White House · Axios · Democrats · U.S. · Axios
Dems' primary plan gives Native Americans more power
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The 2028 race for the White House will give new political clout to a long-overlooked constituency: Native American voters.
Key facts
- New Mexico now holds an influential early spot as one of the first states to vote in the Democratic primary, on Feb. 15, 2028
- New Mexico has the nation's third-largest share of people who identify as American Indian or Alaska Native, and it includes 23 federally recognized tribes
- The 2028 race for the White House will give new political clout to a long-overlooked constituency: Native American voters
- Any presidential candidate who wants to win New Mexico is "going to have to listen to tribes," warned Deb Haaland, the former U.S. interior secretary who made history in 2021 when she became
Summary
New Mexico now holds an influential early spot as one of the first states to vote in the Democratic primary, on Feb. 15, 2028. In recent Democratic primaries, New Mexico typically has voted late in the season, in June. Now potential presidential campaigns are scrambling to adjust to the 2028 lineup, calling Native leaders to learn about Indigenous power players and the dynamics of tribal governments, Democratic operatives tell Axios. Any presidential candidate who wants to win New Mexico is "going to have to listen to tribes," warned Deb Haaland, the former U.S. interior secretary who made history in 2021 when she became the first Native American to head a cabinet agency.