# Gabe Vasquez ## Summary U.S. Representative from New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District (southern NM: Las Cruces, border counties, South Valley Albuquerque) since January 2023. **Sophomore Democrat**. Son of Mexican immigrants; former Las Cruces City Councilor. **Narrowly unseated then-Rep. Yvette Herrell in 2022 by 1,350 votes**; defeated Herrell again in a 2024 rematch by ~10,000 votes (52%–48%). Running for third term in a district **Trump carried in 2024**, making NM-02 one of 13 Democratic-held "Trump-won" seats. ## Career highlights - Las Cruces City Council - Public-lands and conservation advocacy background (Hispanic Access Foundation) - Elected U.S. House 2022 — defeated incumbent Yvette Herrell by 1,350 votes in a district redrawn to favor D's - 2024 reelection: 52%–48% over Herrell rematch — ~10,000-vote margin (3.9 pp), even as Trump carried NM-02 - Launched 2026 reelection 2025-09-23 ## Congressional profile Sophomore Democrat. Bipartisan branding; heavy focus on border / immigration / public lands issues because of district composition. Critical test case for Democratic survival in Trump-carried Hispanic-majority seats. ## 2026 race See [[NM-02-2026]]. **Cook: Toss Up** (shifted from earlier Lean D to reflect Trump's 2024 district carry). Effectively unopposed in D primary. Republican field consolidated around **Greg Cunningham** (Marine veteran / retired APD detective) with Trump + Speaker + leadership endorsement cascade 2026-04-14 to 15. Former Rep. **Yvette Herrell NOT running** (confirmed as USDA Assistant Secretary 2025-12-18; endorsed Cunningham). Q1 2026: Vasquez $783.7K raised, $1.9M COH. NM primary: June 2, 2026. ## Related KB entities - [[NM-02-2026]] — his 2026 race - [[Yvette Herrell]] — 2022 and 2024 opponent, not running 2026, endorsed Cunningham - TBD: [[Greg Cunningham]] — Trump-endorsed Republican challenger ## Sources - [Wikipedia — Gabe Vasquez](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabe_Vasquez) - [Ballotpedia — Gabe Vasquez](https://ballotpedia.org/Gabe_Vasquez) - [NM Political Report — 2026 campaign launch (2025-09-23)](https://nmpoliticalreport.com/2025/09/23/vasquez-launches-2026-re-election-campaign-emphasizes-bipartisan-record/)