Democrat Ben Ray Luján wins open Senate seat in New Mexico

Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D) is projected to win New Mexico’s open Senate seat on Tuesday, making him the the first Hispanic to represent the state in the upper chamber since 1977.

The Associated Press called the race at 12:25 a.m EST. 

Luján, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, beat Republican Mark Ronchetti for a seat the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rated as “solid Democratic.”

The six-term lawmaker will succeed retiring Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.).

In January, Luján will move across the Capitol after attaining the rank of assistant Speaker, the highest post for a Latino in the House in U.S. history. Previous positions include chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) for the 2018 election cycle, when Democrats won back the House, and chairman of Bold PAC, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus campaign arm.

Luján will join Nevada Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto as the second Mexican American in the Senate and will become the fifth Hispanic alongside Cortez Masto and Sens. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas).

“As the first Hispanic to lead the DCCC, he brought us the majority. As the first Hispanic to be voted by his peers as House Assistant Speaker, Senator-elect Luján has been a relentless advocate for working families to ensure the American dream is still possible for the next generation,” said Rep. Tony Cárdenas (D-Calif.), who succeeded Luján as chairman of Bold PAC.

“Ben Ray is a trailblazer and we are going to miss his leadership in the House, but we know he will be a tremendous force for New Mexicans, Latinos, and Americans across the country in the Senate,” added Cárdenas.