New Mexico House of Representatives District 40
| New Mexico House of Representatives District 40 | ||
 | ||
| Current incumbent | Joseph Sanchez  | |
| Population | 29,245 | |
| Race | 23.1% White, 4.9% Native American, 0.2% Black, 0.2% Asian, 70.4% Hispanic, 1.0% Other Races[1] | |
| Ethnicity | 29.6% Non-Hispanic, 70.4% Hispanic | |
| Voting age | 77.7% age 18 and over | |
New Mexico's fortieth state house district is represented by Democratic Representative Joseph Sanchez.
As of the 2010 census, a total of 29,245 civilians reside within New Mexico's fortieth state house district.[2] New Mexico state representatives represent an average of 29,417 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[3] After the 2000 Census, each member represented approximately 25,986 residents.[4]
About the office
Members of the New Mexico House of Representatives serve two-year terms and are not subject to term limits. New Mexico legislators assume office on the first day of January after a general election.[5]
Qualifications
Article 4, Section 3 of the New Mexico Constitution states:[6]
| “ | Senators shall not be less than twenty-five years of age and representatives not less than twenty-one years of age at the time of their election. If any senator or representative permanently removes his residence from or maintains no residence in the district from which he was elected, then he shall be deemed to have resigned and his successor shall be selected as provided in Section 4 of this article. No person shall be eligible to serve in the legislature who, at the time of qualifying, holds any office of trust or profit with the state, county or national governments, except notaries public and officers of the militia who receive no salary.[7] | ” |
The New Mexico State Legislature states that individuals must be U.S. citizens.[8]
When signing the declaration of candidacy, candidates must affirm that they are registered to vote.[9]
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2025[10] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $0/year | $202/day |
Vacancies
If there is a vacancy in the New Mexico State Legislature, the board of county commissioners is responsible for filling the vacancy. There are no deadlines set by Article IV, Section 4 of the New Mexico Constitution, which governs legislative vacancies. If the legislative district spans more than one county, the boards of county commissioners each submit one name to the governor, who appoints a candidate from the list.[11] The appointed replacement serves for the remainder of the unfilled term.[12]
See sources: New Mexico Const. Art. 4, Sec. 4
2016 pivot county
This district was one of 710 state legislative districts that, based on boundaries adopted after the 2010 census, intersected with one or more Pivot Counties. These 206 Pivot Counties voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012.
The 206 Pivot Counties were located in 34 states. Iowa, with 31, had the most such counties. At that time, the partisan makeup of state legislative districts intersecting with Pivot Counties was slightly more Republican than the overall partisan makeup of state legislatures throughout the country.[13]
Elections
2020
General election
General election for New Mexico House of Representatives District 40
Roger Montoya defeated Justin Salazar-Torrez in the general election for New Mexico House of Representatives District 40 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Roger Montoya (D) | 56.9 | 7,378 |
| Justin Salazar-Torrez (R) | 43.1 | 5,589 | ||
| Total votes: 12,967 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 40
Roger Montoya defeated Matthew Gonzales in the Democratic primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 40 on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Roger Montoya | 59.6 | 3,784 |
| Matthew Gonzales | 40.4 | 2,569 | ||
| Total votes: 6,353 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 40
Justin Salazar-Torrez advanced from the Republican primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 40 on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Justin Salazar-Torrez | 100.0 | 1,313 | |
| Total votes: 1,313 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2018
General election
General election for New Mexico House of Representatives District 40
Joseph Sanchez defeated Tweeti Blancett in the general election for New Mexico House of Representatives District 40 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Joseph Sanchez (D) | 80.8 | 8,277 |
| Tweeti Blancett (DTS Party) | 19.2 | 1,973 | ||
| Total votes: 10,250 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 40
Joseph Sanchez defeated Paula Garcia and Barney Trujillo in the Democratic primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 40 on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Joseph Sanchez | 47.7 | 3,056 |
| Paula Garcia | 30.5 | 1,951 | ||
 | Barney Trujillo | 21.8 | 1,394 | |
| Total votes: 6,401 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2016
Elections for the New Mexico House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election took place on June 7, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was March 8, 2016.
