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1 drops out of race against powerful New Mexico senator

Tracy Perry for Senate 38

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (Las Cruces Sun-News) — One of the two Democrats seeking to unseat New Mexico Senate President Pro Tempore Mary Kay Papen in the upcoming primary has dropped out.

The Las Cruces Sun-News reports state Senate primary candidate Tracy Perry announced Monday she would suspend her campaign citing health reasons. Perry says surgery and recovery after suffering a broken back in October made it hard to continue.

The newspaper reported that Perry was endorsing Papen’s other Democratic challenger, Carrie Hamblen. The 88-year-old Papen of Las Cruces is one of many conservative Democrats more liberal Democrats are seeking to unseat in the upcoming June 2 primary.