Jose Orozco withdrew from the Republican primary after the deadline to remove his name from the ballot, leaving Cunningham as the party’s only active candidate.

Damien Willis, Organ Mountain News

LAS CRUCES - Republican Greg Cunningham is set to challenge Democratic U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez for New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District seat in November after Tuesday’s primary election formalized the contest.

With 533 of 663 precincts reporting partial returns at 8:45 p.m., Cunningham had 14,036 votes, or 84%, according to unofficial election results from the New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office. Jose Orozco, who withdrew from the Republican primary in April but remained on the ballot, had 2,586 votes, or 16%.

Vasquez was unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Orozco announced April 8 that he was withdrawing from the race and endorsing Cunningham. Because he did not submit a withdrawal statement to the Secretary of State’s Office by the statutory deadline, his name remained on the June 2 primary ballot.

Cunningham, a Marine Corps veteran and former Albuquerque police officer, received President Donald Trump’s endorsement in April. Trump backed Cunningham in a Truth Social post as Cunningham sought to unseat Vasquez.

The 2nd Congressional District includes much of southern New Mexico and the borderland region.

Cunningham issued the following statement Tuesday evening on Facebook:

"Tonight, you put your trust in me, and I won't forget it," Cunningham wrote. "I've spent my life serving this state. First as a Marine, then as an officer chasing down the cartels, and now I'm asking to serve you in Congress. We've got a long way to go between now and November, but I've never been more ready for the fight. Thank you, NM-02. Let's get to work."

Vasquez also thanked supporters with a statement Tuesday night.

“Thank you to all the voters across this district that put their faith in me and chose me to represent them in Congress. There is no doubt this will be another competitive general election, but I know that New Mexicans are ready to fight for what is important," Vasquez stated in an email. "Together, we will fight to hold this Administration accountable for the skyrocketing cost of living; combat the devastating cuts to Medicaid that so many in our community depend on; and work to protect our public lands. While MAGA extremists think they can buy their way into this seat, I know this is only won with hard work and real results. That’s why I’ve invested over $3 million to law enforcement and public safety, why I’m cracking down on out-of-state landlords that are raising the cost of housing, and putting forward a real plan for immigration reform, not just playing politics like most in Washington, DC. Over the next 154 days, I will work tirelessly to earn your vote for a third term.”

Updated unofficial vote counts are available on the Secretary of State's website. The results are unofficial until canvassed.

Damien Willis is founder and editor of Organ Mountain News. If you have a personal story to share or a lead we should follow up on, reach out at OrganMountainNews@gmail.com or connect with him on X at @damienwillis.