The Scoop
Martin Heinrich was pretty close to running for governor of New Mexico. In the end, though, staying in the Senate won out.
The third-term Democrat told Semafor in an interview on Thursday that he will not pursue his state’s open governorship in 2026, which will come as a relief to his colleagues and to Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer. Heinrich’s decision saves them the trouble of a future Senate vacancy; it also positions the wonky and recently re-elected Democrat to chair the Senate’s energy committee whenever his party can get back the majority.
“I appreciate much more than when I was younger what a privilege it is to be in a position like this, and especially to have the seniority to really be able to deliver in meaningful ways to your constituents,” Heinrich said in the interview.
A two-term House member before winning his seat, Heinrich said he’s at a point where the projects he started working on 16 years ago “are actually coming down to the ground in New Mexico.”
Fresh off a 10-point win over Republican rival Nella Domenici, the daughter of longtime former GOP senator Pete Domenici, Heinrich had the support of his wife if he wanted to pursue a gubernatorial run. After he conducted polling, he saw a further opportunity to become his state’s chief executive.
But he was also wary of missing time with his family on another campaign. Then, seeing President Donald Trump return to office this week with a blitz of polarizing executive actions “was the kicker for me.”
“There was a while where I was leaning heavily that way,” Heinrich said of the governor’s race. “And this week in particular has made me feel really good about the importance of, at the very least, the next four years here.”
Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland is also in the mix as a potential gubernatorial candidate; Heinrich said it was too early for him to offer an endorsement in that race. He also said he felt good about potential Democratic successors, had his Senate seat come open.
But considering they already face a tough path back to the majority, Senate Democratic leaders certainly don’t want any more seats to defend in the near future.
“We need Martin Heinrich in the Senate, and I’m very glad he has chosen to stay. His leadership in this moment is essential for New Mexico and for the country,” Schumer said in a statement for this story.
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The retirement of former Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., and the elevation of Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., to majority whip set up a new duo to lead the energy committee: Heinrich and incoming chair Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, one of the most conservative senators. The two have already tangled over Lee’s moves to quickly schedule hearings on two of Trump’s Cabinet picks, Energy Secretary nominee Chris Wright and Interior Secretary nominee Doug Burgum.
“We have a very cordial personal relationship. I expressed my frustration at deviating from the traditional way of doing things,” Heinrich said. “Right now, it’s more important than it probably ever will be to maintain norms in the Senate and in our government as a whole.”
Heinrich ultimately voted for both nominees in committee on Thursday, saying that his sprawling, energy-producing state needs to have relationships with both secretaries. He said Burgum “is the most we could hope for” from Trump in that position and that Wright was less “bombastic and strident” on climate and energy policy than he expected.
Still, Heinrich and Lee will have to focus on the apolitical aspects of energy policy if they hope to move bipartisan legislation. Heinrich said the two have already discussed reviving last Congress’ project permitting overhaul and sees ways to work with Republicans in “areas where the president hasn’t poisoned the well on clean energy.”
He’s hopeful the economic benefits of Biden-era investments in energy technology will help save some of the former president’s clean energy money and policies from the axe.
And though Democrats face a tough path back to the majority in 2026 and beyond — they need to net four seats in the next election to take back the Senate — Heinrich is confident he’ll end up having an opportunity to be chairman.
“A Republican member that will remain nameless said to me recently: ‘Don’t worry; in six months, we’ll screw it up,’” Heinrich said. “It may take a couple cycles, but we’ll get back into [the] majority.”
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