Yvette Herrell | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2020 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew Mexico's2nd district | |
| In office January 3, 2021 – January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Xochitl Torres Small |
| Succeeded by | Gabe Vasquez |
| Member of theNew Mexico House of Representatives from the 51st district | |
| In office January 18, 2011 – January 15, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Gloria Vaughn |
| Succeeded by | Rachel Black |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Stella Yvette Herrell (1964-03-16)March 16, 1964 (age 61) Ruidoso, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Nationality | American Cherokee Nation |
| Political party | Republican |
| Education | ITT Technical Institute New Mexico State University |
| Signature |  |
Stella Yvette Herrell[1] (/iˈvɛtˈhɛrəl/ee-VETTHERR-əl; born March 16, 1964)[2] is an American politician and realtor who served as theU.S. representative forNew Mexico's 2nd congressional district from 2021 to 2023. A member of theRepublican Party, she served four terms as a member of theNew Mexico House of Representatives for the 51st district from 2011 to 2019.[3][4]
Herrell was the Republican nominee for New Mexico's 2nd congressional district in2018, narrowly losing toDemocratXochitl Torres Small. She was the Republican nominee for the 2nd district again in2020, and defeated Torres Small in a rematch.[5] She narrowly lost her bid for reelection in2022 to Democratic nomineeGabe Vasquez, a formerLas Cruces city councillor.[6]
Herrell has marked many firsts: she is the first Republican Native woman elected to Congress, the firstCherokee woman,[7] the third Native American woman, and the second Native woman from New Mexico elected to the House.[8] She was the only Republican member of New Mexico's congressional delegation during the117th Congress and the last Republican U.S Representative from the state.
Herrell was born inRuidoso, New Mexico, and is a citizen of theCherokee Nation.[2][9] After attending Cloudcroft High School, she earned a legal secretary diploma fromITT Technical Institute, a failed and federally sanctioned for-profit education chain that permanently went out of business in 2016,[10][11] inBoise, Idaho.[12][13][14][15]
After graduating from ITT, Herrell returned to New Mexico, where she attendedNew Mexico State University without finishing her bachelor's and worked as a realtor inAlamogordo.[16][17][18] She later worked as a real estate broker for Future Real Estate in Alamogordo.[19][20]
In 2010, Herrell challenged incumbent District 51 Republican state RepresentativeGloria Vaughn in the June 1 Republican primary. Herrell won with 846 votes (54.2%),[21] and went on to win the November 2 general election with 3,077 votes (62.9%) againstDemocratic nominee Susan Medina.[22]
In 2012, Herrell was unopposed in both the June 5 Republican primary, which she won with 2,128 votes,[23] and the November 6 general election, which she won with 7,750 votes.[24]
In 2018, Herrell was a candidate for theUnited States House of Representatives, and was defeated in a close race by political newcomer and Democratic attorneyXochitl Torres Small. The results were close on election night, with Herrell in the lead at the end of the night and some New Mexico media organizations projecting that she would win.[25] The next day, more ballots were counted, narrowing Herrell's lead, and media organizations rescinded their initial projections.[25] Absentee ballots made Torres Small the winner 51% to 49%. Without offering evidence, Herrell alleged possible election fraud before conceding the race.[26][27][28]
A 2018Associated Press review of Herrell's campaign finance disclosure records found that she had failed to disclose that her real estate company earned $440,000 in contracts with two state agencies over five years. Herrell said she had submitted all required paperwork and that the allegations against her represented "an attack on my moral character" orchestrated by one of her opponents in the Republican congressional primary.[29]
Herrell was a candidate for the2nd congressional district in the2020 elections.[30] In the Republican primary, she faced businesswoman Claire Chase and businessman Chris Mathys.[31] Herrell won the primary with 45.6% of the vote and facedTorres Small in the November general election.[32]
Herrell won the November general election 54% to 46% and took office on January 3, 2021.[33][34] She campaigned on a stronger southern U.S. border, supporting small businesses, and fighting overly tight government regulation.[4]
Herrell was a candidate forre-election in the2022 elections. She ran unopposed in the Republican primary[35] and faced Democratic nomineeGabe Vasquez in the general election.[36]
Vasquez won the November general election by less than 1%.[37][38]
