Former U.S. Rep. Yvette Herrell confirmed as Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Congressional Affairs

WASHINGTON, D.C. (KVIA) -- Former U.S. House Rep. Yvette Herrell was confirmed as Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Congressional Affairs last night.

Republican officials say Herrell is now serving in a senior role in the Trump Administration. The U.S. Senate approved Herrell's nomination 53 to 43 last night.

Herrell represented New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District in the House of Representatives from 2021 to 2023. Before that she served in the New Mexico House of Representatives.

Herrell first ran for New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District in 2018. She lost by a small margin in the general election to Democrat Xochitl Torres Small. She ran again in 2020 and won against Torres Small. In the 2022 and 2024 elections, Herrell lost against Democrat Gabe Vasquez.

Herrell underwent months of review before last night's vote. She will now be responsible for managing congressional relations for the USDA, and act as a key link between the USDA and Congress. That is according to Republican leadership. She will be dealing with legislation, budgets, and policy priorities.

Herrell's team describes her as a southern New Mexico native with a heart for the state's farmers, ranchers, and rural families. She was born and raised in Ruidoso and is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, according to her congressional biography.