Gabe Vasquez aims to unify southern New Mexico in U.S. Congress
Gabe Vasquez will take his post in January representing New Mexico’s Second Congressional District, after a narrow victory in the November general election.
His victory ousted Republic Yvette Herrell who served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives before losing in a razor-thin race to Vasquez that wasn’t called until days after the election.
The Second District is New Mexico’s largest geographically, covering almost all of the southern portion of the state from border communities and ranches in the bootheel region and around Las Cruces – the state’s second-largest city – to the Permian Basin oilfields where the industry drives a large segment of the state’s economy.
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The district, which was recently adjusted to also include suburban areas south of Albuquerque is also politically diverse, as it contains the deep-red southeast region along with left-leaning urban areas.
Vasquez’s seat repeatedly passed between political parties leading up to his election, from Republican Steve Pearce of Hobbs, to Democrat Xochitl Torres Small of Las Cruces and then to Herrel who hails from Alamogordo.
A former city councilor in Las Cruces, Vasquez said he planned to unify the region, focusing on the needs of its people, and hoping to push New Mexico into an era of economic diversity.
The Carlsbad Current-Argus sat down with Vasquez to talk about how this can be achieved, along with his stances on several key issues and how he plans to address them in Congress.
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What are your first priorities when you head to Washington, D.C. in January?
“A strong focus for me will be making sure we’re creating good-paying jobs in New Mexico, that we’re protecting workers rights, that we’re raising the wages of New Mexicans, that we’re standing up to corporations and making sure people are getting paid a fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work.
“I also want to focus on immigration reform. We need solutions and we need them now. We need a predictable immigration system that really allows those who want to come to this country and those who are already here, who want to work hard and follow their dream, to reach their American dream.
“The climate and public lands will also be a big focus for me. Our natural resources are finite. We have to protect them for future generations. They’re not making mountains and rivers anymore.”
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Are you satisfied with current immigration policies like Title 42 which blocked migration during COVID-19?
“I think Title 42 is an example of a chronic disfunction in Congress when it comes to mitigating the effects of mass migration and asylum seekers to this country. Title 42 was supposed to be a temporary, short-term measure during the health crisis that is now being turned into de-facto immigration policy. We can’t do that.
“We are supposed to be the most advanced and intelligent legislative body in the world, and we have not come to solutions when it comes to how to process…
Read More: Gabe Vasquez aims to unify southern New Mexico in U.S. Congress