And the Winning Answer Is

[Warpy]

8. The political climate is distinctly ornery

Michelle Lujan-Grisham just announced her candidacy for governor in 2 years, leaving a congressional seat vacant. It could go either way, honestly, depending on whether the Democrats run a Democrat or a hack. The state likes to change the governor back and forth between parties, so Lujan-Grisham has a good chance if she survives the primary.

A lot of the Republicans here in the northern part of the state are a lot like the old New England Republicans and are not insane. The ones in the third district in the southern part of the state are generally bean dip dumb and the Rep from that district often gives Louie Gohmert competition for Dumbest Congressman.

It's a strange state, socially progressive and oddly fiscally conservative. It's also an extremely poor state, with some unincorporated villages as bad as anything you'd see south of the border. However, Republicans have been unsuccessful at driving wedges between different groups by making them jealous of benefits they might or might not be getting.