ALBUQUERQUE — A Rio Rancho pharmacist and business owner is entering the race for New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District, citing concerns about the economy, health care and long-term opportunities for families as key drivers behind her campaign.
Ndidiamaka Okpareke, who also goes by “Didi,” announced her candidacy during a recent appearance on the “Chile Wire” podcast, where she outlined her background, priorities and reasons for seeking federal office.
Okpareke, who has lived in New Mexico since her teenage years, said her campaign is rooted in her experiences as a health care professional, entrepreneur and mother. She moved to the state at age 14 when her father, a satellite engineer, relocated for work tied to a U.S. Air Force contract. She later attended Sandia High School and the University of New Mexico, earning a doctorate in pharmacy in 2008.
“I’ve been practicing pharmacy now for almost 20 years,” Okpareke said. “I actually own my own business … and I built it from scratch.”
She founded Olive Tree Compounding Pharmacy in Rio Rancho in 2017, focusing on customized medications for patients. Okpareke said her work in health care exposed gaps in access to specialized treatments in New Mexico, which she cited as an example of broader systemic challenges facing the state.
Her campaign is centered heavily on economic issues, particularly the long-term financial stability of New Mexico families. Okpareke said she wants policymakers to focus not only on immediate concerns like fuel prices, but also on generational outcomes.
“What are we doing today that will have an astronomical impact on the family 50 years from now?” she said. “Securing the future — that’s why I’m doing what I’m doing.”
Okpareke also emphasized support for domestic energy production, arguing that industries such as oil and gas play a critical role across multiple sectors, including health care manufacturing. She said better understanding of those connections is needed in public policy discussions.
In addition to economic concerns, Okpareke pointed to health care and chronic disease as national challenges, questioning why more Americans are living with long-term conditions despite widespread access to medication.
“Why is everyone on medication, but they’re still sick?” she said.
Her campaign message also draws on her family’s immigration story. Okpareke said her parents immigrated from Nigeria after living through conflict, later becoming U.S. citizens and building careers in aviation and nursing. She described her family as an example of the “American dream” and said preserving that opportunity is a motivating factor in her candidacy.
“Would another me be possible in this country?” she said. “If we don’t secure the American way of life, the answer is no.”
During the podcast, Okpareke described traveling across the district — which includes Albuquerque, parts of Sandoval County and more rural areas such as Torrance County — and meeting with constituents ranging from farmers to small business owners. She said those conversations highlighted the diverse needs within the district and the importance of what she called “servant leadership.”
“I don’t know politics. I’ve never done this before,” Okpareke said. “But that’s exactly why these positions were created — so people can step up and make change.”
The 1st Congressional District seat is expected to be a closely watched race, representing a mix of urban and rural communities with varying economic priorities.
Okpareke said her campaign will focus on voter outreach and fundraising in the coming months as she works to introduce herself to constituents across the district.
