A massive Monday protest in Santa Fe against that Republican proposal to sell off two million acres of federal land for development--including some in New Mexico--and that drew a crowd variously estimated at two to three thousand--was a potent reminder that the nationalization of New Mexican politics is alive and well and will continue to reverberate at the state's ballot boxes.

First came Trump's election in 2016 that started the backlash, then came the debate on abortion rights and now there is the general displeasure with Trump's second term motivating robust political protest and voter participation. 

The crowd that jammed the streets outside the El Dorado Hotel where a Western Governors Association meeting was in session and that included a speech by Trump Interior Secretary Burgum, was quintessentially progressive. They decorated the scene with colorful signs (GOP Land Steal--No Bueno) filled the air with loud chants and created an overall 60's vibe that has never really disappeared from the fortresses of state liberalism that are Santa Fe and Taos.

The national dominance of the local agenda is already noticeable in the ABQ mayoral race where incumbent Tim Keller is reminding whoever will listen that Trump is the poison and that he is the antidote. That's the familiar path he took in 2017 when he won his first term and when Trump also loomed large. 

In the Santa Fe mayoral race, also on the ballot this November, there is less clarity on who will benefit from progressive enthusiasm to vote. There is no clear front-runner yet in the field of six hopefuls who want to succeed two term progressive Mayor Alan Webber. But if any one of the candidates can capture the fervor on display Monday they are sure to be formidable. 

In the still embryonic Governor's race, Deb Haaland needs all the progressive support she can get for next June's primary as Sam Bregman works to consolidate other wings of the party. Haaland had to be gratified by the enthusiastic Santa Fe crowd. If she can capture that kind of energy among progressives there and  in ABQ and Las Cruces denying her the Dem nomination will be problematic.

Meanwhile the US Senate parliamentarian ruled Tuesday that the provision to sell off those federal lands can't be included in the big budget bill under consideration. For New Mexico Republicans that's not a defeat but a favor. 

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.