Buttigieg Campaigns in New Mexico for Haaland and Vasquez Ahead of 2028 Primary

Pete Buttigieg, who served as transportation secretary, is traveling to New Mexico for a September 13 rally in Las Cruces where he will back Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland and Representative Gabe Vasquez. The event highlights the candidates’ focus on affordability and seeks to energize voters ahead of the 2028 primary, in which New Mexico has just earned an early-state position. The timing follows Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s successful push to place the state fourth on the Democratic National Committee’s calendar, a change intended to give Hispanic and border-state voters greater sway.

While Haaland’s race is considered safely Democratic, Vasquez’s district is rated as leaning Democratic and will face Republican Greg Cunningham. Buttigieg’s appearance aligns with a broader tour of early-primary states, such as Nevada and South Carolina, designed to boost his national visibility and policy agenda among Latino constituents.