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Jesse Francis "Jeff" Bingaman Jr. (born October 3 , 1943 ) is the junior U.S. Senator from New Mexico . He has been in the Senate since 1983 and is a member of the Democratic Party . Bingaman was Attorney General of New Mexico from 1978 until his election to the U.S. Senate in 1982 , when he defeated Republican incumbent and former astronaut Harrison Schmitt . He was re-elected in 1988 , 1994 , 2000 , and 2006 . EARLY LIFE AND CAREER Bingaman was born in . His father taught at Western New Mexico University and his mother taught in the public schools system. At age 15, he earned the rank of Eagle Scout . Bingaman earned a Bachelor Of Arts degree in Government from Harvard University in 1965 . He then entered Stanford Law School , graduating in 1968 . Bingaman is married to Anne Kovacovich Bingaman; they have one child. He practiced law with his wife in New Mexico before being elected as New Mexico Attorney General in 1978. SENATE Bingaman is Chairman of the Energy And Natural Resources Committee and a member of the Finance Committee ; Health, Education, Labor, And Pensions Committee ; and Joint Committee On The Economy . Bingaman and his senate colleague Pete Domenici are the longest-serving duo among current Senators, and Bingaman is the most senior junior senator in the current Senate. The next longest are Edward Kennedy and John Kerry of Massachusetts . Being from a border state, Bingaman has been much involved in the debate over illegal immigration. He believes in increased enforcement of borders to stem the flow of illegal immigrants, and that the U.S. should enact a guest worker program. His approval rating as of 8-21-2007 is 61%, with 31% disapproving. This is 9% higher than Pete Domenici 's. 2006 REELECTION CAMPAIGN See Also: New Mexico United States Senate election, 2006 Bingaman faced no opposition in the June 6, 2006 primary. The Republican primary was won by Allen McCulloch , a Urologist and former chemical engineer. Bingaman won a landslide re-election, defeating his opponent by more than a 40 point margin. ELECTORAL HISTORY
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