Yvette Herrell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yvette Herrell
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Mexico's 2nd district
In office January 3, 2021 – January 3, 2023
Preceded by	Xochitl Torres Small
Succeeded by	Gabe Vasquez
Member of the New Mexico House of Representatives from the 51st district
In office January 18, 2011 – January 15, 2019
Preceded by	Gloria Vaughn
Succeeded by	Rachel Black
Personal details
Born	Stella Yvette Herrell (1964-03-16) March 16, 1964 (age 61) Ruidoso, New Mexico, U.S.
Nationality	American Cherokee Nation
Political party	Republican
Education	ITT Technical Institute
Signature

Yvette Herrell (born March 16, 1964) is an American politician and real estate agent. She served as a representative for New Mexico's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2021 to 2023.

Before joining the U.S. House, she was a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives for eight years. Yvette Herrell is a member of the Republican Party. She made history as one of the first Native American women elected to the U.S. Congress. She is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation.

Early Life and Education

Yvette Herrell was born in Ruidoso, New Mexico. She is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. After finishing high school, she went to the ITT Technical Institute School of Business in Boise, Idaho. There, she earned a diploma to become a legal secretary.

After her studies, Herrell returned to New Mexico. She started working as a real estate agent in Alamogordo. Later, she became a real estate broker for a company called Future Real Estate.

Serving New Mexico: State Representative

In 2010, Yvette Herrell decided to run for a seat in the New Mexico House of Representatives. She ran for District 51. She won the Republican primary election.

Then, in the general election in November, she won against her opponent. She became a state representative. In 2012, she ran for reelection and won again without any opponents. She served four terms in the New Mexico House of Representatives, from 2011 to 2019.

Representing New Mexico in Congress

Running for the U.S. House

2018 Election Race

In 2018, Yvette Herrell ran for the United States House of Representatives. She wanted to represent New Mexico's 2nd congressional district. This was a very close election. She lost to Democrat Xochitl Torres Small by a small number of votes.

2020 Election Rematch

Herrell ran for the same seat again in the 2020 elections. She won the Republican primary election. Then, she faced Xochitl Torres Small again in the general election.

This time, Yvette Herrell won the election by a larger margin. She took office on January 3, 2021. During her campaign, she focused on ideas like making the U.S. border stronger and supporting small businesses.

2022 and 2024 Elections

In 2022, Herrell ran for reelection for her seat in Congress. She ran without opposition in the Republican primary. In the general election, she faced Gabe Vasquez, a Democrat.

She narrowly lost her reelection bid to Vasquez. In 2024, she ran for the seat again, but lost to Vasquez once more.

What She Did in Congress

Key Votes and Focus Areas

As a U.S. Representative, Yvette Herrell voted on many important issues. In 2021, she was one of the members of Congress who voted to end a special authorization for military force in Iraq.

She also voted against a defense bill that included a rule for women to be drafted into the military. Herrell also supported deploying the National Guard to the U.S.-Mexico border.

Helping Canadian Truckers

In 2022, Yvette Herrell was the main supporter of a bill. This bill aimed to give temporary political protection to Canadian truckers. These truckers were protesting rules about vaccines.

Working in Committees

While in Congress, Yvette Herrell was part of several important groups called committees. These committees study specific topics and help create new laws.

• Committee on Natural Resources
  • Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
  • Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands
• Committee on Oversight and Reform
  • Subcommittee on Environment
  • Subcommittee on Government Operations

Other Groups She Joined

Yvette Herrell was also a member of two special groups within the Republican Party in Congress:

• Freedom Caucus
• Republican Study Committee

Political Views

Yvette Herrell has shared her views on many political topics. During her 2020 campaign, she showed support for President Donald Trump. After the 2020 United States presidential election, she disagreed with the election results for Arizona and Pennsylvania in Congress.

She believes that health insurance should be managed by private businesses, not the government. She supports changing the DACA program, which helps young immigrants. She also strongly supports the Second Amendment, which is about the right to own guns. She believes people should be allowed to carry concealed guns on school property.

Herrell thinks the federal government should have a limited role in public education. She supports laws that protect water rights and private property rights. She also believes in good management of public lands.

After the events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, Herrell voted against impeaching President Trump. She also voted against the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a bill passed to help the country during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, she voted against the Equality Act. This bill aimed to prevent discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Herrell attended events where people did not always follow health guidelines like wearing masks. She explained that if others were not wearing masks, she did not feel she needed to either. She also criticized the rules put in place by Democrats in New Mexico to control the virus.

Personal Life

Yvette Herrell is a Protestant Christian.

See also

• List of Native Americans in the United States Congress
• Women in conservatism in the United States
• Women in the United States House of Representatives