During the period between New Mexico's annexation by the United States and statehood, the area was divided between largely Republican machine-run highland regions and its firmly Southern Democrat and Baptist "Little Texas" region to the southeast.

[1] Running for reelection against the reformist policies of Wilson was William H. Taft, who secured the Republican nomination over Theodore Roosevelt.

To counter not receiving the Republican nomination, Roosevelt then ran for president under his own Bull-Moose Party.

[2] New Mexico was won by New Jersey Governor Woodrow Wilson, in what was perhaps the most politically diverse election in United States history.

[3] Nonetheless, New Mexico was still Taft's fourth-strongest state by vote percentage after Utah, New Hampshire and Vermont,[4] reflecting the strong Hispanic machine loyalties to him in the northern highlands.