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. |
| Political 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]
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For the119th Congress:[26]
Vasquez's caucus memberships include:[26]
| 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 361st | 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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