Democratic gubernatorial nominee Deb Haaland and U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez held a joint campaign rally in Las Cruces on Saturday, drawing former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to the border-region city as both candidates pitched voters on lowering costs, building safer communities, and expanding opportunities. The event quickly drew a sharp rebuttal from Vasquez's Republican opponent, who accused the congressman of masking his true record.
The rally, held in Las Cruces, New Mexico, brought together Haaland, the Democratic nominee for governor, and Vasquez, the incumbent Democratic representative who had already secured the Democratic nomination in the race, according to KVIA. Buttigieg, a former U.S. transportation secretary, also attended the event, lending national star power to the southern New Mexico gathering. ABC-7 said it contacted both Haaland's opponent, Gregg Hull, and Vasquez's opponent, Greg Cunningham, for comment on the rally.
Cunningham did not stay quiet. In a statement released the same day, he said Vasquez appeared on a stage with Haaland and a person who wanted to decriminalize illegal border crossing, per the same KVIA report. Cunningham also claimed Vasquez voted against the Secure the Border Act and against the Laken Riley Act, and said the congressman voted against tax cuts working families are counting on.
Cunningham Says Vasquez's Moderate Image Is an Act
Cunningham went further in his statement, saying Vasquez has spent four years presenting himself as a moderate, but that this moderate presentation ends when he thinks New Mexicans are not watching, the outlet reported. The accusation reflects the intensity of a race that has drawn national attention this fall.
That national attention is not new. According to the New Mexico Political Report, Cunningham was listed on the announced agenda for the Republican Party's Midterm Convention this month. Cunningham is a retired police officer and Marine veteran. The district has drawn national Republican attention.
A September report by KOB-TV described the Vasquez-Cunningham race as close, underscoring how competitive the district covering southern New Mexico and parts of Albuquerque remains heading into November. Vasquez and Cunningham have also agreed to a televised debate on October 16 hosted by KRQE, according to Organ Mountain News, with Vasquez additionally issuing a challenge for a Spanish-language matchup.
Haaland Seeks a Historic First as Race Heats Up
At the top of the ticket, Haaland is the Democratic nominee for governor. Her Republican opponent, Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull, secured his party's nomination the same day with 47% of the vote, beating Doug Turner and Duke Rodriguez.
Hull served as Rio Rancho's mayor before turning his focus to his run for governor. Just days before the Las Cruces rally, the Ohkay Owingeh Tribal Council announced its unanimous endorsement of Haaland in a statement reported by Native News Online.
The rally also comes amid a rare moment of agreement between the two gubernatorial rivals. Both rejected a Trump rename push over Labor Day weekend after President Trump floated renaming New Mexico ‘New America’ on social media, with Haaland declaring, “New Mexico is not up for sale,” and Hull calling the idea “not up for negotiation.”
Why New Mexico Is Suddenly a National Focus
New Mexico's political profile has risen sharply in recent months. The Las Cruces rally brought former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to southern New Mexico well ahead of the 2028 cycle. With both the governor's race and the NM-02 congressional contest drawing intense outside attention, Saturday's Las Cruces rally marked another sign that the state's midterm season is far from a quiet one.
