# Why is New Mexico more liberal, overall, than Arizona? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 18, 2016, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-new-mexico-more-liberal-overall-than-arizona/768959 "2016-10-18T17:45:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Me\_Billy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Me\_Billy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Me_Billy)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-new-mexico-more-liberal-overall-than-arizona/768959/21 "2016-10-20T15:31:09Z")
> [@dzeiger](#): > > So why did they end up going to Arizona instead of New Mexico? Southern Arizona has Saguaro cactus whereas other locations do not. And way back when, they filmed many western movies at a movie studio there (Old Tucson). So that may have helped to advertise the location? Then once someone from up north travels there, leaving several feet of snow and cold temperatures, cloud cover constantly… Then step off the plane into 70 degree sunshine… Well they are quite happy with that to say the least! They will run their A/C in their cars in December/January sometimes. Also it will be 60 degrees F. outside and the locals will be all bundled up in coats, mittens, and scarves! (Quite funny!) ---
**Author:** ![bubba001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f17d59/32.png) [@bubba001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bubba001)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-new-mexico-more-liberal-overall-than-arizona/768959/22 "2016-10-20T20:22:44Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > LSLGuy writes: > > \> Bottom line is Phoenix is a ginormous retirement home for people from Iowa, Ohio, > \> Kansas etc. > \> > \> Just like large swathes of Florida is a ginormous retirement home for people from > \> Massachusetts, NY, NYC, and NJ. > > One small part of this is wrong. People from Ohio typically retire to the west coast of Florida. The general rule is that if your fastest path to Florida is via Interstate 95, you retire to the east coast of Florida (Miami, etc.). If your fastest path to Florida is via Interstate 75, you retire to the west coast of Florida (Tampa, etc.). I don’t know how far west you would have to grow up to typically retire to Arizona, but it’s farther west than Ohio. I have run into people from my home town in Michigan, in Sarasota Florida. In the 60’s thru the 80’s, my dad’s old employer had a retiree golf league there. I have friends down there, mostly from Ohio, Michigan, and western NYS. My brother in law, from Cape Cod, goes to Jupiter, on the east coast. As does his family. I think it might go back even farther than the interstate highway system. My grandparents went to Florida in the late 40’s to mid 50’s by train. I think you can still do that to some degree. I have some relatives that went to Arizona and Texas, but the were in the minority. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2016, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-new-mexico-more-liberal-overall-than-arizona/768959/23 "2016-10-21T04:54:32Z")
Interesting. Is Phoenix possibly America’s most conservative big city? I used to think that would have been Dallas, before finding out that Dallas is pretty liberal. Oklahoma City isn’t big enough to count, I think… ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2016, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-new-mexico-more-liberal-overall-than-arizona/768959/24 "2016-10-21T14:46:35Z")
> [@Nanook\_of\_the\_North\_Shore](#): > > Albuquerque is a decent chunk farther north than Phoenix, and significantly higher in elevation(5200 vs 1000 feet). This causes it to have a lot colder winters, which is exactly what the snow birds are trying to avoid(Albuquerque averages around 47 in January vs 67 for Phoenix for example). Phoenix is all of 150 miles further south than Albuquerque. That’s insignificant in determining what their average temps are. :smack: Elevation differences, on the other hand, have a very significant effect (roughly 10 degrees Fahrenheit for every 3000 feet of elevation). Thus, Phoenix averages a high of about 106º in July, while Albuquerque averages about 90º in July. As for the general question, it’s been well-answered. To sum up: New Mexico has a greater portion of its population that is Hispanic and/or Amerind, two constituencies that tend to vote more often as Democrats than Republicans. Arizona is a target location for middle-class seniors from the Midwest (and Orange County, CA) when they retire, a constituency that tends to be more conservative. Arizona’s conservative reputation is beginning to take a hit as more Hispanics move there, and as its population becomes less skewed to retirees (the Phoenix area has a LOT of economic growth not tied to retirees these days). We’ll know that Arizona has officially gone to the purple side when it goes back to electing a Democrat for senator (and on that day, Barry Goldwater will be spinning)\*. - Yes, I remember Dennis DeConcini. I consider him the exception that proves the rule. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2016, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-new-mexico-more-liberal-overall-than-arizona/768959/25 "2016-10-21T16:17:34Z")
> [@dzeiger](#): > > So why did they end up going to Arizona instead of New Mexico? Sure, once the ball gets rolling, it’s self-sustaining–once you start becoming known as a place for retirees to go then more will keep coming, but what started it all? > > Was there some clever marketing campaign to get people there originally? Is Phoenix somehow better suited to older people than Albuquerque? Some do. The hippies go to Santa Fe or Taos. The conservatives head south to Las Cruces or the cheap, newer parts around Albuquerque (like Rio Rancho). Las Cruces itself is fairly liberal; NM-2 tends to stay Republican because of the very rural nature and small towns of the area, plus the comparative lack of historical Spanish settlement. (A lot of growth was post-1845 with the railroads.) But if you want to live in a big city without subfreezing weather or snow at least once or twice a year, it can’t be done. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-new-mexico-more-liberal-overall-than-arizona/768959.md?page=1)