New Mexico Election 2026: US House of Representatives, District 2

The race for New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District regularly constitutes one of the most competitive and closely watched in the country. This year has heightened stakes as Democrats seek to retain the seat in their push to regain control of the U.S. House of Representatives. 

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) is seeking re-election to his third term representing the district, which stretches across the southern third of New Mexico as well as into Albuquerque’s South Valley. He has narrowly defeated Republican opponent Yvette Herrell twice in previous elections in 2022 and 2024.

This Nov. 3, Vasquez will face Republican Greg Cunningham, a former U.S. Marine and Albuquerque police detective, who is eligible to run in the seat for the first time following redistricting that made his South Valley home part of CD2. 

In a sign of national interest in the race, political advertisements paid for by national political action committees are airing repeatedly on television sets across the state. Ads supporting Cunningham generally cast Vasquez as soft on crime. Those supporting Vasquez say the Republican is beholden to President Donald Trump. 

National political observers, including the Cook Political Report, have said the race leans toward Vasquez this cycle, in a year many have predicted could mark a “blue wave” benefiting Democrats up and down the ballot. 

The incumbent Democrat also has so far outraised his Republican opponent. Federal Election Commission filings show Vasquez raised nearly $3.8 million for his campaign; Cunningham has raised slightly more than $1.5 million. 

Still, recent polling has the candidates within the margin of error of each other. A KOB-TV poll earlier this month of likely voters showed Vasquez leading Cunningham 46% to 43%, with a 4.6% margin of error, and 11% of voters remaining undecided.

Source NM spoke to both Cunningham and Vasquez about the election and their fights to represent CD2 in a job that pays an annual salary of $174,000. Their answers below are edited for clarity and concision. 

Greg Cunningham 

Republican Greg Cunningham describes his first foray into politics after a career as a police detective as “unconventional,” but said he was motivated to jump into the race due to the same sense of public service that defined his life in the Marines and as a longtime police detective. 

“I would highlight my personal experience with keeping New Mexicans safe and allowing an environment where we can thrive and go to school and go to work and raise our families,” he said. “That’s my wheelhouse. That’s my area of expertise.”

President Donald Trump endorsed Cunningham in April, well before the June 2 primary election, and Cunningham defeated his primary opponent Jose Orozco by a wide margin. The moment Cunningham declared victory, national Republican organizations set their sights on unseating Vasquez.

Late last month, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) visited an Albuquerque brewery to stump for Cunningham, calling him “straight out of central casting.” Cunningham, for his part, shouted over protesters in his speech alongside Johnson, in which he said he is “not a politician.” 

What is the most important issue facing this district?

Public safety and the safety of our families and communities is paramount. If we are not safe in our homes and in our schools and in our workplaces; if our families cannot go to the store without having to buy things that are locked up because things are being stolen at a high rate — all of those things tear at the fabric of who we are as a society. We have to get a handle on that. Until we are safe in those places, nothing else is going to matter.

What piece of legislation would you prioritize sponsoring in the next term?

I would love to see an updated and modernized version of the national crime bill that was signed in the ’90s. I’d like to address sanctuary cities. I’d like to address sentencing guidelines. I’d like to address the border and the ongoing conflict that we’re having with the cartels. And so, right off the bat, you know, putting my expertise and putting my experience to work on a national level, I think would be a priority for me.

How would you describe the impact of the Trump administration on New Mexico and what would your approach be to working with the Trump administration?

As a detective, I did big cases — federal cases, local cases — but I was able to bring local law enforcement, federal law enforcement, different agencies, different district attorneys, and the U.S. Attorney’s office together for a common goal, and that was to better our communities. And I would take the same approach. It’s people from different backgrounds, people from different beliefs and ideologies, working together for a common cause. 

If something is good for the people of New Mexico, why would anybody let their ideology or their political party stand in the way of what’s best for New Mexicans? This administration’s policies — no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, the Social Security deduction — those are working-class things that we need. Those are not things that billionaires are taking advantage of, or even millionaires. These are everyday, working New Mexicans that are benefiting.

And, man, we really need to do whatever we can to continue to help working New Mexicans, and that would be something that I would absolutely do, regardless of party or ideology.

What border-security policies would you support?

