{"id":2254738,"date":"2024-05-29T03:10:02","date_gmt":"2024-05-29T07:10:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-eyes-new-mexico-primary-as-prime-kickoff-for-november-flips\/"},"modified":"2024-05-29T03:11:52","modified_gmt":"2024-05-29T07:11:52","slug":"gop-eyes-new-mexico-primary-as-prime-kickoff-for-november-flips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-eyes-new-mexico-primary-as-prime-kickoff-for-november-flips\/","title":{"rendered":"GOP targets New Mexico primary for key November victories"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fgop-eyes-new-mexico-primary-as-prime-kickoff-for-november-flips%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2254738&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Republicans in New Mexico are targeting\u200d key\u200c House and Senate seats for the upcoming 2024 elections. The \u20632nd Congressional District \u200drace is anticipated to\u2062 be highly competitive, with incumbent Rep. Gabe Vasquez facing tough competition from \u200cformer Rep. Yvette\u200c Herrell. Both\u200c candidates are running unopposed in their respective party \u200bprimaries. The contest is closely \u2062watched as a significant battleground \u2062for the \u2062GOP, aiming to strengthen their majority. \u200cThe campaign focuses on immigration, oil drilling, climate change, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/florida-sheriff-warns-new-residents-do-not-ruin-state-by-voting-for-policies-that-youre-escaping\/\" title=\"Florida Sheriff Warns New Residents: Do Not Ruin State By Voting For Policies That You\u2019re Escaping\">public safety issues<\/a>, shaping the debate landscape for the general election.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/republicans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Republicans<\/a> are eyeing a <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/new-mexico\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>New Mexico<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/house-of-representatives\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>House<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/senate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Senate<\/a> seat as prime pickup opportunities, focusing their efforts on two races in the Land of Enchantment.<\/p>\n<p>Among the 2024 House races, the 2nd Congressional District is poised to be one of the most competitive contests for Democrats this fall. Incumbent Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM) is running unopposed on June 4, setting him up for a rematch with former Republican Rep. Yvette Herrell, whom he faced in 2022. Herrell is also running unopposed in the GOP primary.<\/p>\n<p>Vasquez is considered one of several major swing-seat House GOP targets as the party seeks to expand its razor-thin majority in the 2024 election. His contest is ranked as a \u201ctoss-up\u201d by the <em>Cook Political Report<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>The congressman defeated Harrell in 2022 by a margin of just over 1,000 votes, so their rematch in 2024 is expected to be another tight race. Herrell\u2019s campaign has raised over $1.6 million, while Vasquez has raised $2.6 million in the same time period, January 2023 to March 2024, per the Federal Election Commission.<\/p>\n<p>Like many Republicans, Herrell is campaigning heavily on what the GOP perceives as a lack of accountability regarding the influx of illegal immigrants at the southern border.<\/p>\n<p>The 2nd District\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.krwg.org\/krwg-news\/2024-05-27\/gabe-vasquez-and-yvette-herrell-prepare-for-election-season-in-southern-new-mexico\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rnc-will-not-allow-mainstream-media-to-moderate-gop-debates\/\" title=\"RNC will not allow mainstream media to moderate GOP debates\">general election debates<\/a><\/a> are also expected to center around oil drilling, climate change, and public safety, per local outlet KRWG. On the other side, Vasquez has defended his <a href=\"https:\/\/vasquez.house.gov\/issues\/immigration\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"voting record\">voting record<\/a> when it comes to addressing the crisis at the border.<\/p>\n<p>Vasquez was recently one of three House Democrats who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3012061\/nrcc-rejects-cease-letter-democrats-support-hamas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>sent cease-and-desist letters<\/a> to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/nrcc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">National Republican Congressional Committee<\/a> over a press release that had a headline quoting the congressman saying, \u201cI support Hamas.\u201d The NRCC dismissed the letters from Vasquez and other Democrats, calling the press release \u201ctongue-in-cheek,\u201d and argued the members should be more focused on their voting record supporting Israel.<\/p>\n<p>The 2nd District race comes after Republicans unsuccessfully challenged a Democratic-drawn congressional map that reshaped the district, dividing a conservative region among New Mexico\u2019s three congressional districts \u2014 effectively giving Democrats an edge to keep their control over the state\u2019s two Senate and House seats.<\/p>\n<h2>Senate against Heinrich draws strong GOP challenger<\/h2>\n<p>Republicans filed in February to have one candidate run against Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-MN) as well. Businesswoman Nella Domenici, the daughter of the last Republican senator in New Mexico, is running to unseat Heinrich, who is seeking his third term.<\/p>\n<p>Domenici has drawn on similar Republican campaign tactics, expressing concerns for inflation and border enforcement, among other policy areas. Her name recognition is a significant asset as well, as her father was longtime GOP Sen. Pete V. Domenici, who served from 1973 to 2009. Since then, the state has had Democratic senators.<\/p>\n<p>She is also the half-sister of Adam Laxalt, who served as the former attorney general of Nevada and lost to incumbent Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) in 2022.<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>On Tuesday, she <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2024\/05\/28\/republican-senate-candidate-nella-domenici-new-mexico-ad\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>released her first ad<\/a>, focusing on her family\u2019s legacy in New Mexico and her experience as a working mother, as reported by <em>Axios<\/em>. The ad is part of a half-million ad buy. <\/p>\n<p>She loaned her campaign $500,000 after she entered the race in February, ending with $1 million cash on hand compared to Heinrich\u2019s $4.4 million at the end of March, according to the Federal Election Commission.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Domenici faces an uphill battle to defeat Heinrich, who won reelection in 2018 by 25 points. Still, she is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-samantha-bee-tells-republicans-to-stop-transphobic-bills-and-mind-their-own-fing-business\/\" title=\"WATCH: Samantha Bee Tells Republicans To \u2018Stop Transphobic\u2019 Bills And \u2018Mind Their Own F***ing Business\u2019\">strong contender<\/a> for the Senate race, aiding the GOP as it seeks to flip the Senate to a Republican majority this November. <\/p>\n<p>Democrats are defending nine vulnerable Senate seats this cycle, though Heinrich\u2019s seat is ranked as \u201csolid Democrat\u201d by the <em>Cook Political Report<\/em>, meaning the GOP will not necessarily rely on Domenici to aid in its majority mission.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Republicans target key New Mexico House and Senate seats for the 2024 elections, with the 2nd Congressional District set to be a crucial battleground. Incumbent Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM) faces strong competition in this closely watched race, drawing significant attention from both parties<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2648,"featured_media":2254739,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MixCollage-28-May-2024-01-54-PM-1706.jpg.optimal.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2254738","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MixCollage-28-May-2024-01-54-PM-1706.jpg.optimal.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2254738","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2648"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2254738"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2254738\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2254739"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2254738"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2254738"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2254738"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}