Representative Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico, a trusted ally of Speaker Nancy Pelosi who was seen as a possible candidate to replace her when she retired, announced on Monday that he would run for the Senate in 2020.

He will seek the seat held by Senator Tom Udall, also a Democrat, who said last week that he would retire at the end of his term.

Mr. Luján’s decision makes him the latest aspiring House speaker to move on because of Ms. Pelosi’s longevity. Chris Van Hollen, now a senator from Maryland, and Xavier Becerra, now attorney general of California, are also among the former Democratic House stars who have since sought other offices.

An easygoing, well-liked member of the House who currently serves as deputy speaker, Mr. Luján has represented New Mexico’s Third Congressional District since 2008. He also led the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the party’s arm that supports House candidates, in the 2016 and 2018 elections.

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Mr. Luján tipped his cap to Mr. Udall in a statement on Monday, calling him “a champion for New Mexico” and arguing that “New Mexico needs another champion” in the Senate.

He pointed to his legislative record on issues like health care and the environment, while promising to uphold what he called “New Mexico values.”

“I was born and raised in New Mexico, on the small Nambé farm I still call home,” Mr. Luján said in the statement and in a video on social media. “My mother retired after 33 years with the local public school district and my late father — a union ironworker and state representative — instilled in me the importance of hard work, the idea that no job is too big or too small, and a love for New Mexico that guides me every day.”

He enters the race at a time when New Mexico has evolved into a safely Democratic state. After voting for George W. Bush in 2004, the state has turned progressively bluer and currently has no Republicans in its congressional delegation. Mr. Udall won his Senate seat in 2008 after the retirement of Senator Pete V. Domenici, the last Republican to represent New Mexico in the chamber.

[Mr. Udall is the scion of a political dynasty in the West.]

Democrats are likely to have an advantage in the race for Mr. Udall’s seat, and Mr. Luján, 46, is just one of several lawmakers who could seek it. New Mexico was among the states that saw a tide of young and diverse Democrats sweep to power during last year’s midterm elections, and some of those newly elected officials may now consider running.

The state elected a Latina chief executive, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, and sent two new women to the House: Representative Deb Haaland, 58, who became one of the first Native American women elected to Congress; and Representative Xochitl Torres Small, 34, a former aide to Mr. Udall who carried a conservative-leaning district that hugs the border.

In addition, a number of ambitious Democrats in state and local offices could join the Senate race.

There are also a handful of prominent Republicans in the state, including Susana Martinez, the former governor, and Richard J. Berry, the former mayor of Albuquerque. It is unclear if any would be interested in mounting a long-shot campaign, and Ms. Martinez left office deeply unpopular.

Mr. Udall offered no hint as to a preferred heir when he announced he would retire, but he has indicated that he intends to remain involved in politics and government.

Alexander Burns contributed reporting.

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