Journal Poll: Proposal to pay NM legislators a salary has support, but many voters still undecided

yahoo.com · September 6, 2026

# Journal Poll: Proposal to pay NM legislators a salary has support, but many voters still undecided

Published: 2026-09-06T14:02:00+00:00 Source: yahoo.com (yahoo.com) Language: en

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Key takeaways

- 39% of likely voters in New Mexico support a proposed constitutional amendment to pay legislators a salary, while 21% oppose it, with 40% still undecided. - The proposed salary would be tied to the state's gross median annual household income, currently set at roughly $67,800 per year, and would take effect in 2029 if approved. - Democratic voters are more likely to support the legislative salary proposal than Republicans, with independents closely aligned with Democrats, and voters with a graduate degree more likely to back the plan.

SANTA FE — A proposal to allow New Mexico legislators to be paid a salary is getting a positive reception among voters, a new Journal Poll found.

But more than one-third of voters said they have still not decided whether to vote for or against the proposed constitutional amendment — Constitutional Amendment 4 — when they head to the polls this fall.

In all, 39% of likely voters surveyed said they support the proposal to pay lawmakers a salary, while 21% said they oppose the idea. The remaining 40% of voters said they were undecided or wanted more details.

"It's off to a good start in terms of likelihood of passing, but there are still a lot of voters looking for more information on this," said Brian Sanderoff, president of Albuquerque-based Research & Polling Inc., which conducted the poll.

The Democratic-controlled Legislature narrowly approved the proposed constitutional amendment during this year's 30-day session, sending it to voters. If approved, it would take effect in 2029.

Specifically, the plan would tie lawmakers' pay to the state's gross median annual household income, with future increases connected to inflation. That amount is currently set at roughly $67,800 per year.

New Mexico is currently the only state that does not pay its legislators a salary, though lawmakers do receive a per diem payment — currently set at $247 per day — for food and lodging expenses. They can also qualify for a legislative pension plan.

The proposed salary amount under New Mexico's constitutional amendment would be higher than legislators get in neighboring states. Legislative salary levels in other states range from $100 per year in New Hampshire to $142,000 per year in New York, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Meanwhile, some senators argued during this year's debate that the wording on the ballot measure is misleading.

Specifically, the ballot language will ask voters whether they support amending the Constitution to "allow legislative compensation that is limited to the median household income for New Mexico."

That same phrasing was used in the Journal Poll question, in keeping with a longstanding tradition of using the same ballot language that will be presented to voters. The policy is intended to predict the election results more accurately.

A party affiliation chasm

The Journal Poll found Democratic voters were much more likely to support the legislative salary proposal than were Republicans.

Among Democrats, 49% said they would support the ballot measure, compared to just 13% who opposed. In contrast, only 26% of Republicans surveyed said they backed the proposal, while 32% expressed opposition.

That difference in view was not surprising, Sanderoff said, as Republicans generally tend to be more cautious about spending taxpayer dollars.

That partisan split also largely mirrors the legislative vote on the proposal, as most Democrats voted in favor and all Republicans but one cast "no" votes.

Independents, or voters who decline to affiliate with a political party, were more closely aligned with Democrats than Republicans on the legislative salary proposal, the Journal Poll found.

But nearly 40% of independent voters were still undecided on whether to support the ballot measure.

Meanwhile, educational attainment was another key predictor in the Journal Poll, as voters with a graduate degree were more likely than other voters to back the legislative salary plan.

Backers of the proposal have argued that paying legislators a salary would broaden the pool of who can run for the Legislature, while also making the state House and Senate more reflective of New Mexico as a whole.

But the timing of the ballot measure comes as several lawmakers are facing scrutiny over their actions.

Rep. Joseph Hernandez, D-Shiprock, recently announced he was suspending his reelection campaign after police reports and witness testimony linked him to a late-night disturbance at a Chicago hotel that involved him "running around naked" and pounding on hotel doors.

In addition, Rep. Andrea Romero, D-Santa Fe, is facing ethics complaints for accepting a part-time job at the local district attorney's office despite a prohibition against lawmakers holding state offices or employment. She stepped down from the job this week but is not facing prosecution.

Methodology

The Journal Poll was conducted from Aug. 21 through Aug. 28. It is based on a statewide random sample of 516 voters who cast ballots in the 2022 and/or 2024 general elections, and a sample of adults who registered to vote since January 2025 and who said they are likely to vote in the upcoming election.

The total sample of 516 voters has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.3 percentage points. The margin of error grows for subsamples.

The sample was stratified by race/ethnicity and county and weighted by party affiliation, gender and education level based on traditional voting patterns in New Mexico general elections, to ensure a more representative sample.

All interviews were conducted by live, professional interviewers based in Albuquerque, with multiple callbacks to households that did not initially answer the phone.

Both cellphone numbers (96%) and landlines (4%) of likely general election voters were used.

Dan Boyd covers state government and politics for the Journal in Santa Fe. Follow him on X at @DanBoydNM or reach him via email at dboyd@abqjournal.com.

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September 2026