Governor of Nuevo Leon state Samuel Garcia poses for a picture with students as he arrives at an event of school equipment delivery at the Prepa Tec high school, in Monterrey, Mexico April 25, 2023. REUTERS/Daniel Becerril/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMEXICO CITY, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Samuel Garcia, one of the two main opposition hopefuls competing in Mexico's 2024 presidential election, has withdrawn from the contest to return to his post as governor of the northern state of Nuevo Leon, his party said on Saturday. "I have decided to not participate in the electoral race for President of the Republic," the 35-year-old Garcia said in a statement from the Nuevo Leon government made public by his center-left Citizens' Movement (MC) party. Garcia then became embroiled in a dispute about who would replace him in Nuevo Leon, where his political opponents control the state legislature, which votes in the interim governor. Recent opinion polls have given Garcia around 10% support in the presidential race, putting him behind Xochitl Galvez, candidate of the main opposition alliance.

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Persons: Samuel Garcia, Daniel Becerril, Garcia, Luis Enrique Orozco, Garcia's, Orozco, Xochitl Galvez, Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, MORENA, Dante Delgado, Dave Graham, Adriana Barrera, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Tec, REUTERS, MEXICO CITY, Nuevo, ' Movement, Regeneration, Mexico City Mayor, Thomson Locations: Nuevo Leon, Monterrey, Mexico, MEXICO, Republic