I’m someone that again worked the border, and so as a DEA (U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration) detective task force officer, I worked on border cases at all levels, from the undercover level on the street to the wiretap level, and so I know that it is vital that people that enter this country illegally, that come here and commit crimes, we have to identify those people.  And we have to make sure that when they’re arrested here in the United States, that we follow the law and that we don’t allow them to victimize our systems anymore. And so, right now, we’re shutting the border down. It’s absolutely the first step. But I can tell you, from a detective point of view, a lot of the same challenges that I faced 20 years ago at the border, we’re still facing as New Mexicans. Our fentanyl deaths — our percentages are rising, and that’s in contrast with the national trend. 

Project Jupiter, the controversial data center project in Doña Ana County, sits in CD2. If elected, what will you do, if anything, to change the trajectory of that project?

I was not there during its infancy phase, and so to speak on how I would change the arc of it now would be very difficult. I don’t know what those specifics are. But, you know, communities, we do have the right to ask questions. We do live in a desert. Water is central to us. We have power issues. We’ve got to make sure that whatever data center comes into our community, those contracts fit that community’s needs. And if it fits that community’s needs, then I think we should allow that community to move forward. 

As a congressman, I’m going to make sure that contracts are adhered to, that communities are taken care of, but (it’s) not my job to tell them what to do or what not to do. I don’t think that should be the government’s job.

The Otero County Processing Center, which houses most of the ICE detainees in the state, also sits in CD2. Do you support or oppose the Legislature’s efforts to ban public entities from contracting with ICE for immigrant detention?

I don’t support that. Again, I support every community’s right and opportunity to do what’s best for them. I’ve talked to folks in Otero County that are directly affected by that and involved in that, and they want that facility. They need that facility for their community, for jobs, for opportunity, for stability. And so, going back to the question of working with people and letting ideology get in the way of progress or community stability — that’s one instance where I think that’s what’s happening. I think there are legislators that are letting their ideology override their practicality, and that’s not something I would be in favor of.

CD2 is considered one of the closest races in the country. What will be the deciding factor this year?

Coming from a Marine, I would say hard work. That’s what it comes down to. When a person commits to a process like this, it comes down to meeting people. It comes down to hard work. It comes down to being who you say you are. Right now, there’s sort of a mistrust with our government and with our entities and agencies. My history shows that I am who I say I am.

CD2 is one of 13 congressional districts in which a majority of voters supported Donald Trump in 2024 but also elected a Democrat. How does that factor into your approach to unseating the Democratic incumbent?

It tells me that at a national level there is support for the president and his administration. It also tells me that I’m a different candidate than was there last time. I bring a different skill set. I bring different characteristics, and the choice that New Mexicans are going to have for CD2 is a very different one this time than it was in 2024. 

The choice is very stark in my mind as to who Gabe Vasquez is and who I am. Because it’s so clear, I firmly believe that New Mexicans are going to choose a different path.

U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez

U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) is a former Las Cruces city councilor. He has spent much of his second term pushing legislation that aims to reduce prices, as well as championing legislation particular to the vast 2nd Congressional District, which sits along the United States-Mexico border. 

As congressman, Vasquez sits on the House Agriculture Committee, where he has decried cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and other benefit programs on which many New Mexicans rely. 

While he opposed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” that President Donald Trump signed into law last July, he also criticized New Mexico leaders for allowing the state’s SNAP “error rate” — a measure of SNAP over- or underpayments to recipients — to become one of the highest in the country. 

What is the most important issue facing this district?

The economy. I think my opponent has made it clear that his loyalty is with President Trump and MAGA. My loyalty is to the people of the 2nd District of New Mexico, and what they’re telling me is that Trump’s economy right now is really hurting them. We have to bring down the costs that are continuing to rise. We have to end this reckless war in Iran that’s about to hit its seventh month, and it’s caused gas and diesel prices to soar. Honestly, it’s made life hell for my rural constituents with the prices of diesel and fertilizer prices that have gone through the roof. New Mexicans losing access to their health care. Over 80,000 are predicted to lose health care in the next year because of HR1, the Republican Trump bill, and we’re expected to see somewhere around 20,000 New Mexicans already losing access to food assistance and benefits; those are some of the basic things that New Mexicans need to raise healthy families and healthy kids. 

What piece of legislation would you prioritize sponsoring in the next term?

I do have a bill called the Keep Mobile Homes Affordable Act. One in six houses in New Mexico is a manufactured home, and right now, out-of-state wealthy investors, hedge fund managers, private equity are buying up our trailer parks all across the state, and they are raising lot fees for senior citizens, first-time homebuyers, starter homes for young families. It’s got to stop. I’ve heard this from Alamogordo to Albuquerque. It’s a bill that is much needed to bring the cost of housing down. 

