Gabe Vasquez

Gabriel Vasquez (born August 3, 1984)[1] is an American politician who is the U.S. representative for New Mexico's 2nd congressional district. He previously served as a member of the Las Cruces City Council.[2][3] Vasquez is a member of the Democratic Party.

Gabe Vasquez
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New Mexico's 2nd district
Assumed office
January 3, 2023
Preceded byYvette Herrell
Member of the Las Cruces City Council
from the 3rd district
In office
November 2017 – December 2021
Preceded byOlga Pedroza
Succeeded byBecki Graham
Personal details
Born (1984-08-03) August 3, 1984
El Paso, Texas, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationNew Mexico State University (BA)
WebsiteHouse website

Early life and education

Vasquez was born in El Paso, Texas, and raised in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.[4][5] He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and journalism from New Mexico State University in 2008.[6]

Career

As a college student, Vasquez was the news editor and editor-in-chief of The Round Up, New Mexico State University's student-run newspaper. From 2008 to 2011, he was the business editor of the Las Cruces Bulletin. In 2011, he was the executive director of the Las Cruces Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. From 2013 to 2015, he served as a field representative for Senator Martin Heinrich.[7]

In 2015 and 2016, Vasquez was the vice president of communications for First Focus, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy organization. From 2016 to 2018, he was the director of community relations for the New Mexico Wildlife Federation. In 2018 and 2019, he was the deputy director of New Mexico's chapter of the Wilderness Society. From 2019 to 2021, he worked as deputy director of the Western Conservation Foundation in the federal lands department. From 2017 to 2021, he served as a member of the Las Cruces City Council.[8][9]

U.S. House of Representatives

2022 election

Vasquez was the Democratic nominee for New Mexico's 2nd congressional district in the 2022 election.[10][11] He won on November 8, 2022, by a margin of about 1,300 votes, defeating Republican incumbent Yvette Herrell. The district's boundaries were redrawn after the 2020 census, making the previously Republican-leaning district more competitive.[12]

During the campaign, Vasquez deleted tweets attacking the oil and gas industry, rationalizing rioting in the summer of 2020, and comparing the Trump administration to the Ku Klux Klan.[13]

Caucus memberships

Committee assignments

COVID-19 policy

On January 31, 2023, Vasquez voted against H.R.497:Freedom for Health Care Workers Act, which would lift COVID-19 vaccine mandates for healthcare workers.[15][16]

On February 1, 2023, Vasquez voted against a resolution to end the COVID-19 national emergency.[17][18]

Electoral history

2022
2022 New Mexico's 2nd congressional district election[19]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Gabe Vasquez 96,986 50.34
Republican Yvette Herrell (incumbent) 95,636 49.63
Democratic Eliseo Luna (write-in) 51 0.03
Total votes 192,673 100.0
Democratic gain from Republican

See also

References
  1. McDevitt, Michael (April 30, 2021). "Gabe Vasquez Won't Seek Second City Council Term". Las Cruces Sun News. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  2. Linan, Ali (November 7, 2017). "Gabriel Vasquez takes District 3 seat in a landslide". Las Cruces Sun-News. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  3. McDevitt, Michael (November 3, 2021). "Becki Graham to succeed Gabe Vasquez on Las Cruces City Council". Las Cruces Sun-News. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  4. "Las Cruces City Councilor Gabe Vasquez Says He's Running For Congress". KRWG. September 15, 2021. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
  5. "Las Cruces city councilor will run for U.S. House seat". Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
  6. McDevitt, Michael. "Las Cruces City Councilor Gabe Vasquez announces congressional run". Las Cruces Sun-News. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
  7. "Gabe Vasquez On His Run For NM's Second Congressional District Democratic Nomination". KSFR. October 8, 2021. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  8. Carver, Adrian N. (September 16, 2021). "Las Cruces City Councilor Gabe Vasquez Is A Serious Challenger to Herrell In CD2". The Paper. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
  9. Mutnick, Ally; Ferris, Sarah. "Democrats' chance to save the House majority runs through these districts". POLITICO. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  10. Mutnick, Ally. "House Democrats name top challengers in fight for majority". POLITICO. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
  11. "New Mexico Democrats pick top contenders for June 7 primary". AP NEWS. March 4, 2022. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
  12. Duerrmeyer, Tia. "Democrats Make a Clean Sweep in New Mexico". Lea County Tribune. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  13. "Running as a moderate, New Mexico Democratic congressional candidate deletes progressive tweets". CNN.
  14. "Endorsed Candidates". NewDem Action Fund. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  15. "Seven Democrats join Republicans in vote to lift vaccine mandate for healthcare workers". January 31, 2023.
  16. "On Passage - H.R.497: To eliminate the COVID-19 vaccine mandate on". August 12, 2015.
  17. "House passes resolution to end COVID-19 national emergency". February 2023.
  18. "On Passage - H.J.RES.7: Relating to a national emergency declared by". August 12, 2015.
  19. "2022 General New Mexico - Unofficial Results". New Mexico Secretary of State.
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