No major surprises in the first campaign money reports of the new year for the state's five congressional seat--all held by Democrats--but they do indicate that the discouraging trend for Republicans is still in place as the '24 election cycle gets underway. 

Sen. Martin Heinrich reports raising $1.163 million during the January thru March quarter and had cash on hand of $1.911 million. That's enough to scare off challengers and it may have as Heinrich still has no major Republican opposition. He's expected to seek a third term next year, although we recently reported he has yet to make an official Senate announcement and also continues to eye the '26 Guv race.

A tight contest has become routine in the southern congressional district but with new district lines including more of the urban areas freshman Dem Rep. Gabe Vasquez has a bit of an edge. On the money front, he reports raising $360,000 and cash on hand of $303,000. That shows he is up and running but it will be millions in national money that will be the main cash factor in his contest.

Republican Yvette Herrell, who Vasquez narrowly beat last year, is expected to be the GOP nominee again but has yet to launch her fundraising, according to her FEC report. She had $99,000 in cash at the end of March and had only rasied $2,600 in the quarter. But that will soon change now that she is officially in the race and the national GOP--like the national Dems--gets ready for all out battle in the 2nd District, one of the few swing districts left in the US House. 

ABQ Dem Rep. Melanie Stansbury doesn't appear worried about getting a stiff Republican challenge. She reports just $43,600 in cash on hand after raising $103,000 and spending $76,000. Stansbury had an easy go of it in her '22 contest and no name Republican has surfaced to challenge her in '24. 

Northern Dem Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez is also seeking re-election but like Stansbury no heavyweight R (if there any left in the north) has come forward to make the challenge. TLF reports $166,000 in cash and raising $258,000 in the quarter. 

Sen. Ben Ray Lujan is not up for re-election until 2026. He reports $653,000 cash on hand as of March 31. Of note, he donated $53,000 to the state Democratic Party last year and $10,400 to MLG's re-election effort.  

They're wasting no time in Roswell as they wait for the political dominoes to fall. If longtime GOP state Rep. Candy Ezzell lines up to replace Sen. Cliff Pirtle, who is not seeking re-election in 2024, Republican Timothy Fuller, 22, says he is prepped to run for her House seat: 

Fuller, who says Rep. Ezzell has set an "excellent" example, states on Facebook that he plans to go to law school next year. That means for now he'll be needing more money than advice. 

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