DPNM News:

ALBUQUERQUE — Today, the Rules and Bylaws Committee of the Democratic National Committee heard the Democratic Party of New Mexico’s pitch to move up its primary date, as part of a meeting of the Committee from May 27–29 at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C. You can watch the presentation here.

Speaking during the presentation and highlighting key reasons the Democratic Party would benefit from New Mexico being an early primary state were DPNM Chair Sara Attleson; Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham; Michelle Mayorga, a leading expert in Latino public opinion and Partner at the Democratic polling firm GBAO; Isaac Dakota Casados, a political strategist and tribal advocate; and DPNM Executive Director Sean Ward. 

New Mexico is a positive example for the challenges facing the Democratic Party nationally – Hispanic men, rural, working-class, and Native American voters are all key demographic groups that shifted toward Donald Trump in 2024, but with whom Democrats maintained strong ties in New Mexico. New Mexico presents a unique opportunity for presidential candidates to reach each of these voter groups and include them in the crucial early state campaign stage.

New Mexico applied in hopes of becoming the first state to hold its primary in the DNC’s Western region. This follows a January 31st meeting of the Rules and Bylaws Committee, where the Committee voted to continue consideration of 12 states, including New Mexico. 

Democratic Party of New Mexico Chair Sara Attleson released the following statement explaining why New Mexico deserves to be an early state in the Democratic presidential primary:

For years, New Mexico has exemplified what the Democratic Party stands for and organized to help Democrats win elections across every level of government. From free college, universal early childcare, to helping keep healthcare affordable amid steep federal cuts, New Mexico Democrats have turned election victories into policy outcomes that help our families in real, meaningful ways.

But despite our election successes and innovative policies, New Mexico’s late primary date has all but guaranteed that our voters are a non-factor in presidential primaries. As one of the most diverse, rural, working-class, and blue states in the country, we believe our voters should have a say in who the Democratic presidential candidate is, and candidates should have to earn our votes.

One state from each of the DNC’s four regions will be selected to be moved into the early states primary date window. Additionally, a fifth state from any region will be selected for the early window. Nevada was the only other applicant within the Western region.

A statute change would be necessary should the DNC move New Mexico’s presidential primary date. This would also mean that the Republican Party and any other potential minor parties to hold a presidential primary in New Mexico would also move up their primaries. As New Mexico now holds semi-open primaries, declined-to-state voters would be able to vote in the Democratic presidential primary.

Key Points in the DPNM application to the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee:

• The New Mexico media market is incredibly accessible in terms of paid and earned media. New Mexico is predominately covered by one media market, the Albuquerque-Santa Fe DMA.
• In the 2024 presidential election, the Trump campaign and the national Republican Party increased their focus on Hispanic/Latino voter outreach. The consequences of losing support with Hispanic/Latino voters could play a pivotal role determining the outcomes in swing-states. New Mexico has the highest percentage of Hispanic/Latino voters in the country. 
• Native American voters are a critical yet persistently underrepresented constituency in the presidential nominating process, and New Mexico is uniquely positioned to address this gap. More than 10% of New Mexico’s population is Native American. Despite the decisive role Native voters play in close general elections, no current early or pre-window nominating contest meaningfully reflects a large Native electorate or requires sustained, government-to-government engagement with Tribal nations.
• No other state applying to hold a pre-window primary during the 2028 primary cycle shares the United States-Mexico border. 
• While New Mexico is geographically large, its population is concentrated along the I-25 and I-40 corridors, making in-person campaigning highly feasible. The state’s major population centers—Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, and Las Cruces—cover all three congressional districts, with most rural and Tribal communities reachable within two hours by car from Albuquerque.
• During the 2024 election cycle, statisticians, pollsters, and political pundits saw two factors largely driving vote choice: educational attainment and rural/urban divide. New Mexico is one of the strongest outliers on this national trend. Although New Mexico has a low percentage of voters with a Bachelor’s degree and is a less urban state, it has remained blue despite these national trends.