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Special Interview: Republican Didi Okpareke on her bid for New Mexico's first congressional district
Didi Okpareke is a Republican candidate running for New Mexico’s 1st congressional district (NM-01).
Updated Oct 16, 2026, 2:28 PM ET
Didi Okpareke, a Republican pharmacist, is the party's nominee for New Mexico's 1st congressional district in 2026, facing Democratic incumbent Melanie Stansbury in the November 3 general election.
2026 Races & Market Forecast
Live TruthIndex™ and prediction market consensus for races contested by Didi Okpareke.
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Recent media coverage for Didi Okpareke.
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Incumbents lead by wide margins in NM congressional races according to lates ABQ Journal poll
Didi Okpareke trails Democrat Melanie Stansbury in NM-01 according to the latest Albuquerque Journal poll.
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Biography & Campaign Analysis
2026 race
Didi Okpareke, a pharmacist, is the Republican nominee in the 2026 election for New Mexico's 1st congressional district, which covers the center of the state, including Torrance, Guadalupe, De Baca and Lincoln counties, eastern Bernalillo County and most of Albuquerque.
Okpareke was the only candidate in the Republican primary, receiving 31,809 votes, after radio host Steve Jones, the party's 2024 nominee for the district, and Army veteran Carlton Pennington were disqualified.
The seat is held by Democrat Melanie Stansbury, who was re-elected with 56.4% of the vote in 2024 and was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Okpareke faces Stansbury in the general election on November 3, 2026.