NPR: lefty Texans are moving to New Mexico

A recent story from taxpayer-funded National Public Radio highlighted a supposed trend of left wing Texans moving to New Mexico in search of left wing social policies. They interviewed a number of movers and several New Mexicans on both sides of the political aisle. NPR highlighted “The Big Sort” in a 2022 article.

We’d agree that state policies are causing people to move from state to state in greater numbers to live in states that reflect their social values but we’d note that economic factors have been driving people out of “blue” states and pushing them into “red” states for many years. Given that situation (and the fact that social conservatives can move just as social liberals do), it is no surprise that “blue” New Mexico lags Texas and its other neighbors badly when it comes to population growth. The chart below uses Census data from 2010 to 2020. More recent data from UNM highlights the fact that New Mexico’s population is stagnant and aging.

Clearly, New Mexico’s left-wing social policies aren’t enough to draw big numbers to the State. Could a more libertarian approach of social liberalism and free market economics work for New Mexico? Possibly, but there are precisely zero libertarian-leaning (fiscally conservative, socially liberal) Democrats in New Mexico’s Legislature. In fact, the legacy of late Gov. Bill Richardson who did cut taxes (although by no means libertarian) and was socially moderate is under attack by current legislators and Gov. Lujan Grisham.

Sadly for New Mexico adding more left-wing Texans to our voting mix isn’t going to help the Land of Enchantment anytime soon, but perhaps it will keep Texas “red.” It further highlights the quote from Manuel Armijo “Poor New Mexico! … So far from Heaven; so close to Texas”