By Kevin Hendricks, The New Mexico News — If you live anywhere between Albuquerque’s South Valley and El Paso and own a TV, you already know somebody really wants your vote in the 2nd Congressional District. Actually, several somebodies – and each has several million dollars.
Campaign donors and outside political action committees have spent or promised at least $21.8 million on the race between Democratic U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez and Republican challenger Greg Cunningham. Voters settle it today.
Vasquez has raised $5.5 million,more than double Cunningham’s $2.5 million, according to Federal Election Commission filings through Oct. 14. Of that, Vasquez had spent $5.06 million and Cunningham had spent $2.18 million. Each candidate had a few hundred thousand dollars left to spend, but the biggest late spenders weren’t the candidates themselves.
The outside game
As of noon on Election Day, PACs outspent candidates 2-to-1 in this race, so far. Outside spenders account for about $14.1 million, mostly TV, digital and text-message ads.
On the right, the Congressional Leadership Fund has spent more than $3.8 million against Vasquez. No Going Back, backed by Trump’s MAGA Inc., has spent at least $1.4 million.
On the left, groups including the Public Lands Warriors Fund and Workers En Accion have spent more than $5.5 million boosting Vasquez or attacking Cunningham.
Late money surge
The final stretch tilted hard toward Vasquez. Outside groups reported about $3.1 million in spending against Cunningham from Oct. 15 through Oct. 29, FEC filings show. Groups opposing Vasquez reported about $78,000.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s Ready for the Fight PAC led the late push with nearly $2 million in TV buys and production. Pritzker is widely considered a 2028 presidential candidate. Democrats’ House Majority PAC added about $602,000 in late money.
Why it matters
CD2 is one of a handful of Democratic-held seats President Donald Trump carried in 2024, making it a prize in the fight for the U.S. House. Vasquez first won it in 2022 by less than a percentage point, beating Yvette Herrell by less than 1,400 votes. An October Research & Polling survey had Vasquez at 48% and Cunningham at 44%, inside the 5-point margin of error.
Post-election reports covering the campaigns’ final three weeks aren’t due until Dec. 3, so the full receipt for this race arrives after the check has cleared.
BY THE NUMBERS
- $21.8 million: total spent or pledged in the race
- $14.1 million: PAC independent expenditures
- $7.7 million: donations to the campaigns
- Vasquez, through Oct. 14: $5,518,618 raised | $5,060,722 spent | $496,982 cash on hand
- Cunningham, through Oct. 14: $2,527,072 raised | $2,183,325 spent | $343,747 cash on hand
- Outside spending against Cunningham, Oct. 15-29: $3,135,767
- Outside spending against Vasquez, Oct. 15-29: $77,522
- Late spending against Cunningham, by group:
- Ready for the Fight: $1,965,795
- House Majority PAC: $601,579
- Bold America: $299,989
- New Democrat Majority: $258,030
- Late spending against Vasquez, by group:
- Civic Renewal Fund: $63,253
- CLF: $13,000
- No Going Back: $1,269
Vote Tuesday, Nov. 3
- Polling hours: 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
- Find your polling place: voterportal.servis.sos.state.nm.us/WhereToVoteAddress.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
- See the filings: fec.gov/data/elections/house/NM/02/2026/
- Vasquez campaign: gabeforcongress.com/
- Cunningham campaign:.cunninghamfornm.com/
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