Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is headed to New Mexico to rally for gubernatorial Democratic candidate Deb Haaland and Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM), bringing the potential presidential contender to a state that secured an early primary spot in the 2028 primary calendar.
Buttigieg will stump for Haaland and Vasquez on Sept. 13 in Las Cruces at a rally focused on boosting the Democratic candidates’ affordability-focused platforms. The stop marks the latest effort to promote candidates in his party, as Buttigieg is viewed as Democrats’ top pick for 2028.
Buttigieg has said his focus is on the 2026 elections, but hasn’t been subtle about his presidential ambitions. He previously told The Diary of a CEO podcast that he was “more inclined than not” to run for president in 2028.
As Buttigieg makes his way across the country to rally for Democrats, his stops increasingly overlap with states that could determine the next Democratic presidential nominee. He visited Nevada earlier in August before traveling to South Carolina.
A stop in New Mexico offers Buttigieg a similar opportunity to raise his national profile.
The former Cabinet member’s stop in the Land of Enchantment comes weeks after Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM) secured the state the No. 4 spot on the Democratic National Committee’s 2028 primary calendar.
The change is expected to give Latino voters more influence over the early stages of the Democratic nomination. Lujan Grisham pushed for the state’s elevated status and argued that presidential hopefuls should have to engage Hispanic and border-state voters before the party settles on its nominee.
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While the New Mexico gubernatorial contest is rated “solidly Democrat” by the Cook Political Report, Vasquez’s district is less secure, rated “leans Democrat.” Vasquez will face Republican Greg Cunningham in November in the state’s 2nd Congressional District, which President Donald Trump narrowly won in 2024. Haaland, the former interior secretary, will face Republican Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull in the contest to replace term-limited Lujan Grisham.
Democrats have held every statewide office in New Mexico since 2017. Although Buttigieg’s stop may not be intended to tip the scales in his party’s favor, his visit could be intended to boost his name recognition and policy objectives among Hispanic voters in the state.