The urban-rural divide keeps getting wider. Mormons continue trending Democratic and non-college educated Hispanics continue trending Republican until Mormons lean Democratic and non-college educated Hispanics lean Republican. The Iron Range flips Republican and never votes Democratic again while growth stagnates in the Twin Cites area. Alaska continues trending Democratic in every Presidential election until it flips. Montana becomes a popular destination for people priced out in California and becomes a swing state. Education becomes the best indicator of voting patterns among both whites and Hispanics.
This mostly, but AZ and NM going opposite ways, and NM flipping while Texas gets much more competitive are still hard to explain.
Dallas and Houston are both huge metroplexes. Austin is also becoming like Madison. Phoenix is a huge metroplex. Albuquerque has only half a million and is not growing. Must of the rest of NM Democrats are in the northern small towns and rurals.
If you look at the current urban vs. rural divide, it's kinda surprising NM remains so blue.
