By Alex Ross — A third Republican has joined the field of contenders vying to take on Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM-02) next year in a key congressional swing district.
Records from the Federal Election Commission show that on Oct. 16, Jose Orozco of Albuquerque filed a statement of candidacy to run for the Republican nomination in the New Mexico 2nd Congressional District.
Orozoco could not be reached for comment, but his campaign website describes him as a husband and father who worked as a contractor for the Drug Enforcement Agency before he “went on to fight for conservative policies and create jobs here in New Mexico.”
“Now, Jose is running for Congress in New Mexico’s 2nd District to fight for our values and our future. He’ll work to lower taxes and tackle inflation, back law enforcement against gangs and traffickers, protect oil and gas jobs that power our economy, and give President Trump an ally in Congress,” the website stated.
In 2012, Oroazoco unsuccessfully ran as the Republican nominee in House District 12, ultimately losing to Democrat Patricia Roybal Caballero. Four years later, he briefly challenged future state Sen. Candace Gould (R-Albuquerque) in the Republican primary in Senate District 10, but ended his campaign before any votes were cast.
Eddy Aragon, an Albuquerque radio station owner and talk show host, and Greg Cunningham, a retired Marine and police officer, are also seeking the Republican nomination. The 2nd Congressional District encompasses Albuquerque’s Westside and extends down into the border towns and oil patch communities of Southern New Mexico.
Vasquez was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022, when he narrowly defeated Rep. Yvette Herrell (R-NM-02). He fended off Herrell last year in a rematch, even as President Donald Trump carried the 2nd Congressional District by 1.9 points.