In the past two elections Santa Fe-area legislators got free rides in retaining their offices. But not this year.

On Tuesday, which was filing day for legislators, judges, Public Regulation Commission and county offices, House Speaker Ben Luján, D-Nambé, got a primary opponent, Carl Trujillo of Santa Fe, while Reps. Luciano "Lucky" Varela and Brian Egolf, both Santa Fe Democrats, drew Republican opponents in the general election.

Bob Walsh will face Varela in November, while Brigette Ford Russell will oppose Egolf in the general election. Russell has written conservative columns for The New Mexico Independent and other publications.

Luján's opponent is the nephew of state Rep. Jim Trujillo, D-Santa Fe. "I talked to him until I was blue in the face, telling him all the reasons he shouldn't run," Rep. Trujillo told a reporter Tuesday. He said he would work to re-elect Luján, who is running for his 19th term.

Carl Trujillo, 43, said Tuesday, "I'm part of the younger generation, and I'm ready for change. I'm tired of the same old politics." Trujillo, who works as a senior technologist at Los Alamos National Laboratory, said he'll run a grassroots campaign and will not accept contributions of more than $100.

Luján, who has been House speaker since 2001, said Tuesday, "It's a free country. Anyone's entitled to run for anything they want."

Meanwhile, 10-term lawmaker, Rep. Jeanette Wallace, R-Los Alamos — who has run unopposed in her past five elections — attracted two Democratic opponents: Stephanie Richard, a teacher at Pablo Roybal Elementary School in Pojoaque; and Peter Sheehey, a scientist at LANL.

Asked why she attracted opposition this year, Wallace blamed an anti-incumbent mood. "The mood of the state is, 'we've had enough,' she said.

And in Las Vegas, incumbent Rep. Richard Vigil will face three opponents in the Democratic primary. Vigil has served six terms.

His challengers include former Rep. Barbara Perea-Casey, who represented a district in Roswell in the '90s, Chris Lopez, the 26-year-old publisher of the Las Vegas Times; and Eric Michael Cummings. The winner of the Democratic primary will run against Republican Mel Root.

In addition to the legislative races, some Santa Fe voters will get to vote in the Public Regulation Commission's District 5 race. That district stretches all the way from the Arizona border to Santa Fe County. Incumbent Carol Sloan of Gallup will face four opponents in the Democratic primary, including Santa Fe homeless advocate Hank Hughes; Theresa Becenti-Aguilar; George James Galanis; and Albuquerque accountant Andrew Leo Lopez. The winner of the primary will run against Republican Gary Montoya.

Contact Steve Terrell at 986-3037 or sterrell@sfnewmexican.com. Read his political blog at roundhouseroundup.com.