ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - A Democrat in a closely watched race for an open congressional seat along the U.S.-Mexico border in New Mexico has almost five times more cash than her GOP opponent, federal records show.
Xochitl Torres Small had $495,980 cash on hand for the second quarter, according to the latest Federal Election Commission numbers. The filings also said she raised nearly $400,000 after winning the Democratic nomination in June for New Mexico’s s Second Congressional District.
Meanwhile, records show that Republican state Rep. Yvette Herrell had $100,294 cash on hand and reported $118,217 in net contributions. Herrell defeated four other opponents in a heated GOP primary.
The seat currently is held by Republican Rep. Steve Pearce, who is running for New Mexico governor and not running for re-election.
Unlike previous Democratic candidates in the district, Torres Small is embracing the area’s oil and gas economy and vows to help fix and expand highways to prepare for increased production. The granddaughter of Mexican immigrants and wife of a state lawmaker rarely mentions President Donald Trump on the campaign trail. She tells voters she’s a gun owner who postponed her honeymoon to go hunting.
Herrell defeated her GOP primary opponents after brandishing her staunch support for Trump and his plan to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. The state lawmaker has built a career as an advocate for social conservative issues.
Democrats have long targeted the heavily Hispanic congressional district where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans. But the district recently has remained in GOP hands largely because of Pearce, who has attracted support from Hispanics and the region’s oil and gas interests.
The general election campaign is expected to center around Trump, immigration and the North American Free Trade Agreement. The unpredictable district that has leaned Republican in recent years will help determine which party controls the U.S. House of Representatives.
Trump won the district by roughly 10 percentage points in 2016.
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