New Mexico
Multiple outlets reporting NM Second Congressional District re-elects Gabe Vasquez
Majority Leader Steve Scalise stumps for Trump in Phoenix
Steve Scalise, Majority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, speaks during a ”Get out the Vote” rally in Phoenix in support of Trump on Oct. 8, 2024.
Editor’s note: The votes reported here are based on overall vote counts reported to the New Mexico Secretary of State and are considered unofficial. To see other unofficial election results visit https://electionresults.sos.nm.gov.
Gabe Vasquez is returning to Congress.
Multiple media outlets reported late Tuesday that Vasquez had defeated Alamogordo Republican Yvette Herrell.
Just after midnight, the Associated Press, Fox News and USA Today were among the outlets awarding the 2nd Congressional District race to Vasquez, who also defeated Herrell in 2022 by 1,350 votes.
“The difference for me in this race was how much more knowledgeable I am about the issues impacting our district,” Vasquez told the Sun-News. “I haven’t thought too much about what the former Congresswoman and her platform is all about. I thought about governing from Day 1 and governing until I’m here. Regardless of the results of the election, I want to be proud of the work I’ve done, but I feel that the work I have done has given voters confidence to send me back to Congress.”
Around 10:30 p.m. on Election Night, the Vasquez campaign ended its watch party at a downtown Las Cruces bar when the race was tied on the New Mexico Secretary of State website with Vasquez holding a 41 vote lead.
Over an hour later, Vasquez had secured 52% of the 260,262 votes in the race according to unofficial results on the New Mexico Secretary of State website. There were 192,673 total votes in the 2022 General Election.
Vasquez secured 57% of the 82,460 votes in Doña Ana County just after midnight on Wednesday.
The district encompasses southern New Mexico which, after redistricting, now represents a swath extending from the southwest up to part of Bernalillo County, including Albuquerque’s South Valley.
The race for New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District was identified a a potential swing district, even drawing U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson to stump for Herrell in Las Cruces during the summer, as well as a visit to Albuquerque last week by former President Donald Trump.
Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also made a stop in Albuquerque in October.
The seat has flipped parties three times in the past six years. Herrell lost by two percentage points to Democrat Xochitl Torres Small in 2018, but won a rematch two years later, securing 54% of the 264,946 votes.
Herrell attacked Vasquez on immigration and the border, but also campaigned on the economy, an increased cost of living and crime.
Vasquez recently introduced a bipartisan Stop Fentanyl at the Border Act, which would provide increased funding, technology and staffing for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. He has also introduced a package of immigration and border bills, which he announced in November 2023.
The Las Cruces Sun-News is providing this content free of charge as part of our commitment to inform and empower Doña Ana County voters. Please consider supporting local journalism through a subscription.
New Mexico
Los Alamos Public Schools Students Compete At 2026 New Mexico State Science & Engineering Fair
Students from Barranca Mesa Elementary, Mountain Elementary, Los Alamos Middle School, and Los Alamos High School at the 2026 New Mexico State Science & Engineering Fair at New Mexico Tech. Photo CourtesyLAPS

LAHS junior Tate Plohr and freshman Linus Plohr qualified to attend the 2026 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in May in Phoenix, Ariz. Photo Courtesy LAPS

Los Alamos Middle School student Branden Keller was awarded the CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Scholarship in the amount of $2,000 at the 2026 New Mexico State Science & Engineering Fair. Photo Courtesy/LAPS
LAPS NEWS RELEASE
Twenty students from Barranca Mesa Elementary, Mountain Elementary, Los Alamos Middle School (LAMS) and Los Alamos High School (LAHS) competed, with several garnering awards at the 2026 New Mexico State Science and Engineering Fair held at New Mexico Tech in Socorro.
LAHS junior Tate Plohr qualified to attend the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) next month in Phoenix, Ariz. He was awarded the 3rd-place Grand Award. Freshman Linus Plohr qualified as an alternate and will also be attending the Regeneron ISEF.
Students who participated in the state competition include, from Barranca Mesa Elementary, Sydney Chen, Mary Beth Kelsey, Lily Neale, Aurora Roberts Voss and Henry Rodarte; and Glyn Lo and Ernest Maupin, Mountain Elementary.
Students from LAMS who competed include Evelyn Fobes, Mason Garcia, Andrew Gilbertson, James Junghans, Sequoya Ke, Brandon Keller, Nejan Liyanage and Daniel Yampolsky.
