SANTA FE — Early voting is open today for New Mexico’s June 2 Republican primary — the first semi-open primary in state history, meaning registered Republicans and unaffiliated voters can both participate.
Below is a guide to every Republican race on the statewide and federal ballot, including three offices where the only GOP candidate must be written in by hand.
HOW TO CAST A WRITE-IN VOTE
Three Republican races feature declared write-in candidates only — meaning no name is pre-printed on the ballot. To vote for a write-in candidate: (1) Write the candidate’s full name in the blank space provided beneath the office title. (2) Fill in the oval beside the write-in line. Both steps are required for the vote to count.
Federal Races
U.S. SENATE
✎ WRITE-IN REQUIRED — U.S. Senate
Candidate: Larry Marker. To cast a valid vote, write this name in the blank space on the ballot AND fill in the oval beside it. Leaving the oval empty will not count.
Larry Marker, an oil and gas businessman from the Roswell area, is the sole Republican in the U.S. Senate primary. He previously ran as a Libertarian write-in candidate for Commissioner of Public Lands in 2022 and as a Republican for state Senate in 2024. State GOP Chairwoman Amy Barela endorsed his write-in effort, calling on party members to rally behind his candidacy. Marker needs at least 2,351 valid write-in votes in the primary for his name to appear on the November general election ballot, where he would face incumbent Democratic Sen. Ben Ray Luján.
U.S. HOUSE — CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 1 (Albuquerque Area)
Ndidiamaka “Didi” Okpareke | Republican nominee
Didi Okpareke, 41, is a Rio Rancho pharmacist and founder of Olive Tree Compounding Pharmacy. A daughter of Nigerian immigrants, she graduated from the University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy and has worked in healthcare for nearly 20 years. Her campaign focuses on expanding access to healthcare providers in New Mexico, reducing the cost of medical practice, cutting federal spending, and promoting economic growth. She is making her first run for public office. Okpareke earned 85% of delegate support at the state GOP convention in March.
Campaign website: didiforcongress.com
District 1 covers most of Bernalillo County, Torrance County, and portions of Sandoval, Santa Fe, and Valencia counties. Incumbent Democratic Rep. Melanie Stansbury is seeking her third term.
U.S. HOUSE — CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 2 (Southern New Mexico)
Greg Cunningham | Republican nominee
Greg Cunningham is a retired Albuquerque Police Department detective and U.S. Marine Corps veteran. He ran unsuccessfully for a state House seat in Albuquerque’s west side in both 2022 and 2024. Cunningham has been added to the National Republican Congressional Committee’s “MAGA Majority” program, a designation that brings additional national resources to the campaign. He campaigned on public safety, border security, education accountability, and small business support.
Campaign website: cunninghamfornm.com
Note: Jose Orozco qualified for the primary ballot but announced his withdrawal and endorsed Cunningham. Orozco’s name will still appear on the ballot; votes cast for him will count in the primary tally, but he has exited the race. District 2 covers southern New Mexico and portions of the Albuquerque metro area. Incumbent Democratic Rep. Gabe Vasquez is seeking a third term in what the Cook Political Report rates as a toss-up district.
U.S. HOUSE — CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 3 (Northern New Mexico)
Martin Zamora | Republican nominee
Martin Zamora is a sitting New Mexico state representative (House District 63), first elected in 2018. A farmer and rancher born near Clovis, he comes from a multi-generation agricultural family with roots in eastern New Mexico. His congressional platform emphasizes protecting agricultural heritage and private property rights, cutting taxes and regulations, supporting law enforcement, and combating fentanyl trafficking. Zamora has raised approximately $247,000, the most of any Republican congressional candidate in the state.
Campaign website: zamorafornewmexico.com
District 3 covers most of northern and northeastern New Mexico. Incumbent Democratic Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández is seeking her fourth term.
Statewide Races
GOVERNOR
Three Republicans are vying for the right to face the Democratic nominee in November. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is term-limited and cannot seek a third consecutive term, making this an open-seat race.
Gregg Hull | Mayor, Rio Rancho
Gregg Hull has served as mayor of Rio Rancho since 2014, overseeing a city that has grown from roughly 93,000 to more than 113,000 residents under his tenure. He has highlighted 12 years of clean audits, 12 Government Finance Officers Association budget awards, and economic development wins, including helping Intel restore its local workforce from 900 to 3,000 employees. Hull earned 55% of delegate votes at the state GOP convention in March — more than double any other candidate — and pitches his record of nonpartisan municipal governance as a model for statewide leadership.
Campaign website: gregghull.com
Duke Rodriguez | CEO, Ultra Health Cannabis; former state cabinet secretary
Duke Rodriguez served as Secretary of the New Mexico Human Services Department under Republican Gov. Gary Johnson and has Johnson’s endorsement in this race. He is currently CEO of Ultra Health, a major medical cannabis operator in New Mexico. Rodriguez is the most ideologically pointed candidate in the field, calling for the elimination of the state personal income tax and the gross receipts tax on retail sales, as well as sharp reductions in property taxes. His campaign argues that dramatic tax cuts will grow the state’s private-sector economy and make New Mexico competitive with neighboring states.
