Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez first won this seat in 2020 with 59% of the vote and most recently in 2024 by 56-44%. Council for a Livable World endorsed her in all her races.
New Mexico state legislator Martin Zamora entered the race as Rep. Leger Fernandez’s most likely opponent in September. Since 2020, he has represented the 63rd New Mexico House District, which overlaps significantly with Rep. Leger Fernandez’s district. This is expected to be Rep. Leger Fernandez’s most competitive election to date as Mr. Zamora has deep ties to the fossil fuel industry in Eastern New Mexico.
Rep. Leger Fernandez has been a major advocate in Congress fighting for compensation for those affected by the U.S. legacy of nuclear weapons production and testing. In 2025, Congress passed her legislation expanding the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) after decades of advocacy.
She currently serves on the powerful House Rules Committee as Ranking Member of its Subcommittee on Legislative and Budget Process and on the House Committee on Natural Resources as the Ranking Member of its Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs. Rep. Leger Fernandez was also named Chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus.
The daughter of bilingual education pioneers, Congresswoman Leger Fernandez started her education in Head Start, eventually going on to graduate from Yale and Stanford Law School. As an attorney and advocate, she won significant legal battles on voting rights, tribal sovereignty and the environment.
