SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Incumbent Republican Rep. Yvette Herrell has conceded defeat in a close-fought race for New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District, clearing the path to victory for Democratic challenger Gabe Vasquez.
The Associated Press has not declared a winner in the race. Herrell blasted recent changes to her district's boundaries by Democratic legislators at the expense of rural voters and said she is confident Republicans will retake the seat in 2024.
Vasquez declared victory and said he would take on a sacred responsibility to represent the district that stretches from the U.S. border with Mexico across desert oilfields of the Permian Basin and portions of Albuquerque. Court challenges are pending against a redistricting plan that divvied up a conservative, oil-producing region.