Incumbent U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández faces state Rep. Martin Zamora (R-Clovis) in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election for New Mexico’s 3rd Congressional District. Leger Fernández first won the seat in 2020, replacing Ben Ray Luján when he joined the U.S. Senate. The 3rd Congressional District covers most of northern New Mexico, running the eastern edge of the state to Lea and Chaves counties, as well as a portion of Otero County. Leger Fernández has fended off Republican challengers twice since then and is currently serving her third term.
Zamora has campaigned on protecting private property against federal regulations, promoting energy sector jobs, cracking down on crime, and finishing Trump’s border wall to address immigration. Zamora did not respond to repeated requests from Source NM for an interview. The position carries a salary of $174,000.
Leger Fernández is seeking re-election to New, Mexico’s 3rd Congressional District. A Las Vegas, New Mexico-native, she graduated from both Yale and Stanford Law School and previously worked as a public interest lawyer on cases involving voting rights, tribal sovereignty, environment, and acequia protection, according to her congressional biography. She also worked as a White House fellow in the Clinton and Obama administrations, focusing on housing issues.
During her tenure in Congress, Leger Fernández has been a vocal critic of the Trump administration’s cuts to food assistance and Medicaid programs, as well as its refusal to release un-redacted files relating to sex offender and trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. In February, she introduced federal legislation that would eliminate statutes of limitation in civil cases for victims of sexual abuse and trafficking. She has also focused on federal relief for constituents affected by the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon wildfire and subsequent contamination of water. In August, she urged a federal watchdog agency to investigate toxic materials in fire retardants in response to dozens of private wells in Mora County showing unsafe levels of toxic materials, including arsenic and uranium.
What is the most important issue facing this district? Costs. In my rural district, it is hard to fill up your car, your truck – especially if you need diesel for your tractor or farm equipment. Other items like groceries, energy, and healthcare are all also more expensive because of Trump and Republican policies on the Iran War, tariffs, and the One Big Beautiful Bill that gave billionaires a tax break.
What legislation would you prioritize sponsoring in the next term? I’ve already teed up several bills that will address the high costs of housing, including my Home of Your Own Act, which would get more people into affordable homes. My water rights settlement bills would bring billions of dollars to New Mexico for water projects and certainty to tribal waterways. We also have healthcare legislation to increase providers in rural areas. We need to take back Congress so we can stop the Iran War, Trump’s tariffs, and corruption.
How would you describe the impact of the Trump administration on New Mexico and what would your approach be to working with the Trump administration if re-elected? Trump does not understand New Mexico values, which center around land, water, air, and strong communities. We are proud to be a multicultural, working class state. I think he’s making us poor, hungrier, and less safe. His policies benefit the billionaire class at the expense of working families. There have been 10,000 New Mexico children who lost federal benefits due to Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, his VA staffing cut.
