Rep. Gabe Vasquez made remarks in 2020 and 2022 about increasing diversity in outdoor spaces. The comments drew attention during his re-election bid in a district won by Donald Trump in 2024.
Vasquez, a Democrat representing New Mexico’s 2nd congressional district, spoke on podcasts about wanting outdoor areas to become less dominated by white people. In a June 2020 appearance, he said spaces that have been traditionally white will no longer be white and that people should embrace a new set of outdoor users.
He also criticized organizations led by white men. Vasquez stated on the same podcast that the New Mexico Wildlife Federation lacked credibility with Hispanics because its executive directors had all been white males. In 2022, he described starting his group Nuestra Tierra to show that conservation organizations do not have to be led by white people.
The lawmaker has posted on social media about the need for a power shift away from white men in positions of influence. He is running against Republican Greg Cunningham in a race viewed by some as competitive following Trump’s narrow 2024 win in the district.
