New Mexico Democratic Rep. Gabriel Vasquez projected to beat Trump-backed GOP challenger

New Mexico Democratic Rep. Gabriel Vasquez is projected to defeat Republican challenger Yvette Herrell, holding on to his seat for a second term. 

Vasquez and Herrell previously squared off in the 2022 election cycle, when Vasquez won by less than 1%.

Vasquez has represented New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District, which encompasses Las Cruces and a southern portion of Albuquerque, since 2023. The race was considered a toss-up, with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) identifying the district as vulnerable for defeat against Republican challengers this election cycle. 

Vasquez touted expanding the economy, protecting abortion access, combating climate change and passing “comprehensive” immigration laws as his campaign platforms. 

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Democratic Rep. Gabe Vasquez and Republican challenger Yvette Herrell (Reuters | Getty )

The congressman came under fire from conservatives in the lead-up to the election, including for his previous comments supporting defunding the police. 

Vasquez appeared on a local news station seemingly dressed in disguise during the 2020 George Floyd unrest and said, “It’s not just about defunding police, it’s about defunding a system that privileges White people over everyone else.”

Vasquez previously vowed he would “fully support” cutting in half the police budget of Las Cruces, where he served on the city council, Fox News Digital previously reported.

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Rep. Gabe Vasquez speaks during a news conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Oct. 3, 2024. (Anna Padilla/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“I wholeheartedly and absolutely support police reform and the #blacklivesmatter movement, and will not be stopping short of transformational reform that brings justice to our city and to people of color in our community. You can count on my support,” Vasquez wrote to a constituent demanding “at least” a 50% reduction of the Las Cruces police department budget.

He has since said he opposes defunding the police. 

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Vasquez served on the Las Cruces City Council from 2017 to 2021 before launching his career in the U.S. House. 

Reps. James Comer and Yvette Herrell tour the border wall on the Johnson Ranch near Columbus, New Mexico, on April 12, 2021. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Herrell campaigned on a platform of securing the border, bucking the “political class in Washington” that has “forgotten about the hardworking, middle-class of America,” building the economy and “putting New Mexico first.”

Former President Trump endorsed Herrell earlier this year, when she won the Republican primary. 

“A successful entrepreneur, Yvette knows how to Expand our Economy, Fight Inflation, and Create High-Paying Jobs,” Trump wrote. “She will work hard to Lower Gas Prices, Support our Vets, Strengthen our Military, Secure our Border, and Defend the Second Amendment.”

Herrell served in New Mexico House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019, and in Congress from 2021 to 2023.

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Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.