New Mexico’s presidential primary could move up by four months

The Democratic National Committee has voted to move New Mexico’s Democratic presidential primary up by nearly four months, potentially making it the fourth-earliest in the nation, though the decision still requires legislative approval.

“We’re late in the game,” said Brian Sanderoff, KOAT’s political expert. “We don’t have much influence in primaries and presidential politics.”

The change could give New Mexico greater influence in those politics, Sanderoff explained.

“Early states in a presidential primary are very important because it’s in those states that they gain a lot of attention,” he said.

Sanderoff said New Mexico was chosen because of its diverse voter blocs, including Native Americans and Hispanics.

“Hispanics could make the difference in presidential politics. Typically, Hispanics vote for the Democrat come the general election,” he said. “But Donald Trump did pretty well among Hispanic voters. The Democratic party is going to try to get that Hispanic vote back by choosing a state like New Mexico.”

Sanderoff also noted that the earlier primary could affect how politicians campaign in the state.

“If you have an early primary, and, if a candidate does particularly well, they might be able to gain momentum, and that momentum will be influential for them to move forward,” he said.

Some opponents have expressed concerns about the cost of holding an earlier primary. The Legislative Finance Committee estimates the cost at $15 million.

“I understand the desire to move forward our primary to make New Mexico’s votes more relevant in the national election. I get it — that’s totally understandable,” Paul Gessing, president of the Rio Grande Foundation, said. “But I don’t think we, the people of New Mexico at large, should be on the hook for $15 million bill.”

Another drawback, according to experts, is the split between the presidential primary in February and other government primaries in June. With already-low voter turnout, split primaries could pose a risk to political participation.

Sanderoff, however, said the accelerated timeline could also increase civic engagement.

“The presidential candidates will come to New Mexico. They’ll learn about our issues. They’ll advertise a lot on television to try to persuade the voters,” he said. “And so there are lots of political and financial benefits to moving up the date.”

Sanderoff said it is unclear whether Republicans will follow suit in moving their presidential primary earlier. The vote will head to the legislature for official approval, with discussions expected to resume in January unless a special session is called.