Martin Heinrich is the senior United States senator from New Mexico, serving since 2013. Before winning his Senate seat, he represented New Mexico’s 1st congressional district in the U.S. House from 2009 to 2013, and earlier served on the Albuquerque City Council, including a term as council president.
Heinrich was born in Fallon, Nevada, grew up in Missouri, and earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of Missouri in 1995. After relocating to Albuquerque, he took graduate coursework at the University of New Mexico, worked as an AmeriCorps fellow, and later led the Cottonwood Gulch Foundation, a nonprofit focused on outdoor and environmental education.
His political brand is anchored in Western public lands, clean energy expansion, and science and technology policy. He has framed climate and renewables as both a conservation imperative and a jobs strategy, pushing for investment in transmission, advanced energy research, and outdoor access while maintaining a pragmatic lane on resource politics inside a state with both energy production and strong conservation constituencies.
In the Senate, Heinrich has paired environmental priorities with national security and tech governance, including work tied to intelligence oversight and emerging technologies. He has also drawn attention for cross pressures on guns and energy, supporting some gun safety measures while navigating a personal identity as a hunter and gun owner, and occasionally drawing criticism from both industry and progressive activists depending on the vote.
Progressive
Committee Assignments
Caucus Memberships
Achievements
- Built a Senate profile around clean energy expansion and Western public lands
- Advanced federal support for renewable development, transmission, and conservation jobs
- Chaired major economic oversight work through the Joint Economic Committee
- Promoted STEM investment and technology workforce priorities tied to New Mexico’s labs and universities
- Supported election security and cybersecurity modernization efforts in Congress
Controversies
- Criticized by oil and gas interests for backing aggressive climate and environmental regulation
- Frustrated some gun control advocates with selective votes on assault weapon restrictions
- Faced periodic pushback over balancing conservation with extraction jobs in New Mexico
- Cross pressures on foreign policy votes related to U.S. arms sales and human rights oversight
- Has drawn attacks from Republicans branding Democratic energy and spending policy as too costly
Top Donors
| Donor | Total | Individuals | PACs |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of New Mexico | $76,120 | $76,120 | $0 |
| Summit Ridge Energy | $75,100 | $75,100 | $0 |
| Pattern Energy Group | $72,600 | $62,600 | $10,000 |
| JStreetPAC | $65,559 | $64,146 | $1,413 |
| Mmr Constructors | $61,500 | $61,500 | $0 |
Amounts shown reflect organization linked giving most funds listed here are from individual donors or aligned PACs
Recent Elections
2012 Margin D +5.3%
2018 Margin D +23.6%
2024 Margin D +10.12%