Gabe Vasquez | |
|---|---|
 Official Portrait, 2023 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew Mexico's2nd district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Yvette Herrell |
| Member of theLas Cruces City Council from the 3rd district | |
| In office November 2017 – December 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Olga Pedroza |
| Succeeded by | Becki Graham |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1984-08-03)August 3, 1984 (age 41) El Paso, Texas, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Education | New Mexico State University (BA) |
| Website | House website Campaign website |
Gabriel Vasquez (born August 3, 1984) is an American politician serving as theU.S. representative forNew Mexico's 2nd congressional district since 2023. A member of theDemocratic Party, he previously served on theLas Cruces City Council from 2017 to 2021. Vasquez's district covers southernNew Mexico, including Las Cruces,Carlsbad, and the southern fourth ofAlbuquerque.[1]
Vasquez was born on August 3, 1984, inEl Paso, Texas.[2] He was raised in theEl Paso–Juárez–Las Cruces border region, spending much of his childhood in both the United States and Mexico.[3] He grew up inCiudad Juárez, Mexico,[4] where he spent time in his grandfather's television repair shop. His grandfather Javier Bañuelos, originally fromZacatecas, Mexico, had transitioned from farming to working as a mailman before establishing his repair business.[3]
Vasquez later attendedMontwood High School in El Paso[2] and then enrolled atNew Mexico State University (NMSU) inLas Cruces,[5] where he earned aBachelor of Arts degree in English and journalism in 2008.[3] During college, he served as the news editor and later aseditor-in-chief ofThe Round Up, NMSU's student-run newspaper.[1]
Vasquez began his career as the business editor for theLas Cruces Bulletin from 2008 to 2011.[1] He later served asexecutive director of the Las Cruces HispanicChamber of Commerce[4] before joining SDS Inc. as executive vice president for public relations.[1]
From 2013 to 2015, Vasquez worked as a field representative for U.S. SenatorMartin Heinrich.[1] He also worked as vice president of communications for First Focus on Children,[1] director of community relations for the New Mexico Wildlife Federation,[6] and deputy state director for theWilderness Society. He later worked as deputy director for federal lands at the Western Conservation Foundation from 2019 to 2021.[1]
In 2017, Vasquez was elected to the Las Cruces City Council,[7] where he served until 2021.[8]
Vasquez was the Democratic nominee forNew Mexico's 2nd congressional district in the2022 election.[9][10] He won on November 8, 2022, by 1,350 votes, defeating Republican incumbentYvette Herrell. The district's boundaries were redrawn after the2020 census, drawing the previously Republican-leaning district to be Democratic-leaning.[11]
During the campaign, Vasquez deletedtweets critical of the oil and gas industry, rationalizing rioting in the summer of2020, and comparing theTrump administration to theKu Klux Klan.[12] He supported President Joe Biden's2021 pause on new oil and gas leases, citing the need for a transition to renewable energy while balancing the district's economic reliance on the energy sector.[13][14]
Vasquez ran for reelection in 2024 against Republican former CongresswomanYvette Herrell in a rematch of the 2022 race. Vasquez once again defeated Herrell, this time by 11,032 votes, despiteDonald Trump narrowly flipping New Mexico's 2nd district in the concurrent presidential election.[15]
In 2023, Vasquez introducedbipartisan legislation aimed at addressing the teacher shortage inIndian Country.[16] The bill proposed providing federal pension benefits to educators working in tribal schools, seeking to improve teacher retention and support Native American students.[17][18]
Vasquez voted that year in favor of requiring healthcare workers to receive theCOVID-19 vaccine.[19][20] The following day, he opposed a resolution to end theCOVID-19 national emergency.[21][22] On women's health, he has supported abortion rights and advocated for codifyingRoe v. Wade into federal law.[23]
In 2024, Vasquez voted in favor of theProtecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, commonly referred to as theTikTok ban, which sought to address concerns over data security and foreign influence.[24] On July 19, he called for PresidentJoe Biden to withdraw from the2024 presidential election, citing concerns over his age and ability to campaign effectively.[25]
In December 2025,NBC News andThe New York Times reported that Vasquez had voted against a bill to reopen the federal government and then touted the money the bill delivered to his district.[26] After the federal government was reopened, primarily with Republican votes, after a 43-day shutdown, Vasquez was among Democrats who "claimed credit for some provisions in the bill." Former SpeakerNancy Pelosi coined the term "vote no and take the dough" when Republicans took credit for money brought to their districts under bills they opposed.[27]
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For the119th Congress:[28]
Vasquez's caucus memberships include:[28]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Gabe Vasquez | 96,986 | 50.3 | |
| Republican | Yvette Herrell (incumbent) | 95,636 | 49.6 | |
| Democratic | Eliseo Luna (write-in) | 51 | 0.03 | |
| 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 | ||||
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew Mexico's 2nd congressional district 2023–present | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | United States representatives by seniority 358th | Succeeded by |
| Territorial (1851–1912) |
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| At-large seats (1912–1969) |
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| Districts (1969–present) (3rd district established in 1983) |
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