ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The race to become the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor narrowed Monday as state Sen. Leo Jaramillo of Española stepped aside from contention, leaving Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard and state Sen. Harold Pope as the leading candidates ahead of a July 25 State Central Committee vote.

Jaramillo announced his decision in a Facebook post, saying he would return his focus to the work voters in Senate District 5 elected him to do. He did not endorse either remaining candidate.

“Public service has never been about titles,” Jaramillo wrote. “It has always been about responsibility, service, and the people of New Mexico.”

The development comes four days after gubernatorial nominee Deb Haaland endorsed Garcia Richard in a video message shared publicly on social media and in a letter to State Central Committee members. Haaland said Garcia Richard “brings the energy, compassion, leadership, and proven ability to bring people together” that she believes will strengthen the Democratic ticket.

Garcia Richard, who has served as New Mexico commissioner of public lands since 2019 after three terms in the state House of Representatives, had initially sought the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor before suspending her campaign in October when her husband was diagnosed with cancer. She reentered contention after announcing he had gone into remission.

Pope, an Albuquerque Democrat who lost the June 2 primary to Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver before the vacancy opened, said Monday he intends to stay in the race and make his case directly to SCC members.

“I will continue showing up as your next Lieutenant Governor,” Pope wrote in a Facebook post. “The people of New Mexico do not need the political establishment deciding their future for them.”

Pope positioned himself as an outsider alternative, saying his primary campaign was built without corporate PAC money, oil and gas contributions, or special interest funding. He said he looked forward to speaking individually with SCC members before the July 25 vote.

Toulouse Oliver, who won the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor on June 2, suspended her campaign June 18, citing health concerns, triggering the replacement process. Under New Mexico election law, the Democratic Party’s State Central Committee — composed of approximately 500 members from across the state — holds the authority to select a replacement nominee. Though candidates for governor and lieutenant governor run separately in the primary, they appear as a unified ticket in the general election.

Haaland interviewed all five candidates she named as finalists — Garcia Richard, Jaramillo, Pope, Roybal-Mack and Smith — before announcing her endorsement of Garcia Richard on June 26. The SCC is not bound by Haaland’s endorsement and may select any eligible candidate at the July 25 meeting.

Garcia Richard welcomed Haaland’s endorsement, saying she would work to earn the trust of SCC members. “I will be working diligently to gain the trust of the State Central Committee as we move forward in building the 2026 ticket for New Mexico,” she said.

Haaland is set to face Republican former Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull in the November general election.