Politically, why are Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico so different?

Nevada and Arizona have had some Mormon influence.

The Mormon influence is big in neighboring Utah. And anti-Mormon, for Nevada.

I assume, but do not know, that the Hispanic influence is strong in NM.

They do seem to be, politically, reactions to each other, like New Hampshire vs. Vermont, which I cannot explain.

Nevada had the mob, drawn to its isolation. That drew whores, gambling, and whatnot. And murder, most fowl.

Nevada had a silver rush. That must have influenced culture.

I lived in AZ for years, and the politics are heavily influenced by the retiree population. Next to no one is moving to NM to retire. I can't comment on NV, but I would suspect the same.

OP, Culinary and other Vegas unions are extremely powerful in swaying thousands of votes towards or away from a candidate. The very hard-working, mostly Hispanic/Mexican/Latino members likely wouldn't have consistently voted if they didn't have personal home visits from campaign workers from their union. They're credited with the recent re-election of Vegas's controversial sheriff.

Nevada: Mormons + big influx of more liberal Californians looking for lower housing prices, libertarian streak (e.g., legalized prostitution)

Arizona: Lots of midwestern retirees, people moving from midwest for better weather without California prices, lots of transients who are barely middle class.

New Mexico: Wealthy Californians in Santa Fe, not much in-migration from other states, lots of Mexican-Americans who have been in New Mexico for hundreds of years, resort areas like Taos that also draw people from California.

New Mexico is REALLY Hispanic, possibly a majority there. I am too lazy to check stats right now but I think it's significantly higher than the other two.

R1, LDS is openly Republican. Spanish speakers are usually Catholic. In fact Catholic Charities is highly respected in Vegas for truly helping the homeless and the very poor with food aid and job training assistance.

R3, NV history of MOB influence still exists in that there's a general distrust of government, as it's very often corrupt. I could tell you stories . . . This leads to a heavy Libertarian influence, in that you're allowed to do whatever as long as you don't bother anyone else's ability to make a living.

Casino owners Wynn and Adelson run the Vegas GOP. They rarely agree on anything. Other casino owners and managers know that their most loyal "whales" are solid Republicans like those from TX. Hence they advocate RNC policies for that reason alone.

Tons of CA retirees have sold their homes and moved to the huge retirement communities in So NV. The wealthier NV neighborhoods tend to be more GOP. Overall So NV is much more pro-DNC then Central or No NV where smaller towns and ranchers proliferate.

#1 Issue of the strong GOP base is the influence of mining and of course the Second Amendment. Harking back to MOB and Libertarian beliefs, so many believe guns = protection even when it's forbidden by homeowners' and condo association rules. Currently there are free and low-cost licensing and fire arms training and practice for women constantly pushed in Vegas. Why? Takes too long for the police to respond to certain areas of So NV.

Don’t forget the recent Dem leader was from Nevada.

I'm a native Arizonan, still living (for the moment) in the red zone north of Phoenix.

Arizona was traditionally often in the Democratic column until the 1960's, when Barry Goldwater powerfully re-made the state level GOP. There are, as mentioned above, highly conservative Mormon influences. It's a favorite retirement spot for retired military people, so authoritarians like Joe Arpaio have been hard to defeat.

There are many wingnuts, and we've got a few SPLC identified hate groups operating in the state. There are 2 active militia groups, and fringe political groups like the John Birch Society have been around since the '60s. The very nutty, impeached Governor, Ev Mecham, invited right wing crazies to move here, and they did.

But I'm also linking to the interesting NY Times precinct level map of the 2016 Presidential Elecction, zeroed in on nearby Payson, AZ. If you zoom out from that red zone, you can see that there are many Democratic strongholds in the state. Fixing our gerrymandered districts would go a long way toward turning the state more blue.

Also, in our Gubernatorial race: conservative Democrat Kyrsten Sinema has opened up a narrow lead over repellent, disagreeable Trumpite, Martha McSally.

