Marketing executive Jim McGrody has dropped out of the Republican primary in Texas’ 23rd district, leaving wealthy attorney Quico Canseco as the lone candidate in the race for now.

“Due to financial considerations, I have decided to withdraw my name from contention for the Republican nomination for Texas Congressional District 23,” McGrody said in a statement posted on his campaign Web site. “My Campaign will officially terminate its filing with the Federal Election Commission and will return all financial contributions to its donors.”

Canseco, who has spent heavily thus far to pump up his name identification in the district, which runs from San Antonio to the edge of El Paso, hopes to win the GOP nomination and the right to challenge Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (D) in the 23rd district. The seat leans slightly Democratic, having been redrawn by a federal court in the summer of 2006 to meet Voting Rights Act requirements.

Rodriguez was a surprise winner over then-Rep. Henry Bonilla (R) in the 2006 runoff after the Republican nearly won the seat outright in the general election.

Meanwhile, Bexar County Commissioner Lyle Larson (R) has not ruled out jumping into the GOP primary.

— David M. Drucker