Vasquez claims it’s racist to criticize his extreme far-left record

In a recent Roll Call interview, New Mexico Democrat Rep. Gabe Vasquez attempted to reframe growing criticism of his radical political record, claiming it stems from his identity as a “Hispanic male.” He told the publication, “They used misinformation to paint me as an extremist,” adding, “I think so much of that was really … them wanting to discredit me as a Hispanic male.”

But as scrutiny of his positions intensifies, the facts show Vasquez is far from the moderate image he attempts to portray — instead aligning himself with some of the most extreme factions in Congress on issues ranging from border security to energy policy.

Vasquez represents New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District — a vast, working-class, majority Latino district in the southern and western part of the state that President Trump carried in 2024. Yet despite the district’s conservative lean, Vasquez has toed the party line with shocking consistency. According to Roll Call, “a CQ Roll Call analysis of his 2024 voting record found that on votes that split the parties, Vasquez stuck with House Democrats 87.2 percent of the time.” Even more strikingly, “on House votes on which President Joe Biden took a position, Vasquez sided with him 91.7 percent of the time.” Only 57 House Democrats voted with Biden more often.

That makes Vasquez one of the most extreme partisan members in a seat that is supposed to be one of the most competitive in the country. And despite running as a “moderate,” his record tells a different story.

Vasquez has attacked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and called to dismantle the southern border wall. “Time to take down the wall that’s been financed and is being constructed with illegal funds,” he said in a now-deleted tweet. He has harshly criticized law enforcement agencies charged with border security, all while falsely claiming to be a pragmatist on immigration.

His views on energy are no less radical. While the 2nd District is home to the oil- and gas-rich Permian Basin — one of the largest energy-producing regions in the world — Vasquez has aligned himself with Green New Deal-style policies that threaten the livelihoods of thousands. Although he has occasionally paid lip service to oilfield jobs, his consistent support for environmental restrictions and climate change mandates sends a clear message. Roll Call quoted him saying: “I’m not here to take any of that away. What I am here to do is to say, ‘How can we do this better? How can we do this cleaner?’” — a phrase that many in the industry view as code for more regulations and fewer jobs.

In addition to his troubling policy stances, Vasquez’s personal history also includes legal red flags. He failed to appear in court for driving without a license, resulting in an outstanding arrest warrant that remained active for over a decade until March 2024 — after he was elected to Congress. This negligence raises questions about his respect for the law and accountability.

On gun rights, Vasquez has also taken a far-left turn. After a shooting in Las Cruces, he used the tragedy to call for sweeping federal gun control laws, including mandatory gun storage laws that many believe violate Second Amendment protections.

While Roll Call portrays him as trying to avoid “conflict with Republicans or folks who voted for Trump,” Vasquez undermines his own case with his hyper-partisan voting record and out-of-step positions. Still, he blames Republican attacks on his background: “They used misinformation to paint me as an extremist,” he told Roll Call, adding, “I think so much of that was really… them wanting to discredit me as a Hispanic male.”

But in a district that has flipped five times since 2008 and was carried by Donald Trump in 2024, voters are less likely to be concerned about Vasquez’s ethnicity than his record of extremism. With the National Republican Congressional Committee targeting the seat in 2026 and local GOP leaders calling the district “definitely flippable,” Vasquez’s far-left record may prove politically toxic.

As Roll Call notes, “The strategy that Vasquez should take as a Democrat in a Trump district would be exactly what he’s doing: filtering out the national scandals and focusing on what he can do for [his] constituents.” Yet, with his policies consistently aligned with the most progressive elements in Washington, voters in New Mexico’s 2nd District may soon decide that what Vasquez is doing is not what they want.