Campaign season for all 70 seats in the New Mexico House of Representatives is officially underway, with 38 candidates having declared their intentions as of Tuesday, February 24, 2026. The filing deadline for candidates seeking a spot on the June 2nd primary ballot is March 10th, according to officials.
One district already attracting attention is House District 30, representing a portion of northeast Albuquerque. Democrat Veronica Mireles, a medical malpractice attorney, launched a primary challenge against incumbent Democrat Rep. E. Diane Torres-Velasquez last week. Mireles is emphasizing her advocacy for House Bill 99, recently passed by the legislature to address a doctor shortage by overhauling medical malpractice regulations.
“I am running because access to health care in New Mexico is not an abstract policy debate. This proves a daily reality for families in District 30,” Mireles stated in a press release. “And I have already been fighting to protect it.”
Rep. Torres-Velasquez, an education consultant who has represented the district since 2025, confirmed her bid for reelection in a text message to Source NM on Tuesday.
The District 30 race has seen some shifts. Corrine Teller Barraza, a Republican candidate, suspended her campaign in November, citing a family health crisis. Jerry Trujillo remains a Republican candidate, but did not respond to inquiries from Source NM regarding his campaign.
Further north, in District 41, encompassing much of Rio Arriba County, Yolanda “Pancha” Jaramillo, a board member of the New Mexico Acequia Association, announced her candidacy for the Democratic nomination. The seat became vacant following the decision of Rep. Susan Herrera (D-Embudo) not to seek reelection. Jaramillo is currently the sole candidate to have declared for the District 41 seat.
“At my core, I am an advocate for others. What drives me is expanding opportunity for New Mexico’s children and families – especially in our rural communities and small towns across Northern New Mexico, where the need is often greatest,” Jaramillo said in a statement.
While the House seats are seeing active campaigning, only one state senate seat, District 33, covering parts of Chaves, Lincoln, and Otero counties, is up for election in 2026. The vacancy arose from the October resignation of Sen. Nicolas Paul (R-Alamogordo) due to health concerns. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham appointed Republican Rex Wilson, a former Lincoln County Commissioner, to fill the interim position. As of Tuesday, no candidates had formally announced their intention to contest the seat, according to the Secretary of State’s office.
Any candidate winning the District 33 senate seat will serve the remaining two years of the four-year term.