What about Native American influence? Are them dems?

R11, Sen Reid's last re-election win was hard fought. Lucky for him his opponents had strong negatives, and Reid was tight with major casino owners and military vets. Don't forget the major influence of So NV Nellis AFB. Almost all NV are strongly pro-military (benefits.)

Good question OP. My parents retired to AZ so I'm finding this interesting.

Yes, R13, but especially on the Navajo and Hopi reservations (blue in the NYT map I linked above) polling places may be many miles away from the sparse, remote voters.

Nevada is controlled by organized crime and the unions.

New Mexico is 48.5% hispanic. The highest of all 50 states.

Arizona is 30.9% hispanic.

That is a significant difference, and explains why New Mexico is significantly bluer.

[quote]conservative Democrat Kyrsten Sinema

isn't she bi too?

She wants it ALL!

It's also worth noting that a lot of conservative assholes fled California and came to Arizona. Arizona was bluer 20 years ago or so. It has taken the increase of the Hispanic population (although who knows if they'll actually vote) as well as younger bluer voters to finally begin to make the state competitive again. I haven't seen anyone mention Sinema's bisexuality in any way, shape, or form, positive or negative. If she was less attractive it might have been an issue.

Why are Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky different? They just are, Blanche.

[quote]Next to no one is moving to NM to retire.

every single dyke I know who every dyked has retired in Santa Fe or Taos.

I thought demographically Arizona was supposed to be nearing to becoming a blue state or at least in contention rather than a solid red state?

A lot of people are retiring to NM. Taos is popular with people who ki. Sabte Fe area gets a variety of artsy types. Everyone I know who has moved there has been fairly comfortably well-off and politically liberal.

Sante Fe is a great little city.

Adding in that many (most?) of Hispanic New Mexicans are not recent immigrants, but people whose families lived in the state for hundreds of years--they were the original settlers in the 1600s and 1700s and were living there when the US won the southwest from Mexico in the Mexican War.

R12, Sinema is running for senate, not governor.

Sinema may be the first openly bisexual atheist elected to the Senate.

Illinois has Chicago.

Probably more people there than in the entire state.

Kentucky is full of hillbillies. Overrun with them. They had always had a democrat as governor until they went full retard and elected the carpetbagger bevins. He is HATED now.

Indiana us a hell hole full if crazy bible beating children of the corn types.

Thanks, R27, I am baked on ganja. I giggle in your general direction!

wow thanks guys...didn't know there was some Mormon influence in Arizona and Nevada though it makes sense due to proximity.

I'm hoping eventually we can turn Arizona blue and solidify Nevada

AZ is THE retirement destination of republican Californians

I'm in NM right now. It's gorgeous and it also has a very cool energy/vibe. Reminds me very much of southern Spain.

Glad to know it's blue .

Just saw a bumper sticker that made me smile: "New Mexico: not really New, not really Mexico"

They aren't OP> They are all three among the most corrupt of all states. A rightist gang runs Arizona, a "left" gang runs New Mexico - although all such "gangs" are inherently conservative - and in Nevada the gang is adaptable to political winds. But there is no real difference between these states in governance. Culturally, New Mexico is still a sleepy battleground between native and Spanish cultures. In Aizona the mining companies put paid to all that, finally birthing a traditional American booster class. Nevada is the most distinctive, as its mining companies gave way to Basque shepherds and Chinese railroad workers and ultimately the urban flotsam of Vegas. It does not have a real booster class as nobody believes it will be around for long. And that's the biggest difference. New Mexicans believe their society will always be the same, Arizona is hoping theirs will grow at the expense of the rest of the nation, and Nevada just wants to squeeze a few more dollars out of the place while there is still time.

Interesting comment R34. But no booster class in NV? Really?

It's the Mormons in Arizona. They control entire towns.

[quote]Adding in that many (most?) of Hispanic New Mexicans are not recent immigrants, but people whose families lived in the state for hundreds of years--they were the original settlers in the 1600s and 1700s and were living there when the US won the southwest from Mexico in the Mexican War.

