Stephanie Garcia Richard suspends Lt. Gov. campaign, citing family health issues

SANTA FE — New Mexico State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard abruptly suspended her campaign for lieutenant governor Thursday, citing the strain of her husband’s cancer battle.

The decision comes just two days after Garcia Richard reported having raised more than $165,000 for her bid to win election as the state’s next lieutenant governor, the largest amount of any candidate currently running for the office.

It leaves state Sen. Harold Pope Jr. of Albuquerque and Jackie Lee Onsurez of Loving as the two remaining Democrats vying for the party’s nomination in next year’s election cycle. Manny Lardizabal of Albuquerque is the only Republican candidate who has filed to run.

Another Democrat, outgoing Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, also recently expressed interest in running for lieutenant governor next year, and could make a final decision in the coming weeks.

But a Garcia Richard campaign spokeswoman said Thursday the land commissioner’s decision to suspend her campaign was not connected to Toulouse Oliver’s possible entrance into the race.

In a social media post, Garcia Richard said her husband, Eric Vasquez, was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, after she announced her campaign for the state’s second-in-command job.

“Over the past several months, we’ve made multiple trips out of state for treatment, and after much thought and careful consideration, we’ve come to the hard decision that we need to prioritize his health,” Garcia Richard said in a Facebook post.

She also vowed to “continue fighting” for New Mexico families and communities.

Garcia Richard, a former state legislator from Los Alamos, was elected state land commissioner in 2018 and reelected to the statewide office in 2022. Per the state Constitution, she is barred from seeking reelection to a third consecutive term next year.

Three Democrats and one Republican have already announced campaigns to run for land commissioner.

All statewide New Mexico offices will be up for election in November 2026, including governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state and land commissioner.

Under New Mexico’s system, governor and lieutenant governor candidates run independently in the primary election. The winners of those races who share the same party affiliation are then paired on a ticket for the November general election.

Current Lt. Gov. Howie Morales, who is also a Democrat, announced in June he had decided to forego a run for governor next year, but did not rule out a possible future campaign for elected office.

Under salary increases for statewide officials approved by the Legislature in 2023, New Mexico’s lieutenant governor currently makes an annual salary of $144,714.