SANTA FE — New Mexico Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth announced Tuesday he will step down from his leadership post before the start of the 2027 legislative session and will not seek a sixth term in the Senate when his seat comes up in 2028, closing a two-decade-plus chapter in New Mexico legislative politics.
Wirth, 64, has served as majority floor leader for 10 years — the second-longest tenure in that role in state history — and has been a member of the Legislature since 2004, first in the House before winning his Senate seat in 2009.
“I have always believed that strong institutions outlast any individual leader, and that one of the most important things a leader can do is prepare the ground for what comes next,” Wirth said in a statement. “The New Mexico Senate Democratic Caucus has never been stronger. This is the right moment to make way for a new Majority Leader, not because the work is done, but because the work must continue, and continue well.”
Wirth attributed his legislative record to an eight-year collaborative relationship with Gov. Michelle Luján Grisham and Lt. Gov. Howie Morales, pointing to water quality legislation, behavioral health infrastructure, early childhood investment, and the repeal of the state’s 1960s-era statute criminalizing abortion as signature accomplishments.
Senate Republican Leader Bill Sharer (R-Farmington) issued a statement through his office acknowledging the announcement with measured praise for his Democratic counterpart across the aisle. “Senator Wirth and I have not always agreed, and we never pretended otherwise,” Sharer said. “But from my first day in this role, he treated me and our caucus with respect, and I hope I returned the same. That kind of relationship does not happen by accident. It takes two people who care more about doing the job right than scoring points, and Senator Wirth has always been that kind of leader.”
Sharer added: “What we demonstrated together is that you can fight hard for what you believe in, disagree openly and honestly, and still find a way to move the state forward. That is what the people of New Mexico sent us here to do.”
Wirth said he does not plan to step back from legislative work during the remainder of his term, indicating he intends to continue advancing priorities including water security, environmental legislation, fiscal discipline, and public health. “I don’t plan on sitting in the back row and doing nothing,” he said.
Under Senate caucus rules and practice, the majority floor leader is a party position selected by the caucus — not a constitutional office filled by a chamber-wide vote. The Senate Democratic Caucus is expected to hold a closed-door vote to elect Wirth’s successor before the 2027 session convenes in January, setting off what is expected to be a competitive internal race among Senate Democrats. No candidates have publicly declared.
Democrats currently hold a 26-16 majority in the chamber and have controlled the Senate since 1988.
