Sarah Silva is the incumbent HD-53 representative, defending a narrow 2024 win and working to make healthcare and utilities more reliable for southern New Mexico families. Support Sarah directly — donations to the candidate are the most effective way to make your opinion count!
Donate » Campaign website & Volunteer »Willie Madrid held this seat from 2019 through 2024. In the 2024 Primary, after redistricting had rendered the district more favorable for a progressive Democrat, John Hall defeated Madrid. Tragically, John died before the General Election. Sarah Silva stepped forward as the Democratic nominee and won the seat 51.9% to 48.1% against Republican Elizabeth Winterrowd — a strong result given the difficult circumstances. She hit the ground running in the legislature.
PolitiScore's analysis of Sarah's first term notes: "Many of her bills work within systems the state already runs — such as Medicaid hospital fees, the Water Project Fund, conservation endowments, and existing licensing boards — rather than creating costly new bureaucracies…. Overall, her work is likely to make healthcare and utilities more reliable and affordable, strengthen democracy, and give rural and border communities fairer access to water, roads, and education." The KRWG analysis notes details about her healthcare and utilities work.
The Race
HD-53 covers Doña Ana and Otero Counties. Sarah's 2024 margin of 3.8 points makes this a competitive seat worth defending. Republican Ben Luna, running unopposed in his primary, will be her 2026 opponent.
See Sarah's recap of both the 2025 and 2026 legislative sessions on her campaign site. An NMSU newspaper article covers her briefing of university students about the 2026 session accomplishments, noting strong student enthusiasm for her leadership. See also a PolitiScore analysis of her first term.
The Opponent
Republican Ben Luna is running unopposed in the primary for HD-53. He also declared for the US Senate seat held by Senator Lujan but is listed as withdrawn or disqualified from that primary ballot. Compare his campaign website.