Prospective presidential candidates are known to chew over pork chops on a stick at Iowa’s iconic State Fair. They gather in South Carolina at Rep. Jim Clyburn’s “World Famous Fish Fry.” And they’re all over New Hampshire … well, any chance they get.New Mexico today is entering the convening conversation with chicharrón at the “Matanza.”In the long tradition of major state gatherings that have become dead giveaways of politicians’ presidential ambitions, New Mexico is formally stepping into the political fray, with an inaugural “Fourth in the Nation Matanza Rally” hosted by Democratic Sen. Ben Ray Luján designed to introduce the 2028 crop to the state.What exactly is a Matanza? It’s a “New Mexico election season staple,” Deb Haaland, who was Interior secretary in the Biden administration and is running for New Mexico governor, told POLITICO.“You dig a big hole in the ground, you build a fire, you put a pig in the coals, and it cooks overnight, and then you share this grand feast along with tortillas and chicharrón,” Haaland said.Over 1,500 people, local and state leaders and New Mexico’s congressional delegation are gathering to eat and listen to mariachi and local bands at Albuquerque’s International Balloon Museum this afternoon, in part to rally voters to turn out on Nov. 3. Yet the presidential undertones are quite intentional in the new Democratic early nominating state.“Matanzas typically in New Mexico have centered around family gatherings, weddings, big celebrations, community celebrations, bringing people together,” Luján told POLITICO. It’ll be a “first taste of New Mexico” for 2028ers to introduce themselves to the state.New Mexico’s entry into the early nominating lineup has set a course for a primary season where some of the Democratic Party’s most elusive voters will be front and center. Some 2028ers will be hearing from voters directly today — among them Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.). Van Hollen has admitted he’s testing the waters for a presidential bid and told POLITICO “this is going to be part of that process.”Also in the mix is Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) — who wanted to be “neighborly” and show up for Luján — and said he’s “considering” a run but won’t make a decision until after the midterms.“New Mexico is a lot like Arizona. We’ve got some shared issues and priorities,” Kelly told POLITICO. “And I think, you know, the Southwest is growing in importance, more people are moving here.”But Luján is offering free advice for visiting Democrats: “Understand that you need to get out and earn the trust back from so many families where we lost support: labor families, union families, Hispanic families.”Latino voters make up the majority of voters statewide, and together with Nevada they’re poised to dominate the early primary calendar.“I think that both the fact that Trump betrayed voters when it came to the economy, plus the fact that they did a bait and switch when it came to their immigration policies, has turned off a lot of Hispanic voters,” Van Hollen told POLITICO. “But where Trump was right was recognizing people’s economic pain.”Blue collar work and agriculture run deep in the fabric of the state. “The [border] lines moved on a lot of families,” as Lujan put it — making the “New Mexican” identity particularly potent.“We’re the fifth-largest state in the country,” Haaland told POLITICO. “We have three national labs. We’ve got veteran services here. … We’re also a border state, and so much commerce here in New Mexico happens on our border.”And Haaland is also adamant about keeping Native Americans at the forefront of the 2028 conversation. “I want any presidential candidates to really know and understand why they need to think about tribes. Why they need to have a plan for Indian tribes when they’re working on their platforms,” she said.If Haaland wins the governorship, she and Luján will be critical touchpoints for 2028ers. Luján, a former DCCC chair, said he’s already started reaching out to potential candidates. And Haaland, through her gubernatorial campaign, has shared the stage with several of them already.Pete Buttigieg hit the Land of Enchantment last month, campaigning for Haaland and Vasquez in the heavily Latino town of Las Cruces. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) held a fundraiser in the state in August. Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer and Illinois’ JB Pritzker have both swung through the state. And Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has been fielding calls from prospectives, including Rahm Emanuel and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who’s supporting Haaland as chair of the Democratic Governors Association.But today marks the first official 2028 cattle call for the state. Complete with tribal leaders, local business owners and VIP donors, the first Matanza event will test the appetite for a more Latino-specific cultural touchstone that could round out the obligatory presidential candidate event rotation.“What I hope that being fourth in the nation can create in New Mexico is a better understanding of what’s needed across the West, across the Rocky Mountains, the high desert,” Luján told POLITICO.As for the 2028ers? They “better learn how to eat chile,” Luján added. “Our red and our green, because it’s on everything — breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sometimes even dessert.”Like this content? Consider signing up for POLITICO’s Playbook newsletter.