Congressman Gabe Vasquez won his reelection campaign against Yvette Herrell by less than 5 percentage points, according to unofficial results from the Secretary of State’s Office.
It was Herrell’s fourth try at representing New Mexico’s 2nd congressional district and it remained a nail-biter late into Tuesday night. The Associated Press called the race just before midnight.
Vasquez said in an emailed statement early Wednesday that he’s devoted to continuing his work in Congress and grateful for the “trust that our voters have placed in me and pledge to help every constituent that I represent.”
“It is that devotion and love of country that drives me to do this work,” Vasquez said. “Thank you, New Mexico, for the opportunity to serve you again. Si se puede, sí se pudo – y ahora – regresamos a trabajar. Que viva el segundo distrito de Nuevo Mexico!”
Herrell trailed Vasquez 52% to 48%.
Redistricting after the 2020 census made the district more Democratic, with more of Albuquerque within its boundaries. Vasquez ousted Herrell in 2022, winning the seat by 1,350 votes.
Both candidates ran unopposed in the 2024 primaries, setting up a long fight to November.
The campaign heated up in recent weeks, with Vasquez attempting to tie Herrell to former President Donald Trump, Project 2025 and anti-abortion legislation around the country.
Herrell released attack ads accusing Vasquez of using racial slurs and mentioned a 2005 police report that accused the congressman, then a student at New Mexico State University, of threatening to kill another student.
Vasquez was not charged or arrested in the matter.