ALBUQUERQUE — Jose Orozco announced Wednesday he is withdrawing from New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District Republican primary and endorsing Greg Cunningham, calling on his supporters to unite behind Cunningham ahead of the June 2 primary.

“I believe that consolidating support behind Greg Cunningham gives our party the best opportunity to win this seat and deliver real results for the people of New Mexico,” Orozco said in a statement. He urged his donors, volunteers and supporters to shift their backing to Cunningham.

Orozco, a federal contractor who previously ran for state representative in 2012 and Albuquerque City Council in 2017, had been one of two Republicans challenging Democratic incumbent Rep. Gabe Vasquez. His exit, combined with the earlier withdrawal of conservative talk radio host Eddy Aragon, leaves Cunningham as the only Republican on the primary ballot.

Cunningham, a 59-year-old Marine Corps veteran and former Albuquerque Police detective, made two unsuccessful runs for a state House seat before entering the congressional race. He has the endorsement of former Rep. Yvette Herrell, the Republican who held the seat before losing it to Vasquez in 2022.

The district is shaping up as one of the most competitive House races in the country. Cook Political Report has rated it a tossup, calling it one of a handful of contests that could determine which party controls a narrowly divided House.

Vasquez, a Democrat from Las Cruces, has won the seat in back-to-back elections. He flipped it in 2022, defeating Herrell by just 1,350 votes out of more than 192,000 cast. He widened his margin to 4.2% in 2024, though Donald Trump carried the district by 1.9%, making Vasquez one of 13 Democrats elected in a Trump-won district.

Vasquez previously served as executive director of the Hispano Chamber of Commerce de Las Cruces and as a field representative for U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich before entering Congress in 2023. He is seeking a third term.

That Trump-over-Harris split makes the district a top Republican target. Orozco framed his exit explicitly as a strategic move to avoid the kind of fractured primary that could hobble the eventual nominee.

“At this critical moment, we must come together as a party to present a strong, unified front,” Orozco said. “Division only benefits our opponents.”

Despite stepping aside, Orozco signaled he intends to remain active in politics. “This is not the end — it is simply the beginning of the next chapter,” he said, pledging to continue advocating for jobs, small businesses and national security in New Mexico.

The general election is Nov. 3.