NM Dems brace for return to a redder DC

Although Republicans won the White House, New Mexico’s all-Democratic congressional delegation will return to Washington as part of the next Congress. That includes Rep. Gabe Vasquez, who won one of the most competitive congressional races in the country.

“Serving New Mexico’s Second Congressional District is a privilege and honor, and I will continue to work for the people and families of this district and this state,” Vasquez said in a statement.

Vasquez won his second term in office in a nail-biting rematch with Republican challenger Yvette Herrell that wasn’t called until early Wednesday morning.

“The results tonight weren’t what we hoped for, but I’m so grateful to the incredible people of NM02 for their support over the years,” Herrell wrote on social media platform X.

Vasquez earned 52% of the vote, beating Herrell by 4 percentage points, or 10,098 votes, according to unofficial election results. Vasquez improved his margin of victory from the last time the pair ran against each other in 2022. That year he won by approximately 1,300 votes.

All three of the state’s House representatives and one of its senators’ seats were up for election.

Sen. Martin Heinrich won reelection with 55% of the vote, 10 percentage points ahead of Republican challenger Nella Domenici, according to unofficial election results. Reps. Melanie Stansbury and Teresa Leger Fernández also easily kept their seats. Each congresswoman earned 56% of voters’ support, 12 percentage points ahead of their opponents, according to unofficial election results.

But the Congress that New Mexico’s senators will return to in the next session will shift to the right. Republicans have gained control of the Senate after flipping seats in Montana, Ohio and West Virginia. Four Senate races still needed to be called as of 4 p.m. Wednesday, but Republicans already had claimed 52 seats, giving them the majority.

Control of the House of Representatives was still undecided as of Wednesday afternoon. Republicans had claimed 205 seats, while Democrats won 190. A majority requires 218 seats, and 40 races still needed to be called, according to The Associated Press.

“As we face the prospect of President-elect Donald Trump and his administration pushing an extreme and divisive agenda, I remain deeply committed to protecting the progress we’ve made: from defending reproductive rights and protecting access to health care, to preserving our public lands and creating more economic opportunity for working families,” Heinrich said in a statement.

Sen. Ben Ray Luján, who is not up for election until 2026, committed Wednesday to delivering “results for New Mexico” regardless of who is in power in Congress or the White House.

“Donald Trump was president for four years and divided our nation while advancing efforts that hurt working Americans and undermined the rule of law,” Luján said in a statement. “I pray that the next four years will be different for the good of the country.”

Luján also committed to certifying the results of this year’s presidential election, saying it is “critical for the peaceful transition of power.”

The current Congress still has a little time left and at least two big deadlines to meet: the National Defense Authorization Act, an annual military funding bill that benefits many of the military installations in New Mexico, still needs to be passed, and a federal budget needs to pass by Dec. 20 to keep the federal government running.