Martin Heinrich

Martin Heinrich is a U.S. Senator from New Mexico and a member of the Democratic Party. He was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2008, representing New Mexico's 1st congressional district from 2009 to 2013. In 2012, he was elected to the U.S. Senate to succeed retiring Senator Jeff Bingaman and has since been reelected in 2018 and 2024. Before his time in Congress, Heinrich served on the Albuquerque City Council from 2004 to 2008, including a term as Council President, and was appointed as New Mexico’s Natural Resources Trustee in 2006. Born in Fallon, Nevada, and raised in Missouri, Heinrich earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of Missouri in 1995 before moving to Albuquerque for graduate studies at the University of New Mexico. His professional background includes work as a mechanical engineer at Kirtland Air Force Base and as the executive director of the Cottonwood Gulch Foundation, a non-profit focused on natural science education. He also operated a public affairs consulting firm. In the Senate, Heinrich has focused significantly on energy, the environment, and national security. He is a prominent advocate for the clean energy economy, specifically wind and solar power, and has successfully led efforts to designate several national monuments and wilderness areas in New Mexico. As a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, he has worked on issues ranging from government surveillance reform to modernizing the nation's electrical grid and protecting public lands.

Senator Heinrich’s policy platform is centered on environmental conservation and the transition to renewable energy. He supports aggressive action on climate change, advocating for federal investments in wind and solar technology to create jobs in the clean energy sector. On healthcare, he views it as a fundamental right, supporting the Affordable Care Act and efforts to reduce prescription drug costs. Economically, he has championed middle-class tax relief, increases to the federal minimum wage, and infrastructure investment. His stance on gun policy includes support for common sense safety measures, such as expanded background checks, while stating respect for the Second Amendment. In foreign policy, he supports a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and has been a critic of bulk domestic surveillance. Regarding immigration, he is a long-standing supporter of the DREAM Act and comprehensive reform that combines pathways to citizenship with investments in smart border security.