The 2012 United States Senate election in New Mexico will take place on November 6, 2012 concurrently with the 2012 U.S. presidential election

United States presidential election, 2012

The United States presidential election of 2012 is the next United States presidential election, to be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. It will be the 57th quadrennial presidential election in which presidential electors, who will actually elect the President and the Vice President of the United...

 as well as other elections to the United States Senate

United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

 and House of Representatives

United States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

 as well as various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman

Jeff Bingaman

Jesse Francis "Jeff" Bingaman, Jr. , is the senior U.S. Senator from New Mexico and a member of the Democratic Party...

 decided to retire instead of running for re-election to a sixth term.

Background

Incumbent Jeff Bingaman

Jeff Bingaman

Jesse Francis "Jeff" Bingaman, Jr. , is the senior U.S. Senator from New Mexico and a member of the Democratic Party...

 won re-election to a fifth term with 70.61% of the vote against Allen McCulloch in the 2006 U.S. senatorial election in New Mexico.

Declared

• Hector Balderas
  Hector Balderas
  Hector H. Balderas Jr. is an American attorney and politician who is currently serving as the New Mexico State Auditor . Balderas became the youngest statewide Hispanic elected official in the nation in 2006 when he won his first race for State Auditor at the age of 33...
  
  , state auditor
• Martin Heinrich
  Martin Heinrich
  Martin T. Heinrich is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Democratic Party.The district includes the central area of the state, in and around Albuquerque.- Early life, education and career :...
  
  , U.S. representative
• Andres Valdez, anti-Social Justice
  Social justice
  Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
  
   activist

Potential

• Terry Brunner, USDA rural development state director and U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman's former state director

Declined

• Jeff Bingaman
  Jeff Bingaman
  Jesse Francis "Jeff" Bingaman, Jr. , is the senior U.S. Senator from New Mexico and a member of the Democratic Party...
  
  , incumbent U.S. senator
• Martin Chávez
  Martin Chavez
  Martin Joseph Chávez Chávez is a former three-term mayor of Albuquerque, New Mexico and New Mexico State Senator. He currently serves as the Executive Director of ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability USA. and Chairman of the Advisory Board for the Center for Green Schools at U.S. Green...
  
  , former Albuquerque
  Albuquerque, New Mexico
  Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
  
   mayor and 1998 Democratic gubernatorial nominee
  New Mexico gubernatorial election, 1998
  The New Mexico gubernatorial election of 1998 contest to elect the next Governor of New Mexico. The winner of the election would serve a term that ran through 1999 and 2003. Incumbent Republican Governor Gary Johnson was eligible and ran for re-election, and was re-elected easily.-Election results:...
  
   (running for the House)
• Diane Denish
  Diane Denish
  Diane Daniels Denish is an American politician, who was the 30th Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico. She was elected in 2002, running on the same ticket as Governor Bill Richardson, and was re-elected in 2006...
  
  , former New Mexico lieutenant governor and 2010 Democratic gubernatorial nominee
  New Mexico gubernatorial election, 2010
  The 2010 New Mexico gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2010. Democratic Governor Bill Richardson was term-limited and unable to seek re-election....
  
  
• Ben Ray Luján
  Ben R. Lujan
  Ben Ray Luján is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is based in Santa Fe, the state capital, and includes most of the northern portion of the state....
  
  , U.S. representative

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Hector Balderas	Martin Heinrich	Other	Undecided
Magellan Strategies	July 17-18, 2011	636	± 3.9%	21%	54%	—	25%
Public Policy Polling	June 23-26, 2011	400	± 4.9%	24%	47%	—	29%

Declared

• Bill English, businessman
• John Sanchez
  John Sanchez
  John A. Sanchez is an American politician and, as of January 1, 2011, the 31st Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico by winning the primary election on June 1, 2010, and the general election on November 2, 2010.-Biography:...
  
  , state lieutenant governor
  Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico
  Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico is an official in the state of New Mexico that ranks just below the Governor of New Mexico. The current lieutenant governor is John Sanchez.- Partial list of Lieutenant Governors of New Mexico :...
  
  
• Greg Sowards, businessman
• Heather Wilson
  Heather Wilson
  Heather A. Wilson , is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives representing from 1998 to 2009...
  
  , former U.S. representative

Potential

• Steve Pearce
  Steve Pearce
  Stevan Edward "Steve" Pearce is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party. He previously held the seat from 2003 to 2009 and was an Assistant Minority Whip.-Early life, education and career:...
  
  , U.S. representative and 2008 Republican nominee for U.S. Senate
  United States Senate election in New Mexico, 2008
  The 2008 United States Senate election in New Mexico was held on November 4, 2008. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Pete Domenici decided to retire instead of seeking a seventh term. All three of New Mexico's U.S. Representatives chose to retire from the U.S. House of Representatives in order to...
  
  

Declined

• Gary Johnson
  Gary Johnson
  Gary Johnson may refer to:*Gary Johnson , former Governor of New Mexico and candidate for President in 2012*Gary Johnson , American politician, Wisconsin State Assembly...
  
