New Mexico Democrats seek to move up 2028 presidential primary, citing state's diverse electorate

SANTA FE — New Mexico’s Democratic Party has launched a long shot bid to become one of the early primary states for the 2028 presidential election cycle.

In their recent application to the Democratic National Committee, state party leaders touted New Mexico’s diverse electorate and relatively inexpensive media market as factors that set the state apart.

"We submitted a bid to hold an early presidential primary because the Democratic Party is facing real national challenges — and New Mexico shows the path forward," state party chairwoman Sara Attleson said in a statement.

The state Democratic Party chairwoman, who was elected to the post last year, also cited the national Democratic Party's struggles to win support from rural, working-class voters.

In the 2024 presidential election, President Donald Trump made gains among Hispanic, Black and Asian voters, compared to his previous campaigns. But Trump voters were still older and less ethnically diverse overall than were voters for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.

In New Mexico, Trump made inroads in 29 of the state's 33 counties compared to 2020, but still lost to Harris by about 6 percentage points — or roughly 55,000 votes.

"Unlike states where candidates can win by focusing on a single population center, New Mexico requires campaigns to build broad coalitions in every corner of the state — including tribal sovereign nations, traditional Hispanic rural communities, small towns, and working-class urban and suburban neighborhoods," Attleson said.

A "majority-minority" state, New Mexico has the nation's highest percentage of Hispanic residents, as roughly 49.1% of the state's population was Hispanic or Latino as of 2024, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. The state also has one of the highest percentages of Native American residents at roughly 11.4% of total residents.

Meanwhile, the idea of moving up New Mexico's presidential primary is not a new one. 

Bills have been filed at the Roundhouse in recent years — by both Republicans and Democrats — to move up New Mexico's primary election, which is currently held on the first Tuesday in June. This year's primary election will take place June 3.

That statutory requirement makes New Mexico one of the last states to hold its primary, and major party presidential nominations are sometimes clinched before state voters even cast their ballots.

That was the case in 2024, when Trump secured the GOP presidential nomination in May. 

House Speaker Javier Martínez, D-Albuquerque, who sponsored a 2020 bill that would have moved the state's presidential primary to the second Tuesday in January, said Monday he still supports the idea.

Specifically, he responded with a "100%" emoji when asked if he still favored New Mexico seeking early state status.

Former Gov. Bill Richardson also pushed for an earlier primary, and legislation was passed in 2003 allowing Democrats and Republicans to hold nominating contests before the June primary.

However, New Mexico Democrats' presidential caucus in February 2008 was widely criticized, due to long waits at polling places and vote-counting that took more than a week.

Backers of moving New Mexico's presidential primary up earlier in the calendar year say such action could increase the state's political visibility by prompting more candidate visits. It could also lead to more campaign ads and political spending in New Mexico.

While Trump held a October 2024 campaign rally in Albuquerque, Democratic presidential candidates have only visited New Mexico on occasion in recent election years.

The DNC's rules and bylaws committee is expected to review the applications from New Mexico and other states applying for 2028 early state status in the coming weeks. Selected states will then be invited to participate in formal interviews before a final decision is made by the DNC.

If New Mexico is ultimately selected, a change in law would be required in order to legally move up the state's primary date. That would mean the presidential primaries for the Republican Party of New Mexico and minor political parties would also be moved up. 

In addition, independent voters — or those who decline to state a party affiliation — would also be able to vote in either the Democratic or Republican presidential primary under a new law signed last year by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.

New Mexico was reportedly one of nine states to apply for the early nominating window. The list of other states applying includes both Iowa and New Hampshire, which have traditionally been the first states to hold such nominating contests.

Dan Boyd covers state government and politics for the Journal in Santa Fe. Follow him on X at @DanBoydNM or reach him via email at dboyd@abqjournal.com.