No corner of the country is immune from the deluge of Republican ads targeting congressional Democrats’ handling of the southern border — even in districts considerably closer to Canada than Mexico. Yet in one of the few competitive seats where illegal border crossings are a genuine backyard matter, it remains an open question whether the GOP’s provocative immigration messaging will actually bear fruit.
New Mexico’s 2nd District, which spans all 180 miles of the state’s border with Mexico, is prone to partisan whiplash: It flipped to Democrats in 2018, returned to Republican hands in 2020 and then went back Democrats’ way in 2022 thanks to a gerrymander that aided the party’s odds by adding parts of Albuquerque to the previously rural-dominated seat. After backing Donald Trump by 12 points four years ago, the redrawn version of the 2nd District would have opted for Joe Biden by six points.
The 2nd District’s penchant for political ping-pong is hardly news to former Rep. Yvette Herrell, the GOP’s nominee here for a fourth straight cycle. Gunning for a comeback after serving a
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