How would you describe the impact of the Trump administration on New Mexico and what would your approach be to working with the Trump administration?

I think the impact’s been great. Seeing the incredible amount of corruption in Washington, New Mexicans have had enough of the pay-to-play politics in Washington from both parties, which has only gotten worse during this administration. So we have to pass a real stock trading ban that would prohibit the president, members of Congress and their families and trustees from owning and trading individual stocks or trading on the futures markets. That’s incredibly, incredibly important. 

Look, I will always work with the president in areas where you know it’s going to make the lives of New Mexicans better. The 21st Century Road to Housing Act is an example of Republicans and Democrats working together. And although the president didn’t sign that bill, he didn’t veto it either. I look forward to working with the president as well on border security investments. 

What border-security policies would you support?

I’ve actually developed what I call the New American Immigration Plan, and I believe it’s a set of policy recommendations that will turn into actual legislation that keeps our border secure, that makes sure that folks have a legal pathway to status in this country in specific sectors. We are seeing a shortage of field workers, of care workers, of construction workers, hospitality workers, health workers. It’s incredibly important that we fix this broken immigration system, and both parties have failed for far too long to come to terms with just about anything related to immigration. 

We really got to take stock of what ICE is doing and the damage that it’s causing to our families, to our communities in New Mexico, to our economy and small businesses. And we’ve got to bring forward solutions to the table. That does include investments in border security, specifically at our ports of entry. I think the Santa Teresa port of entry, in particular, is at the top of the list for improvements that I’m hoping to champion to expand commercial traffic and grow the economy in southern New Mexico, but also to keep us safer. 

Project Jupiter, the controversial data center project in Doña Ana County, sits in CD2. If elected, what will you do, if anything, to change the trajectory of that project?

I think, bottom line, my constituents should know that for any business that wants to do business in our state, that they need to do it the right way, and that New Mexicans get to make the choices in our state about who uses our most precious resources, which is our water, our air quality, our land and our natural resources. Look, I have called for a moratorium in Socorro for the proposed data center there, which was something the County Commission approved. I’ve also heard from community members in Grant and Hidalgo counties who have echoed their calls for a moratorium from the new data center proposal, and I’ve led legislation in Congress just recently to force data center developers to make sure that they’re paying for their own electricity. The truth is, water is too scarce. Electricity is already too expensive for New Mexicans.

As it pertains to Project Jupiter in particular, there’s some important actions that the state has to take that I’m looking forward to seeing in this next legislative session, and that the governor has to take as well. Of course, that includes the upcoming air quality permit. So, those permit decisions and where this project continues from there will really determine the opportunities for me to be engaged in this process. 

I think there hasn’t been transparency, and just like many New Mexicans, I’ve been mad as hell that there hasn’t been enough transparency about both water use and emissions, and truly what the scale of this data center is going to represent, and who’s actually working on the ground. Is it New Mexicans or is it out-of-state workers? We’ve got to get to the bottom of all those things.

The Otero County Processing Center, which houses most of the ICE detainees in the state, also sits in CD2. Do you support or oppose the Legislature’s efforts to ban public entities from contracting with ICE for immigrant detention?

I’ve supported HB9, which was the bill introduced in the Legislature in the last legislative session. Look, I think in general, private prison corporations that are making millions and millions of dollars of profit for their stockholders to keep nonviolent offenders, nonviolent immigrants in detention centers is not reflective of our American or New Mexican values. And I visited all of the detention centers in my district, as well as the one just outside my district in El Paso that also holds many New Mexicans. And I can tell you, the folks that are there for months at a time, many of them waiting to just be deported back to their home countries, are not being allowed to leave, see a judge, have access to legal counsel, all so that they could fill a bed for one more day to go to those private prison corporations. It’s got to stop. It’s not who we are. 

CD2 is considered one of the closest races in the country. What will be the deciding factor this year?

I think it’s the economy. I think people are pissed as hell that they go to the pump and they’re paying $120 to fill up their truck if they have a diesel truck if they are hauling horses or hauling hay. Life has gotten really, really tough for them. My opponent is in line with Trump’s damaging tariff agenda, which has also caused prices to skyrocket for consumers. Let me be clear: That’s a tax on New Mexicans that I don’t support. 

If Democrats secure a majority in the House this November, what will be your first order of business? 

Bringing down costs for the American people. We’ve got to do it as quickly as possible, and it has to be as impactful as possible. We can’t simply oppose the Trump agenda. We must actively provide solutions to help lower the cost for everyday New Mexicans. That’s got to be at the top of our list.