Martin Heinrich, candidate for New Mexico’s U.S. Senate seat

Name: Martin Heinrich

Age: 52

Party: Democrat

Occupation: United States Senator

Relevant Experience: Albuquerque City Council, United States House of Representatives, United States Senate

Personal: I live in Albuquerque with my wife and two sons.

Website: MartinHeinrich.com

Martin Heinrich has served as the senior senator for New Mexico since 2013. Here are his answers to KVIA's questions regarding his candidacy.

What will you do on Capitol Hill to get relief for New Mexico communities impacted by wildfires?

I worked with the New Mexico Congressional delegation to secure nearly $4 billion to recover from the Calf Canyon Hermit's Peak Fire to help New Mexicans recover and deliver the compensation and justice that New Mexicans deserve. This summer’s fires in Ruidoso were extremely damaging, and I’ll keep working with federal agencies and Congress to make sure Ruidoso and Mescalero get the help they need.

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed several new gun and public safety laws this year. Do you support the nationwide implementation of similar measures?

In the Senate I was a lead negotiator on the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which was the most significant gun safety legislation to pass in years. There is still work to do, and I think waiting periods and bans on firearms in polling places are good steps to take to bring back the culture of safety and responsibility that surrounded firearm ownership when I was growing up.

What updates, if any, should be made to the Affordable Care Act?

First and foremost, we must protect the Affordable Care Act from Republican efforts to repeal the law. I support allowing all Americans to buy into Medicare, which will allow Medicare to compete with private insurance.

How will you work to lower inflation for your constituents?

I support building on measures we have already passed and make sure that their benefits are felt by as many people as possible. That includes cutting prescription drug prices for seniors, capping monthly insulin costs, making energy efficiency upgrades easier to help families save on home energy costs, and expanding the Child Tax Credit.

New Mexico has seen a rise in housing costs in recent years. What measures would you support to provide New Mexicans relief?

We need to expand the housing supply and eliminate barriers to housing. In the Senate I’ve supported legislation that would invest in the construction of new affordable housing. In the Senate I’ve secured millions of dollars to expand affordable housing construction and upgrades and I’ve passed legislation that will help homeowners improve their home’s energy efficiency, saving money on utilities in the long run. 

Thousands of migrants enter New Mexico every year. What does the Senate need to do to fix the immigration issue?

I voted for the one strongest immigration bills in recent years, and passing that legislation which would be a good first step to solve issues at the border. I’m committed to fighting for immigration reform that improves our border security and enforcement while also creating a pathway to citizenship for DREAMers, a more efficient visa system, a reformed process for those legitimately seeking asylum, and a tough but fair path to residency for those who follow the law, pass background checks, and pay taxes.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, the national deficit is expected to grow to $1.8 trillion in 2025. The federal government has maintained pandemic-level spending for many programs. What would you propose in order to reduce the deficit and better manage the country’s budget?

We need to ensure corporations and the wealthiest people in America pay their fair share by reversing the substantial tax cuts for the wealthy and large corporations implemented in the 2017 Republican tax law, closing loopholes in the tax code that benefit the wealthy, and enabling the IRS to go after wealthy tax cheats.

Why are you the best candidate for this office?

It is my honor to represent New Mexico in the U.S. Senate. Growing up as the son of a lineman and a factory worker, I’ve experienced firsthand the challenges that working families face. I’ve dedicated my career to fighting for economic opportunity, and protecting the fundamental freedoms we hold dear — the freedom to choose, to access the ballot box, and to be safe in our communities. We’ve made remarkable progress, together: expanding health care for veterans, reducing the cost of prescription drugs, protecting New Mexico’s treasured public lands, cracking down on the fentanyl supply chain, and unlocking unprecedented investment in early childhood education. But there is more to do. We need to continue to raise wages, lower costs, and create good-paying jobs. We must protect access to reproductive health care, further address gun violence, and fix our broken immigration system. This is a critical moment for our state and our nation, and my record is clear: I have fought for New Mexico, and I will continue to do so.