It's northern part of New Mexico(Santa Fe County, Rio Arriba County, Taos County) where a lot of the descendants of the settlers live and they are very different from most Hispanic groups and they have very little in common with recent immigrants. I know some northern New Mexican Hispanics who voted for Trump and are very much against open borders.

Not sure if it is relevant to the discussion, but if I recall correctly during the gay marriage fight - New Mexico had NOTHING on the books anywhere to say that marriage was solely between a male and female. Gay marriage just happened there without much protest.

I lived in NM for 10 years/ its not reliably democratic. They have had several republican governors and depending on the area the state legislature is democratic with pockets of conservative republicans...especially in gas exploration regions. The state government is heavily skewed spanish and there is a tradition of cushy governental jobs passed down in a feudal manner. Arizona has a ton of retirees many lower middle class so obviosly ultra right wing. Nevada I dont know.

R38, I live in New Mexico and there was some protest from far right religious types when marriage licenses were being issued to same sex couple ahead of the State Supreme Court ruling. From what I've seen some Catholics in New Mexico are gay friendly and progressive. I've encountered a few very conservative Catholics who are anti-gay. The religious types who really hate the gays in New Mexico are Baptists and other Protestant groups especially the Pentecostal types.

Arizona is especially attractive to ex-Hoosiers. Dan Quayle's family owns the largest newspaper.

New Mexico (Santa Fe) has an art community. I think that contributes to the balance.

[quote]It's the Mormons in Arizona. They control entire towns.

Yup, avoid living in Mesa.

Mesa is a giant city and it is hyperbole to say it is controlled by Mormons.

All the Republicans in NV are freaking out because of the huge influx of CA Democrats. They are losing control of the state. It will be interesting to see want happens in the senate race between Heller and Rosen. I’m hoping that Jackie Rosen will defeat Republican pawn Dean Heller but it’s a very tight race. I’m pretty sure that in the Gubernatorial Race Steve Sisolak the Democrat will defeat Adam Laxalt the Republican. The current governor Tom Sandoval is a a Republican but fairly liberal and he’s declined to endorse Laxalt. Sandoval was even for the legalization of marijuana.

lol Adam Laxalt was the illegitimate son of the late Republic senator Pete Domenici from New Mexico. I live in New Mexico and know some of Domenici's cousins they always tried to use that name for special treatment. I also knew Domenici's nun sister.

R46 nice dish!

R45, I was always treated with such kindness whenever I called Gov Sandoval's Office, asking for which dept in NV if any could assist me. Ms Cortez-Mastos office staff was equally well trained to be polite to all. Wish Heller would lose as his staff is RUDE.

Culinary Union is once again putting out a slate of how to vote for every office & proposition. They repeatedly call and visit you if you don't vote. Assume NV other unions are doing the same.

At least Michelle Lujan Grisham won the gubernatorial race in New Mexico instead of douche Steve Pearce.

The deserts don't vote, OP.

R41 Arizona is also home to a lot of other Midwestern/Rust Belt retirees who figured they already PAID taxes where they lived before and now don't have to pay taxes since [italic]their[/italic] kids have been through the schools. Now that they've retired they don't GaS about anyone else's kids. Shortsighted, yes, but that's how they think: "I've done my part so now I no longer have to." The same myopic mindset is found in lots of retiree hotspots in the Sunbelt. It just seems worse in Arizona.

I am a native Arizonan who has lived in New Mexico for over two decades. NM has many more liberal constituencies: more Hispanics, Native Americans, wealthy creative types etc than Arizona plus legacy of Hispanics who have been part of leadership. Bill Richardson and Toney Anaya are former Latino governors. Arizona has been more controlled by Anglo conservatives because Native and Latino groups were shut out .... John McCain was seen ny a few Arizonans as a carpetbagger politician back in 1980s using his wife's money plus his Navy/POW cred.