Campaign website: runwithduke.com
Doug Turner | Founder, Agenda Global; communications executive
Doug Turner is an Albuquerque-based communications professional and founder of Agenda Global, a public affairs firm now operating in 40 countries. He previously served as state director and campaign manager for Gov. Gary Johnson and chaired the New Mexico Judicial Standards Commission. Turner ran unsuccessfully in the 2010 Republican gubernatorial primary against Susana Martinez. He entered the 2026 race later than his opponents but raised the most money: his campaign reported nearly $440,000 cash on hand heading into May, more than Hull and Rodriguez combined. Turner has focused heavily on child welfare reform, calling CYFD chronically mismanaged.
Campaign website: turnerfornm.com
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
New Mexico holds separate primary elections for governor and lieutenant governor, but the two winners run together on a single ticket in the general election. Three Republicans are in the race.
David Gallegos | State Senator, Eunice (R-Eunice)
David Gallegos represents Senate District 42 in southeastern New Mexico. He earned 66% of delegate votes at the March GOP convention, the strongest showing of the three lieutenant governor candidates.
Aubrey Blair Dunn | Attorney, Albuquerque
A. Blair Dunn is an Albuquerque attorney who previously ran for attorney general as a Libertarian. He qualified for the primary ballot by collecting the required petition signatures after falling short at the party convention. Dunn has publicly clashed with party leadership over the convention process.
Manuel “Manny” Lardizabal | Private investor and entrepreneur, Albuquerque
Manuel “Manny” Lardizabal is an Albuquerque-based private investor, entrepreneur, and ordained minister. He spent a decade supervising group homes for youth in treatment foster care and seniors with disabilities and has served as a volunteer sports coach in faith-based private schools. His background in criminal justice includes service as an administrative officer and community service officer with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. He studied criminal justice at Western New Mexico University and has completed additional training through the New Mexico Corrections Department.
Campaign website: manny4nm.com
SECRETARY OF STATE
Ramona Goolsby | Rio Rancho — Uncontested
Ramona Goolsby is a retired family nurse practitioner and Army veteran who moved to New Mexico in 2019. She currently serves on the Ciudad Soil and Water Conservation District Board. Goolsby ran unopposed at the March GOP convention, receiving 408 delegate votes. Her campaign platform centers on election integrity, enforcement of campaign finance laws, and government transparency. Incumbent Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver is term-limited and is running for the Democratic lieutenant governor nomination instead.
ATTORNEY GENERAL
Samuel Isaiah Kane Sr. | Attorney — Uncontested
Samuel Isaiah Kane Sr. is an attorney who describes decades of experience fighting for the rights of New Mexicans. A self-described constitutional conservative, his platform centers on crime reduction — specifically combating the influx of methamphetamine and fentanyl — support for law enforcement, and investment in programs for at-risk youth. He also emphasizes environmental enforcement and responsible economic development on state lands. Kane faces Democratic incumbent Raúl Torrez, who was elected in 2022 with 55% of the vote, in the November general election.
Campaign website: samfornewmexico.org
STATE AUDITOR
✎ WRITE-IN REQUIRED — State Auditor
Candidate: Joshua James Lawrence. To cast a valid vote, write this name in the blank space on the ballot AND fill in the oval beside it. Leaving the oval empty will not count.
Joshua James Lawrence is the sole Republican in the state auditor race. He previously ran for sheriff and has worked in the New Mexico film industry. Additional campaign detail was not available at the time of publication. Democratic State Auditor Joseph Maestas is seeking re-election.
STATE TREASURER
✎ WRITE-IN REQUIRED — State Treasurer
Candidate: James Ellison. To cast a valid vote, write this name in the blank space on the ballot AND fill in the oval beside it. Leaving the oval empty will not count.
James Ellison is a former New Mexico Public Regulation Commissioner who served from 2023 to 2024. He previously worked as a utility analyst and business manager. Ellison is running as a declared write-in candidate in a race where Democratic incumbent Laura Montoya is seeking re-election.
COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC LANDS
Michael Jack Perry | Chaves County Commissioner — Uncontested
Michael Perry is a Roswell native and retired game warden with more than 20 years of experience in natural resource management. He serves as vice chair of the Chaves County Commission and is a member of the National Association of Counties’ Public Lands Policy Steering Committee. Perry previously served as assistant land commissioner and district resource manager under former Republican-turned-Libertarian Land Commissioner Aubrey Dunn from 2016 to 2019. He also founded Wildlife and Habitat Prescriptions, LLC, a private consulting firm focused on watershed and habitat restoration. Perry emphasizes wildfire prevention through forest thinning, protection of ranching and grazing access, and responsible energy development on state trust lands. Incumbent Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard is term-limited. The State Land Office oversees more than 9 million surface acres and 13 million subsurface acres that generate revenue for public schools and other state beneficiaries.
Voting Information
Early voting for the June 2, 2026, primary runs through May 30. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on primary day. Registered Republicans and unaffiliated voters may participate in the Republican primary — this is the first semi-open primary in New Mexico history.
Voters can find their polling location and sample ballot at nmvote.org.
