Dem Vasquez wins New Mexico House Seat
Newslooks- WASHINGTON (AP)
With a narrow lead of only 1,224 votes, Democrat Gabe Vasquez claimed victory over Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Yvette Herrell a little after 4 p.m. on Wednesday. Herrell conceded the race a short while later, blaming recent redistricting for the loss.
“I’d also like to congratulate Gabe Vasquez on his victory,” Herrell said in a statement released by a campaign spokesperson. She added that her loss is a result of what she called “gerrymandering” by Democrats in Santa Fe that concentrated power “in urban areas at the expense of rural New Mexico voices.” She said she is confident the Republican Party will recapture the district in the next election cycle.
Before redistricting late last year, Congressional District 2 was solidly Republican and encompassed the southern part of the state. Now it also includes parts of Albuquerque’s Westside and the nearby South Valley in Central New Mexico, which created an opening for Democrats.
