Rep. Vasquez (Potter, Sun-News)

Rep. Gabe Vasquez made a full-blown loan break with Gov. Lujan Grisham and her proposed gun ban by announcing Tuesday that he will join with the majority Republicans in support of a harsh House resolution condemning her actions. 

It was an exceptionally rare move for a Democrat to abandon their Governor, the titular head of the state Democratic Party and spoke to the panic that has now apparently seeped into the Vasquez campaign as they struggle to fend off former GOP Rep. Yvette Herrell who he is expected to face in a rematch for his southern congressional seat next year. 

Herrell already polled one point ahead of him in the just released SurveyUSA.

While Vasquez is trying to curry favor with conservatives in the district, his break with the Governor was not seen as a brilliant move that will keep the conservatives off his back but a potential political folly that could cause him a new set of difficulties with Democrats.

That's not only a a reference to Vasquez dumping the Guv but also for going soft on abortion rights by voting for the national defense authorization act that included  antiabortion amendments. He was one of only four Dems to do so. 

Then there's his ignoring of President Biden whose recent appearance in the state was unattended by Vasquez. And he was also a no-show at Biden's ABQ South Valley campaign rally before the '22 election, again fearful of the political consequences and foregoing a golden opportunity to advance our state's many DC interests.

Other observers pointed out that Vasquez could show his dissatisfaction with MLG's gun ban, already put on hold by a federal court, by simply taking a walk on the vote or issuing a tepid statement in disagreement as Senator Martin Heinrich did. Or, better yet, keeping his mouth closed tight and not saying much of anything. Instead Vasquez made the break: 

The resolution was approved by the House Rules Committee Monday but the House adjourned Tuesday without any action. It is not known when or if they will get to it. But Vasquez has already locked himself in. A Senior Alligator analyzed:

Others said the national Dems at the DCCC should give up already and encourage a moderate Hispanic woman from either ABQ's Westside or Valencia County to run against Vasquez and push him to the curb. They argue that Herrell is winning the enthusiasm battle and in turn could win the turnout war while Vasquez's political ways could damper enthusiasm among D's. 

Rep. Stansbury

ABQ progressive Dem Rep. Melanie Stansbury Tuesday made a point of announcing that she will not be joining with Vasquez and the Republicans to condemn the Governor:

While Vasquez took plenty of heat on the left, he also received it from the right as the NRCC, fighting to take back the seat for Herrell, unloaded on him:

For Republicans and other Vasquez critics that statement gets to the crux of his problem. A Senior GOP Alligator remarked:

And there is evidence to back that up because before he was in Congress Vasquez was one of the most liberal Las Cruces City Council members ever and was caught on video advocating for the defunding of the police. Now he is setting off to convince voters he is actually some kind of conservative Democrat. It's not the policy that will necessarily hurt him most but the blatant hypocrisy of his actions. 

He's simply not believable. 

The title: 

 H. Res. 684 - Condemning the actions of Governor of New Mexico, Michelle Lujan Grisham, for subverting the Second Amendment to the Constitution and depriving the citizens of New Mexico of their right to bear arms. 

The full resolution is here. 

Here in a nutshell is the debate over the resolution:

We’ll pick up the story if and when the full House votes. There was much dysfunction there Tuesday and lawmakers ended the day entangled in budget battles. 

This is the home of New Mexico politics.