New Mexico Rep. Ben Ray Lujan announces Senate run

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Rep. Ben Ray Lujan is making a run for the state’s open U.S. Senate seat in 2020.

The Democrat had been consulting for weeks with family and supporters about getting into the race and announced his decision Monday in a video posted on Twitter.

He says the Senate needs fixing in the video that was recorded on Lujan’s New Mexico farm.

Lujan holds the No. 4 leadership post in the House. He says he will formally launch his campaign in the coming weeks.

Lujan so far is the most prominent Democrat to make a bid for the seat being vacated by Democratic U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, who isn’t seeking a third term.

New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas said he would not run, citing personal and professional reasons.