LAHS students Julia Neale, Linus Plohr, Tate Plohr, Lilia Veteva, Helena Welch and Kalliope Welch competed at the senior level.
2026 Award winners:
Category Awards – Junior Division
- Animal Science, Cellular & Molecular
- Biomedical & Health Science
- Honorable Mention: Sequoya Ke
- Embedded Systems, Math, Robotics, Software & Technology
- 2nd place: Nejan Liyanage
- Physics & Astronomy
- 1st place: Sydney Chen
- 2nd place: Mason Garcia
- Honorable Mention: Marybeth Kelsey
- Plant Science
Category Awards – Senior Division
- Behavioral & Social Science:
- Honorable Mention: Linus Plohr
- Earth & Environmental
- Honorable Mention: Lilia Viteva
- Embedded Systems, Math, Robotics, & System Software
- 3rd Place: Helena Welch and Kalliope Welch
- Physics & Astronomy
Grand Awards
- ISEF finalist 3rd place: Tate Plohr
- Brandon Keller received the CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Scholarship in the amount of $2,000. James Jungans and Marybeth Kelsey garnered Thermo Fisher Awards.
Other special award winners include:
- CO2 & Greenhouse Reduction Awards (Junior Division)
- Daniel Yampolsky, 2nd place, Earth & Environmental Sciences
- Sequoya Ke, 1st place, Biomedical & Health Science
- Brandon Keller, 1st place, Energy & Materials Science
- Andrew Gilbertson, 1st place, Physics & Astronomy
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award (Senior Division)
- Lilia Viteva, 1st place, Earth & Environmental Sciences
- Office of Naval Research Award
- David Shortess Award
- New Mexico AVS Award
- Citadel Award
- Naval Research Award
- NM Network for Women in Science & Engineering Award
- Yale Science & Engineering Award
- Rose Baca Rivet Award
Related
New Mexico
ASU baseball to host New Mexico State, Baylor
Arizona State baseball will host a four-game homestand, beginning with New Mexico State on Wednesday, April 22.
The Sun Devils and Aggies faced each other in late March, with ASU winning 10-4. The two teams will meet for the final time at 6:35 p.m. at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
ASU will then welcome Baylor on Friday, April 24, for a three-game series. The Sun Devils have yet to face the Bears this season, but ASU has been doing well so far and has been in the top 25 for four weeks.
Sophomore center fielder Landon Hairston earned Big 12 player of the week honors on April 13, after delivering five home runs in five games. His 10 runs in that stretch were tied for the second-most nationally and his 14 runs batted in were tied for third-most nationally. All nine of his hits went for extra bases, three more than any other player.
ASU’s series against Baylor will start at 6:35 p.m. for the first two games, followed by a 1:05 p.m. start on Sunday, April 26.
April 19
Softball at Houston, Cougar Softball Stadium, noon.
April 22
Baseball vs New Mexico State, Phoenix Municipal Stadium, 6:35 p.m.
April 23
Women’s golf at Big 12 Championship, Dallas Athletic Club, TBA.
Track and field at Penn Relays, Franklin Field, 1:22 p.m.
Beach volleyball at Big 12 Championship, Bear Down Beach, all day.
April 24
Baseball vs Baylor, Phoenix Municipal Stadium, 6:35 p.m.
Softball vs Texas Tech, Farrington Stadium, 7 p.m.
April 25
Lacrosse at Colorado, Prentup Field, 11 a.m.
Softball vs Texas Tech, Farrington Stadium, 3 p.m.
Baseball vs Baylor, Phoenix Municipal Stadium, 6:35 p.m.
Reach the reporter or send tips for stories at jenna.ortiz@arizonarepublic.com, as well as @jennarortiz on X.
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New Mexico
Calm and warmer conditions move into New Mexico
Josh’s Saturday Night Forecast
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Calmer weather has moved back into the state this afternoon. Temperatures are slightly warmer across northwestern New Mexico, while southeastern areas are cooler thanks to the backdoor cold fronts that moved in on Friday. Breezier winds will return Sunday and will help kick off a warming trend across the state, along with an elevated fire threat in eastern New Mexico.
Warmer weather will continue building in across the state throughout the upcoming week. A few isolated rain chances will return Monday in parts of New Mexico, but some of that rain may evaporate before reaching the ground.
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