House - NM 2nd - Xochitl Torres Small

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Democrat representing southern half of New Mexico

Xochitl, the water rights lawyer whose grandmother immigrated from Mexico to work in cotton fields, and whose grandfather’s family had no indoor plumbing, achieved a major upset in 2018. In this huge, mainly rural, usually Republican district covering the southern half of New Mexico, Xochitl managed to narrowly defeat far-right Yvette Herrell by 3722 votes, a margin of 1.8%. Xochitl now represents the most rural district served by a Democrat.

In November Xochitl will face Yvette Herrell again. Herrell, a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives until January 2019, said, “I have been on that Trump train since Day 1 of his announcement” and “I support President Trump in building the wall.” Herrell has supported concealed carry of guns on school property, wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and said the only thing wrong with Donald Trump is that he is not Trump enough. She touts her support by national Tea Party figures. In 2020 Herrell said "I’ve supported President Trump since the beginning, which is why the president’s top allies like Mark Meadows, Jim Jordan and Mike Huckabee have endorsed me.” In 2018 the League of Conservation Voters named Herrell to its infamous "Dirty Dozen" list of the country’s worst anti-environmental House candidates. Herrrell refused to debate Xochitl on television during the 2018 campaign.

Xochitl was raised in the district (in Las Cruces) by her public school special education teacher mother and social worker father. She spent two high school years on scholarship at United World College in Swaziland, a school with a mission to "make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future." Xochitl graduated Cum Laude from Georgetown University in just 3 years and earned her law degree at University of New Mexico School of Law. She served as a Field Representative for Senator Tom Udall of New Mexico, and as a judicial clerk for a federal judge in New Mexico. As a water rights lawyer Xochitl addressed one of the most serious issues in southern New Mexico.

In December 2018, after her election but before her swearing in, Xochitl and other members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus traveled to the United States Border Patrol station at Alamogordo, New Mexico, where Felipe Gómez Alonzo, an eight-year-old Guatemalan immigrant, died in custody. Xochitl spoke out against Felipe’s “inexcusable” death, and called for a thorough and transparent investigation into the deaths of children at the border, and for more medical resources along the border. She has been working for practical, bipartisan border security solutions.

In her first year, Xochitl sponsored 14 pieces of legislation and cosponsored nearly 200. Her legislative work ranged from border security and immigration to keeping drugs off the street, improving rural healthcare, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, and protecting western water supplies. She wants the Paris climate accord to be restored. Xochitl has received compliments for her work as a Congresswoman even from those in her district who sometimes have other viewpoints. A local business leader said when introducing her at a town hall: “I don’t always agree with her, but she shows up and she says what she thinks and doesn’t try to hide it, and she listens.”

She is serving on the House Armed Services and Homeland Security committees.

Xochitl is a top 2020 target of the Republican Party. The GOP is pouring money into New Mexico in an attempt to win back this Congressional seat. Xochitl needs our support now.