Senate approves former Republican lawmaker for senior liaison position with Department of Agriculture

Organ Mountain News report

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate confirmed former New Mexico Rep. Yvette Herrell on Thursday as Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Congressional Affairs, placing the Republican in a senior liaison role between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Congress.

The Senate approved Herrell’s nomination by a 53–43 vote as part of a late push that cleared nearly 100 executive branch nominees.

In her new role, Herrell will manage congressional relations for USDA, serving as a key point of contact between agency leadership and lawmakers on legislation, budgets and policy priorities. The position focuses on coordination and communication rather than direct administration of USDA programs.

Herrell represented New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District for one term from 2021 to 2023 after winning the seat in 2020. She lost reelection in 2022 to Democrat Gabe Vasquez following redistricting and was defeated again by Vasquez in a 2024 rematch.

Earlier in her political career, Herrell lost the NM-02 seat to Democrat Xochitl Torres Small in 2018 before defeating Torres Small in the 2020 general election.

New Mexico Republican Party Chairwoman Amy Barela praised the confirmation in a statement Friday, calling Herrell “exceptionally well-suited” for the role and citing her ties to Southern New Mexico’s agricultural and rural communities.

Herrell has said she does not plan to run in 2026 for New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District seat, which is currently held by Democrat Gabe Vasquez, according to a campaign spokesman cited by the Albuquerque Journal.

The Journal previously reported that Herrell was appointed to the USDA role in June and later advanced through the Senate confirmation process.

Herrell’s appointment places her within the Trump administration’s second-term leadership team at USDA, where she will work on legislative coordination between the department and Congress.