  , former New Mexico governor (running for President)
• Janice Arnold-Jones, former state representative

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Bill English	John Sanchez	Greg Sowards	Heather Wilson	Other	Undecided
Magellan Strategies	July 17-18, 2011	799	± 3.5%	2%	21%	5%	56%	—	16%
Public Policy Polling	June 23–26, 2011	400	± 4.9%	4%	24%	8%	52%	—	12%
Magellan Strategies	April 26–27, 2011	801	± 3.5%	—	17%	2%	59%	11%	11%

with Hector Balderas

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Hector Balderas (D)	John Sanchez (R)	Undecided
Public Policy Polling	June 23–26, 2011	732	± 3.6%	39%	35%	25%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Hector Balderas (D)	Greg Sowards (R)	Undecided
Public Policy Polling	June 23–26, 2011	732	± 3.6%	42%	28%	30%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Hector Balderas (D)	Heather Wilson (R)	Undecided
Public Policy Polling	June 23–26, 2011	732	± 3.6%	45%	39%	16%

with Martin Heinrich

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Martin Heinrich (D)	Steve Pearce (R)	Undecided
Public Policy Polling	February 4–6, 2011	545	± 4.2%	53%	38%	10%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Martin Heinrich (D)	John Sanchez (R)	Undecided
Public Policy Polling	June 23–26, 2011	732	± 3.6%	45%	39%	16%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Martin Heinrich (D)	Greg Sowards (R)	Undecided
Public Policy Polling	June 23–26, 2011	732	± 3.6%	46%	34%	20%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Martin Heinrich (D)	Heather Wilson (R)	Undecided
Public Policy Polling	June 23–26, 2011	732	± 3.6%	47%	42%	11%
Public Policy Polling	February 4–6, 2011	545	± 4.2%	50%	39%	11%

{| class="navbox collapsible collapsed" style="text-align:left; border:0; margin-top:0.2em;"
|-
! style="background:#cff; font-weight:normal;"|
Hypothetical polling
|-
| style="border:solid 1px silver; padding:8px; background:white;"|

{| class="wikitable"
|- valign= bottom
! Poll source
! style="width:120px;"| Date(s)
administered
! class=small | Sample
size
! Margin of
error
! style="width:100px;"| Martin
Heinrich (D)
! style="width:100px;"| Gary
Johnson (R)
! Undecided
|-
| Public Policy Polling
| align=center| February 4–6, 2011
| align=center| 545
| align=center| ± 4.2%
| align=center| 43%
| align=center| 44%
| align=center| 14%
|}

with Jeff Bingaman

{| class="wikitable"
|- valign= bottom
! Poll source
! style="width:120px;"| Date(s)
administered
! class=small | Sample
size
! Margin of
error
! style="width:100px;"| Jeff
Bingaman (D)
! style="width:100px;"| Gary
Johnson (R)
! Undecided
|-
| Public Policy Polling
| align=center| February 4–6, 2011
| align=center| 545
| align=center| ± 4.2%
| align=center| 51%
| align=center| 40%
| align=center| 9%
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|- valign= bottom
! Poll source
! style="width:120px;"| Date(s)
administered
! class=small | Sample
size
! Margin of
error
! style="width:100px;"| Jeff
Bingaman (D)
! style="width:100px;"| Steve
Pearce (R)
! Undecided
|-
| Public Policy Polling
| align=center| February 4–6, 2011
| align=center| 545
| align=center| ± 4.2%
| align=center| 57%
| align=center| 34%
| align=center| 9%
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|- valign= bottom
! Poll source
! style="width:120px;"| Date(s)
administered
! class=small | Sample
size
! Margin of
error
! style="width:100px;"| Jeff
Bingaman (D)
! style="width:100px;"| Heather
Wilson (R)
! Undecided
|-
| Public Policy Polling
| align=center| February 4–6, 2011
| align=center| 545
| align=center| ± 4.2%
| align=center| 56%
| align=center| 37%
| align=center| 9%
|}

with Ben Lujan

{| class="wikitable"
|- valign= bottom
! Poll source
! style="width:120px;"| Date(s)
administered
! class=small | Sample
size
! Margin of
error
! style="width:100px;"| Ben
Lujan (D)
! style="width:100px;"| Gary
Johnson (R)
! Undecided
|-
| Public Policy Polling
| align=center| February 4–6, 2011
| align=center| 545
| align=center| ± 4.2%
| align=center| 40%
| align=center| 45%
| align=center| 9%
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|- valign= bottom
! Poll source
! style="width:120px;"| Date(s)
administered
! class=small | Sample
size
! Margin of
error
! style="width:100px;"| Ben
Lujan (D)
! style="width:100px;"| Steve
Pearce (R)
! Undecided
|-
| Public Policy Polling
| align=center| February 4–6, 2011
| align=center| 545
| align=center| ± 4.2%
| align=center| 49%
| align=center| 37%
| align=center| 14%
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|- valign= bottom
! Poll source
! style="width:120px;"| Date(s)
administered
! class=small | Sample
size
! Margin of
error
! style="width:100px;"| Ben
Lujan (D)
! style="width:100px;"| Heather
Wilson (R)
! Undecided
|-
| Public Policy Polling
| align=center| February 4–6, 2011
| align=center| 545
| align=center| ± 4.2%
| align=center| 48%
| align=center| 40%
| align=center| 12%
|}

See also

• United States Senate elections, 2012
  United States Senate elections, 2012
  Elections to the United States Senate are to be held on November 6, 2012, with 33 of the 100 seats in the Senate being contested in regular elections whose winners will serve six-year terms from January 3, 2013 until January 3, 2019. Additionally, special elections may be held to fill vacancies...
  
  
• United States House of Representatives elections in New Mexico, 2012
  United States House of Representatives elections in New Mexico, 2012
  The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in New Mexico will be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012 to elect the three U.S. Representatives from the state, one from each of the state's three congressional districts. The elections will coincide with the elections of other federal and...
  
  

External links

• Elections from the New Mexico secretary of state
• U.S. Congress candidates for New Mexico at Project Vote Smart
  Project Vote Smart
  Project Vote Smart is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States...
  
  

Official campaign websites

• Hector Balderas for U.S. Senate
• Bill English for U.S. Senate
• Martin Heinrich for U.S. Senate
• John Sanchez for U.S. Senate
• Greg Sowards for U.S. Senate
• Heather Wilson for U.S. Senate