Sandoval County Commissioner Jay Block announced Tuesday morning that he is running for a state Senate seat in 2024.

Block represents District 2, which includes southeastern Rio Rancho and Corrales, for the county commission. He is registered on the Secretary of State’s Campaign Finance Information System as a candidate in Senate District 12.

The current District 12 in Albuquerque is represented by retiring Democrat Jerry Ortiz Pino. District 12 was re-drawn during the 2021 legislative session and goes into effect for the 2024 election.

District 12, under a new district map, now consists of much of Rio Rancho and Paradise Hills neighborhoods in Bernalillo County. According to the Secretary of State’s website, approximately 51,700 people live in the newly drawn Senate district, which lies generally west of Corrales.

Block won his election in a nearly identical district in 2016 when he ran for Sandoval County commissioner and won re-election in 2020. His political future after this term was unclear until Tuesday’s announcement.

“This decision was solidified after it became clear during the 2023 legislative session that the woke left would rather pass policies that help them virtue signal to their small base rather than help hard-working New Mexicans,” Block said. “New Mexicans want and need a fighter in Santa Fe that will stand up for our values of God, family and freedom. If you know anything about me, then you know I’m not here to make friends. I’ll go head-to-head with the woke left and spineless politicians in the Roundhouse.”

Block has served as a county commissioner since 2016 and had a 21-plus year career in the Air Force. He volunteered to serve in Afghanistan from 2005-06, where he commanded and organized  numerous humanitarian missions for the Afghan people. Block was a Republican candidate for governor last year.
“I will address the fentanyl crisis and drug addiction by using state resources to secure our southern border. I will protect New Mexico’s Second Amendment rights,” Block said. “I will work to reform our failing education system, instead of teaching our children taboo gender ideology. I will cut wasteful spending, fight inflation, fight for bail reform to keep criminals off the streets, back our law enforcement to get their qualified immunity back, support pro-jobs and business policies to stop the bleeding of jobs and businesses from New Mexico, introduce voter ID and other election security protocols to ensure election integrity and reduce taxes to put more money back in your pocket.  There is so much to do, and I look forward to working across the aisle to pass the positive policies that New Mexicans desperately need.”