Herrell, ran again for the seat, but lost again to Vasquez this time 52% to 48%.[39][40]
In June 2021, Herrell was one of 49 House Republicans to vote to repeal theAUMF against Iraq.[41]
In September 2021, Herrell was among 75 House Republicans to vote against the National Defense Authorization Act of 2022, which contains a provision that would require women to be drafted.[42][43]
In 2021, Herrell called for theNational Guard to be deployed at the United States-Mexico border.[44]
In 2022, Herrell was the main sponsor of a bill to giveCanadian truckers protesting vaccine mandates temporary political asylum.[45]
Source[46]
Herrell was nominated byDonald Trump to be Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Congressional Affairs in June 2025.[49]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Xochitl Torres Small | 100,570 | 50.9 | |
| Republican | Yvette Herrell | 97,031 | 49.1 | |
| Total votes | 197,601 | 100.0 | ||
| Democraticgain fromRepublican | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Yvette Herrell | 142,169 | 53.75 | |
| Democratic | Xochitl Torres Small (incumbent) | 122,314 | 46.25 | |
| Total votes | 264,483 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicangain fromDemocratic | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Gabe Vasquez | 96,986 | 50.3 | |
| Republican | Yvette Herrell (incumbent) | 95,636 | 49.6 | |
| Write-in | 51 | 0.3 | ||
| Total votes | 192,673 | 100.0 | ||
| Democraticgain fromRepublican | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Gabe Vasquez (incumbent) | 138,177 | 52.1 | |
| Republican | Yvette Herrell | 127,145 | 47.9 | |
| Total votes | 265,322 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
During her campaign for the2nd district in 2020, Herrell was endorsed by PresidentDonald Trump.[52] AfterJoe Biden won the2020 presidential election and Trump refused to concede while makingbaseless claims of fraud, Herrellobjected to the certification of Arizona's and Pennsylvania's electoral votes in Congress.[53]
Herrell supports repealing theAffordable Care Act.[54] She has argued that health insurance should be left to "free markets".[55]
In a 2020 interview with theAlbuquerque Journal, she said, "DACA needs to be reformed." She also said she "will not support any legislation that will impede on our Second Amendment" and supports allowingconcealed carry on school property.[12][dead link]
Herrellopposesabortion.[56] She supported the2022 Supreme Court decision that overturnedRoe v. Wade.[57] She co-sponsored the Life at Conception Act in 2021, which defined "human being" as "all stages of life, including the moment of fertilization" and made no exceptions forin vitro fertilization (IVF).[57] In 2020, she said "I wish we could have eliminated all abortion in the state."[57] While a member of theNew Mexico House of Representatives in 2015, Herrell sponsored a bill that banned late-term abortion with exceptions for instances of sexual abuse, rape, or incest.[58] In 2024, Herrell said she opposed a national abortion ban and believes abortion laws should be left to the states.[59] She said "I have always and will continue to fully support protecting access to fertility treatments like IVF."[60]
She has said that the federal government's role in public education should be limited.[61]
Herrell has said that she supports legislation that improves water rights, private property rights, and the management of public lands.[62]
After Trump supportersstormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, Herrell voted not toimpeach Trump.[63]
In 2021, Herrell voted against theAmerican Rescue Plan that was passed by Congress and signed into law by Biden.[64][65][66]
On February 25, 2021, Herrell voted against theEquality Act, a bill that would prohibit discrimination based ongender identity and sexual orientation by amending theCivil Rights Act of 1964 and theFair Housing Act to include new protections.[67][better source needed]
During theCOVID-19 pandemic, Herrell attended events that did not comply with public health measures to hinder the spread of the virus, such as social distancing and face masks.[68][69] Explaining why she did not wear a face mask while in a public gathering, Herrell said, "I was at an event, yes; no one in the audience was wearing a mask, so I didn't feel as though I needed to wear one in that particular setting."[69] She criticized the virus mitigation strategies implemented by Democrats in New Mexico.[56]
Herrell is a Protestant Christian.[70]
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew Mexico's 2nd congressional district 2021–2023 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former U.S. Representative | Order of precedence of the United States as Former U.S. Representative | Succeeded byas Former U.S. Representative |
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