elections).
• Polling: Luján 53, Marker 38 (Research & Polling Inc., Aug 21 to 28, 2026).

Why Marker is behind

• Luján leads by 15 in the Albuquerque Journal’s Research & Polling survey.
• Republicans have not won a NM Senate race since 2002, and their nominee won only as a write-in after the sole ballot candidate was disqualified.
• Luján outraised Marker $8.3M to $33K as of June 30.

What Marker is running on

• Debt. Top concerns are the federal debt and Social Security’s stability.
• Immigration. A strong, secure border plus simpler legal migration.
• Data centers. Site data centers away from towns and water tables, like feedlots.
• Trump. Backs most Trump policies but opposes tariffs and challenges his war powers.
• Elections. Trusts county clerks; opposes federal control of elections.

The other candidates

• Ben Ray Luján (D)

Every race

See every Senate and governor race on the ballot, with each candidate’s chance of winning: the 2026 midterms at a glance.