YOU CAN’T WIN IF YOU DON’T PLAY: No Republicans to appear on ballot in 2026 New Mexico Senate election.

Republican Christopher Vanden Heuvel was disqualified by New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, who ruled that the 2026 Senate candidate didn’t turn in enough qualified voter signatures to appear on the June primary ballot, wiping the Republican field. Though the state is solidly blue, the disqualification will mark the first time in the state’s modern history that a Republican won’t appear on the Senate ballot, the Albuquerque Journal reported.

Incumbent Sen. Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM) will now cruise to a second term, barring an unlikely defeat in a Democratic primary.

Dems fight everywhere, and pick up the occasional unexpected win. Too often, the GOP doesn’t even show up.