New Mexico Democrats will try to change state election dates to be 2028 early primary state – New Mexico Political Report

The Democratic Party of New Mexico has applied to the Democratic National Committee to move the state’s presidential primary ahead of Super Tuesday, seeking to give its diverse electorate a larger voice in selecting the party’s 2028 nominee.

If approved, New Mexico would need to change state law to move its primary date, a change that would also affect Republican and minor party primaries. The state’s semi-open primary system allows unaffiliated voters to participate in the Democratic contest.

The state party submitted its application to the DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee, arguing that New Mexico’s demographics—with a plurality Hispanic and Latino population, significant rural communities and working-class voters—better reflect the coalition Democrats need to win nationally.

“Across the country, Democrats have struggled to earn support from rural, working-class, Native American, and Hispanic and Latino voters,” state party Chair Sara Attleson said in a statement. “In just a decade, Democrats in New Mexico have turned our state into a bright blue beacon along the Southern Border.”

New Mexico currently holds its presidential primary in June, long after nominees are typically decided. 

The application emphasizes that New Mexico would be the first early or pre-Super Tuesday state along the U.S.-Mexico border, forcing candidates to address immigration and border security issues earlier in the campaign. The state’s concentration along the I-25 and I-40 corridors also makes retail campaigning feasible despite its geographic size.

The DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee will conduct an initial review next week before inviting selected applicants for formal interviews.

Officials from the Republican Party of New Mexico did not respond to questions about the party’s support of moving up the primary.

Related