House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s fight to expand the slim GOP majority in the House took him Monday to New Mexico, where he is appearing at former Rep. Yvette Herrell’s campaign kickoff rally.

The visit marked Mr. McCarthy’s first foray onto the campaign trail in the 2024 election cycle and brought him to one of the most competitive congressional districts in the country.

Democrat Gabe Vasquez ousted Ms. Herrell in 2022 by less than 1,400 votes.

“Yvette Herrell is a fearless conservative leader — and New Mexico needs her back in Congress,” Mr. McCarthy said in a statement. “During her time in Washington, Yvette always put her constituents first: working hard to deliver results for New Mexico families and standing up for fiscal responsibility, free markets, and constitutional rights.”

Mr. McCarthy, California Republican, was elected speaker on the 15th ballot after a drawn-out fight among GOP lawmakers.

Republicans hold a 222 to 213 House majority.

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report ranks the race in New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District as a “toss-up.”

Mr. McCarthy plans to contribute $10,000 to Ms. Herrell’s campaign, according to a press release, and the event that he headlines is expected to bring in more than $100,000.

• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.