Incumbent Nick Salazar ran unopposed in the New Mexico House of Representatives District 40 general election.[14][15]
| New Mexico House of Representatives District 40, General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Nick Salazar Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 9,038 | |
| Total Votes | 9,038 | |||
| Source: New Mexico Secretary of State | ||||
Incumbent Nick Salazar defeated Barney R. Trujillo in the New Mexico House of Representatives District 40 Democratic primary.[16]
| New Mexico House of Representatives District 40, Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Nick Salazar Incumbent |
57.07% | 3,637 | |
| Democratic | Barney R. Trujillo | 42.93% | 2,736 | |
| Total Votes | 6,373 | |||
2014
Elections for the New Mexico House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on June 3, 2014, and a general election took place on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 4, 2014. Incumbent Nick Salazar defeated Bengie Regensberg in the Democratic primary, while James R. Gallegos was unopposed in the Republican primary. Salazar defeated Gallegos in the general election.[17][18]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Nick Salazar Incumbent |
66.8% | 5,883 | |
| Republican | James Gallegos | 33.2% | 2,928 | |
| Total Votes | 8,811 | |||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Nick Salazar Incumbent |
66.3% | 3,811 |
| Bengie Regensberg | 33.7% | 1,940 |
| Total Votes | 5,751 | |
2012
Elections for the office of New Mexico House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on June 5, 2012, and a general election on November 6, 2012. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 20, 2012. Incumbent Nick Salazar (D) defeated Gary E. Martinez (R) in the general election. Salazar ran and defeated Peter A. Martinez and Bengie Regensberg in the Democratic primary. Gary Martinez was unopposed in the Republican primary.[19][20][21]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Nick Salazar Incumbent |
66% | 7,901 | |
| Republican | Gary E. Martinez | 34% | 4,076 | |
| Total Votes | 11,977 | |||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Nick Salazar Incumbent |
51.6% | 2,908 |
| Bengie Regensberg | 25.2% | 1,420 |
| Peter A. Martinez | 23.3% | 1,312 |
| Total Votes | 5,640 | |
Campaign contributions
From 2002 to 2016, candidates for New Mexico House of Representatives District 40 raised a total of $293,311. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $15,437 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money.
| Campaign contributions, New Mexico House of Representatives District 40 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Amount | Candidates | Average | |
| 2016 | $55,722 | 2 | $27,861 | |
| 2014 | $66,650 | 3 | $22,217 | |
| 2012 | $57,084 | 4 | $14,271 | |
| 2010 | $8,575 | 1 | $8,575 | |
| 2008 | $11,850 | 1 | $11,850 | |
| 2006 | $33,975 | 2 | $16,988 | |
| 2004 | $29,270 | 2 | $14,635 | |
| 2002 | $12,450 | 2 | $6,225 | |
| 2000 | $17,735 | 2 | $8,868 | |
| Total | $293,311 | 19 | $15,437 | |
See also
- New Mexico State Legislature
- New Mexico State Senate
- New Mexico House of Representatives
- New Mexico state legislative districts
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ For more information on the parameters the U.S. Census Bureau use, please see our Race and Ethnicity on the United States Census page.
- ↑ http://www.nmlegis.gov, "New Mexico Redistricting: House Plan Maps and Data," accessed October 9, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "Population Distribution and Change: 2000 to 2010," accessed January 6, 2014
- ↑ www.census.gov/, "Population in 2000 of the American states," accessed January 6, 2014
- ↑ New Mexico Constitution, "Article IV, Section 4, accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑ New Mexico Secretary of State, "New Mexico Constitution- Article 4, Section 3," accessed May 23, 2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ New Mexico State Legislature, "State Legislature Handbook," accessed May 27, 2025 (page 2)
- ↑ Justia, "NM Stat § 1-22-8 (2024)," accessed May 29, 2025
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2025 Legislator Compensation," December 2, 2025
- ↑ Justia US Law, "2021 New Mexico Statutes Section 2-8D-4," accessed February 6, 2023
- ↑ New Mexico Legislature, "New Mexico Constitution," accessed February 11, 2021 (Article IV, Section 4)
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
- ↑ New Mexico Secretary of State, "2016 general election contest/candidate list," accessed August 18, 2016
- ↑ New Mexico Secretary of State, "Official Results General Election - November 8, 2016," accessed November 29, 2016
- ↑ New Mexico Secretary of State, "2016 Primary Election Contest/Candidate List," accessed March 10, 2016
- ↑ New Mexico Secretary of State, "Official Results Primary Election - June 3, 2014," accessed July 7, 2014
- ↑ New Mexico State Legislature, "2014 Primary Election Candidates," accessed May 13, 2014
- ↑ New Mexico Secretary of State, "Official General Election Results," accessed October 8, 2013
- ↑ New Mexico Secretary of State, "Official Primary Results," accessed April 15, 2014
- ↑ New Mexico Secretary of State, "2012 Primary Candidate List," accessed May 12, 2014(Archived)
