Hundreds of New Mexico Democrats gathered at Balloon Fiesta Park in Albuquerque for a traditional pig roast that doubled as a presidential cattle call, as Sen. Ben Ray Luján used the state's inaugural Fourth in the Nation Matanza Rally to introduce potential 2028 White House hopefuls to New Mexico voters. Sens. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland both showed up, alongside Kelly's wife, former Rep. Gabby Giffords, as the state works to lock in its spot as the fourth contest on the Democratic primary calendar.
The rally, held on Saturday, was hosted by Luján and designed to introduce the 2028 crop to the state, according to Politico. The matanza itself is a traditional New Mexican pig roast turned political gathering, as Punchbowl News described it, and Luján appears to be positioning himself as a key power broker in the state's presidential primary. New Mexico's nearly entire congressional delegation turned out, and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Deb Haaland attended as well, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican.
Barbecue With a Political Backstory
Herman Garcia, who grew up with the Valencia County matanza tradition, served carnitas, chicharrones and carne asada at the rally, per the Santa Fe New Mexican's reporting. Garcia has previously brought matanzas to Washington, D.C., at Luján's request, though he's also noted that food safety inspectors and environmental groups object to the practice of butchering pigs on-site at these events.
The cultural setting wasn't incidental. New Mexico's entry into the early nominating calendar is expected to put Latino voters more prominently before Democratic presidential contenders, the outlet's Playbook newsletter reported, and the matanza itself was described as testing the appetite for a more Latino-specific cultural touchstone, according to Politico. Supporters of New Mexico's early-primary push believe it will force candidates to pay closer attention to Hispanic and minority voters, as KOAT reported.
New Mexico's Bid for Early-Primary Status
New Mexico would hold the fourth Democratic presidential primary on February 15, 2028, following South Carolina, Nevada and New Hampshire, per KOAT's reporting. The Democratic National Committee's Rules and Bylaws Committee has selected New Mexico as that fourth state, though the designation still requires approval by the full DNC, according to a statement from New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's office. Moving the state's primary earlier would also require approval by the New Mexico Legislature during its 2027 60-day session, the Albuquerque Journal reported.
Lujan Grisham, the outgoing governor, touted the state's record on affordability, saying New Mexico had delivered free universal child care and tuition-free college, according to her office's statement. She said candidates who want to be taken seriously on immigration and the border will have to come to New Mexico and earn it, and that New Mexico voters will ultimately decide who belongs in the White House. The Lujan Grisham administration has also moved to backstop federal cuts to food assistance and Medicaid, per the Santa Fe New Mexican.
Kelly and Van Hollen Test the Waters
Neither Kelly nor Van Hollen has formally announced a presidential bid, but both have expressed interest in the 2028 Democratic nomination. Kelly told reporters this week that he hasn't made a decision, according to the Nevada Independent, while Van Hollen has admitted he's testing the waters for a run, per Politico's Playbook. Democratic strategist Steve Jarding told The Hill that Kelly's travels easily put him in the top five of potential 2028 contenders.
At the rally, Kelly and Van Hollen both leaned into populist economic messaging, identifying affordability as a way to appeal to former Trump voters, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported. Kelly said his own policies help most people rather than the wealthiest one percent, arguing the economy doesn't work for everyday people despite the country's overall wealth. Van Hollen, for his part, endorsed Medicare for All and said billionaires and large corporations rig the rules to benefit themselves at others' expense. Together the two senators advocated changing the tax code to favor working people over the wealthy and discussed healthcare affordability, per the same report.
Sharp Words on Trump, Iran and El Salvador
Kelly used the platform to accuse the Trump administration of trying to become more dictatorial, recalling that Trump had called for him to be hanged, executed and prosecuted after Kelly advised U.S. service members in 2025 not to obey unlawful orders. He also criticized Trump's handling of Iran, saying the president had not thought through the war there, that escalation would cause many American and Iranian deaths, and that the U.S. should instead pursue a negotiated settlement. Kelly said Trump's claim that Iran was close to obtaining a nuclear weapon was false, and argued the Obama-era nuclear accord — which Trump canceled — had been working despite its imperfections. He also opposed ceding control of the Strait of Hormuz to Iran.
Van Hollen brought up his visit to Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was sent to the CECOT prison in El Salvador, calling the facility a gulag and saying he would not apologize for defending the U.S. Constitution. Both senators also called for ending U.S. support for Israeli violence against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican's account of the rally.
Giffords and Local Voices Join In
Giffords, who resigned from Congress in 2012 after surviving an assassination attempt that left her with a severe brain injury, used her appearance to advocate for gun control action and said America needs people willing to speak out even when finding the words is difficult. State House District 41 candidate Yolanda “Pancha” Herrera, who is running unopposed, told the crowd the country needs to unite.
Not every local reaction was positive. Joey Sanchez, chair of the All Pueblo Council of Governors and former governor of Santa Ana Pueblo, raised objections to a separate piece of legislation: the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026, which Sen. Martin Heinrich is introducing with bipartisan co-sponsors. The bill would speed approval of transmission lines and energy projects, but tribal nations have opposed it, arguing proposed changes to the National Historic Preservation Act would weaken Native governments' ability to protect sacred sites. Sanchez said the bill would take away sovereignty in some areas, and the All Pueblo Council of Governors voted unanimously to oppose it. Congressional records show the bill, S. 5653, has been introduced, read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, according to Congress.gov.
A Crowded Field Eyeing New Mexico
Kelly and Van Hollen weren't the first potential 2028 contenders to make the trip. Sen. Cory Booker held a fundraiser in New Mexico in August, and Pete Buttigieg visited the state last month to campaign for Haaland and Rep. Gabe Vasquez in Las Cruces, both trips aimed at building relationships with local leaders, per Politico's Playbook. New Mexico's appeal to the field has been attributed to its mix of rural and urban voters along with its sizable Native American and Hispanic populations, the Albuquerque Journal reported.
Other potential candidates are also signaling interest from a distance. Rep. Ro Khanna said in Las Vegas this week that he would consider a run if voters want substantive economic plans after what he called a showboat and showman in the current administration, according to the Nevada Independent. With New Mexico voters set to weigh in on the Nov. 3 election before any 2028 primary takes shape, the matanza crowd got an early look at how the Democratic field might try to win them over.
