ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Another Senate Democrat has lost his bid for the party’s nomination after a coalition of liberal advocacy groups worked hard during the primary campaign to unseat lawmakers who have been resistant to their progressive agenda.

Incumbent Clemente Sanchez was defeated by retired teacher Pamela Cordova of Belen. She was running under the banner “unbought and unbeholden.”

Sanchez, a Grants bank executive and chairman of the Senate's corporate affairs committee, was among the incumbents targeted by abortion rights and gun control advocates. Liberal critics also had attacked him for reluctance to tap one of the state's permanent trust funds to increase spending on early childhood education.

The fate of Senate leadership also remained uncertain as vote counting stretched into Wednesday.

Senate President Mary Kay Papen of Las Cruces and Senate finance committee leader John Arthur Smith of Deming were trailing their challengers.

A member of the Senate since 2001, Papen hadn’t faced a primary opponent in years. An advocate for mental health services, Papen had fallen behind Carrie Hamblen, CEO of the Las Cruces Green Chamber of Commerce. Hamblen had won praise from U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich on environmental conservation issues and as an advocate for LGBTQ rights.

Smith trailed Neomi Martinez-Parra of Lordsburg, a former vice chairwoman of the state Democratic Party. Smith, a member of the Senate since 1989, arguably has been one of the Legislature’s most influential voices on budget matters. He is known for keeping the state’s spending in check.

Without Smith and Papen, the dynamics of the Legislature are likely to change.

In other races, embattled Sen. Richard Martinez — who was convicted of drunken driving after ramming into a car stopped at a traffic light — lost his bid for the Democratic nomination in a northern New Mexico district Tuesday. Martinez was seeking a sixth term amid an uncertain political future following his conviction. He lost to Leo Jaramillo, a Rio Arriba County commissioner and Española resident. Jaramillo also has acknowledged a drunken driving conviction more than 20 years ago.

Sen. Gabriel Ramos of Silver City fell short Tuesday, losing his bid for the Democratic nomination to Siah Correa Hemphill. She was endorsed by the governor. Ramos had held the seat since 2019, when he was appointed to fill a vacant seat left by Lt. Gov. Howie Morales.

Incumbent George Muñoz was able to defend his seat from Democrat Noreen Kelly of Church Rock.

The incumbent senators broke ranks with a majority of Democrats in 2019 to uphold the state’s dormant criminal ban on abortion. Critics also have said the incumbents helped to water down a House-approved version of the state’s 2019 minimum wage hike and resisted efforts to legalize recreational marijuana.

The primary came as New Mexico took its first major steps toward reopening the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic. Also looming is a special legislative session on budget and economic recovery matters on June 18. The pandemic response is expected to quickly wipe out state reserves despite more than $1.2 billion in related federal assistance.

In the Republican primary, Sen. Gregg Fulfer of Jal lost his bid for the nomination in a southeastern New Mexico district to Rep. David Gallegos of Eunice.

Physician and state Rep. Gregg Schmedes of Tijeras was leading incumbent Sen. James White of Albuquerque in a district that extends eastward from Albuquerque into rural portions of Santa Fe, Torrance and Sandoval counties.

State Republican Party officials have said they're positioning ahead of the general election to challenge Democrats in Albuquerque swing seats and on new fronts in Las Cruces and elsewhere.

Democrats hold a 46-24 majority in the state House and a 26-16 advantage in the Senate.