Mayor Justin Elicker has his first challenger for the November election — a Republican businessman and former state Senate candidate named Steve Orosco.

Orosco, a former mixed martial arts fighter who owns an MMA gym in Milford, announced his candidacy on Tuesday during a radio interview on “Dateline New Haven,” before filing the necessary paperwork to make his campaign official. He is only the second candidate to enter the race after Elicker, the third-term Democratic incumbent, filed to start his reelection bid in December.

Elicker is facing no primary challenger thus far, unlike in his last campaign two years ago, and any Republican candidate faces tough prospects in a city where no Republican has occupied the mayor’s office since 1953. But Orosco said on “Dateline New Haven” that New Haven has suffered from one-party government and that he would try to engage voters who are dissatisfied with the state of the city but do not regularly vote.

“It’s just the same thing over and over. Crime hasn’t gotten better. Education has gotten worse. Economic vitality hasn’t gotten better, and people are very frustrated,” he said. Orosco did not respond to the News’ request for an interview before the publication of this article.

Orosco said he wants to refocus the budget on top priorities such as education and public safety, while cutting other spending. He also said on “Dateline New Haven” that he opposed the two lawsuits New Haven has joined against the Trump administration — defending so-called sanctuary cities and federally funded environmental projects — and that he “absolutely” supports Trump.

Support for Trump among New Haven voters increased by three percentage points from 2020 to 2024, landing at 17.4 percent. Orosco was also on the ballot last year, challenging for a second consecutive election the longtime Democratic State Sen. Martin Looney, the Senate president pro tempore, in a district that includes eastern New Haven and part of Hamden. Orosco lost, with 22 percent of the vote.

“New Haven’s booming,” Elicker told the New Haven Independent on Tuesday. “We certainly have our challenges. But when you look at the amount of construction, the number of affordable units we’ve brought online, the progress we’re making on reducing crime and improving our public schools, it’s clear to anyone who’s paying attention that New Haven is making progress.”

Orosco said he would try to build support among fellow Black men, a demographic group that moved right in last year’s election.

“That’s where my target is going to be, and that’s also where the least amount of people vote in the first place,” he said. But he acknowledged that he will have “an uphill battle” as a Republican in New Haven.

Orosco said he planned to opt for private fundraising over public financing from the city’s Democracy Fund. John Carlson, New Haven’s Republican Town Committee chair, told the News that he “can’t say enough positive things” about Orosco but that the party would not provide financial assistance before the formal endorsement process in July, when Orosco may compete against other Republican mayoral hopefuls.

Carlson said that Elicker has neglected residents’ local priorities while pursuing the lawsuits against the Trump administration. He complained that taxes have increased while crime remains too prevalent and educational outcomes inadequate.

“Elicker is simply grandstanding, trying to make a name for himself because he wants to run for Congress when Rosa DeLauro retires,” Carlson said.

Without addressing his political ambitions, Elicker told the News in response that he has heard broad support from residents for the lawsuits against the Trump administration, driven by pride that the city is standing up to the president. He said the moves are necessary to defend New Haven’s finances and its progressive values.

When asked whether challenging Trump detracts from tackling local issues, he added, “We can walk and chew gum at the same time.”

Orosco launched his first New Haven political campaign in 2021, when he ran for the Ward 18 alder seat in East Shore and garnered just under 40 percent of the vote, losing to incumbent Alder Sal DeCola.

Orosco maintains a prolific Instagram account, labeling himself “MR. SMASH” after his gym’s name. His bio also refers to the “OMAD lifestyle,” which entails eating one meal a day. The account boasts over 57,000 followers — compared to 2,859 for Elicker’s official Instagram account.

A website promoting Orosco’s mayoral candidacy, with the motto “Be the Change,” retains his criticisms of Looney from the state legislative race and has not been fully updated to oppose Elicker. His biographical webpage calls him a “strong business leader with financial expertise in both budget allocation and revenue generation.”

The general municipal election will be held on Nov 4.