FROM THE CAMPAIGN MANAGER’S DESK:

Happy almost-2020! With the holiday season upon us and the new year sneaking up, I’ve been reflecting on the progress of our campaign — and how much we’ve accomplished since launching last April.

Over the last eight months, we’ve:

• Earned thousands of endorsements from hard-working New Mexican voters.
• Recruited hundreds of volunteers to get out the vote and;
• Raised more money than any non-incumbent Senate campaign in New Mexico history at this point in the election cycle — all while taking no corporate PAC money and building a grassroots network of small-dollar New Mexican donors.

Those are major accomplishments — and we couldn’t have done it without you.

The year ahead will be exciting and challenging. To date, three Republicans have announced their campaigns to run against Ben Ray.

The winner of the Republican Senate primary will end up working closely with the Trump campaign. They will be well-funded and heavily staffed — but no amount of money can beat the New Mexico grassroots. If we work together and stay focused, we can keep New Mexico blue.

Right now, our priority is ensuring Ben Ray’s place on the ballot. In order to do that, we must collect thousands of signatures from registered New Mexico Democrats.

We need your help! If you and your family will be staying in (or visiting) New Mexico over the holidays, there are opportunities to collect signatures and volunteer with our campaign. Click here or email DeChellie Gray at [email protected]to learn more.

POLICY UPDATE

THERE’S A LOT GOING ON IN WASHINGTON. While impeachment proceedings continue to consume the majority of public attention, Ben Ray is working on policies that will improve the lives of people across New Mexico. Recently, both the House and the Senate passed the Esther Martinez Native American Languages Programs Reauthorization Act, legislation that will provide funding to revitalize and sustain Native American languages. Ben Ray was proud to author this legislation in the House and looks forward to seeing New Mexico’s indigenous language programs flourish.

FINANCE UPDATE

DEADLINE ALERT! Today marks 10 days until our last end-of-quarter fundraising deadline of the year. After December 31, this campaign will report our fundraising numbers to the Federal Election Commission.

Here’s why this deadline matters: After our fundraising report becomes public in January, Republican researchers will pore over our records, looking for signs that our grassroots strength is wavering. If our campaign looks vulnerable, national Republican groups could start dumping even more money into New Mexico to turn our state red. That’s why meeting our end-of-quarter goal is critically important. To help us get a head start on fundraising, chip in here.

ENDORSEMENT UPDATE

KIND WORDS FROM OUR FRIENDS: This month, our campaign was honored to receive endorsements from Planned Parenthood Action Fund, NARAL Pro-Choice America, the Sierra Club, and J Street PAC. These champions of social justice are leading the way on some of the most important issues of our time, and Ben Ray is looking forward to working closely with them in the Senate. Here’s what our endorsers are saying about Ben Ray:

“Ben Ray Lujan has ALWAYS fought to protect access to sexual and reproductive health care — including safe, legal abortion — and we know he’ll keep fighting in the Senate. He has Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s support!” - Alexis McGill Johnson, acting president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Action Fund

"NARAL is proud to endorse Congressman Luján, a staunch advocate for reproductive freedom who for a decade has demonstrated his commitment to fighting for women and families in Congress” - Ilyse Hogue, President of NARAL Pro-Choice America.

"We are thrilled to have an environmental champion like Rep. Luján to protect New Mexico's air, land, and water and build a clean energy economy to benefit all New Mexico families" - Richard Barish, Political Chair, Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter.

“Representative Lujan has a track record of supporting principled diplomacy, fighting for democratic values and promoting peace, justice, and self-determination for both Israelis and Palestinians" - Ben Shnider, Vice President of Political Affairs and Strategy, J Street PAC.

These four new endorsers join dozens of state and national leaders who have announced their support for our campaign. Our most important endorsements, however, come from families and individuals living right here in New Mexico. We’d be honored if you would lend your name to our list of New Mexican endorsers.

Help us spread the word about our campaign by using the #PeopleforBen hashtag! Click here to share a list of our most prominent endorsers on Facebook.

FIELD UPDATE

SIGNATURE COLLECTION CONTINUES. In New Mexico, candidates must collect thousands of nominating signatures to appear on the June primary ballot. Collecting these signatures requires tremendous grassroots mobilization across the state — and Ben Ray is counting on volunteers to help meet our signature goals! Want to help collect signatures? Sign up here.

Can’t collect signatures but want to help? Pitch in to our Volunteer Fund to buy clipboards, pens, and water for our hard-working grassroots teams.

POLITICAL UPDATE

ALL POLITICS IS LOCAL. Over the next few weeks, county nominating conventions will begin across New Mexico. Attending local conventions is a great way to get involved in local politics and talk to members of your community about supporting Ben Ray.

Interested in attending a convention as a supporter of our campaign? Fill out this form and we’ll be in touch.

FUN STUFF

PEOPLE FOR BEN is the online community for our campaign. Join us to get a behind-the-scenes look at our travels across the state and learn about new ways to get involved.

AND ABOVE ALL…

Happy holidays and a joyful new year, from our campaign family to yours!