Last updated Nov. 4, 11 p.m.
Incumbent Democrat Tim Keller will face Republican Darren White in a runoff for mayor - by Daniel Montaño, KUNM News
Burqueños will be headed back to the polls in December to choose a mayor as no single candidate earned 50% of the vote required to win the office. Incumbent mayor Tim Keller came closest with 36% of the vote, followed by Darren White with 31%, according to unofficial results.
In order to be elected Albuquerque mayor, a candidate needs to win at least 50% of the vote, but this year the field was packed, with seven candidates making it on the ballot.
Keller and White will now face each other in a runoff on December 9th, with the winner officially starting their term on January 1st.
Former U.S. Attorney Alexander Uballez came in third with 18%, followed by outgoing City Councilor Louie Sanchez with 7% and former Sandoval County deputy manager Mayling Armijo with 5%.
Of the field of candidates, one, Daniel Chavez, ended his campaign prior to election night after allegations of inappropriate behavior with a staffer and low polling numbers. Despite that, he still ended up winning 1% of the vote.
Keller by far led the most expensive campaign, sending about $745,000 according to campaign finance records compared to Alexander Uballez’s $232,000 and $303,000 by White.
On the progressive side of candidates, the competition between Keller and Uballez remained active up until election night, with both candidates spending plenty of time out in the community, and working with social media influencers to spread the word online. Uballez even launched a records request looking into Keller’s decisions, which Keller’s campaign called “recycled Republican attacks.”
White led a campaign focused on crime, promising big changes if he does become mayor, saying he wants to reorganize the police department, and bring in more officers, and said he would change the city’s stance on immigration ensuring Albuquerque would not be a sanctuary city under his leadership.
Albuquerque City Council District 1 race goes to a runoff - Florian Knowles and Megan Kamerick, KUNM News
Democratic candidate Stephanie Telles will face a runoff with Republican Joshua Neal to fill the Albuquerque District 1 city council seat vacated by Louie Sanchez when he entered the mayor’s race.
Neither candidate won 50% of the vote. The runoff will take place December 9. District 1 is on Albuquerque’s West Side and runs north of Central to Paseo Del Norte.
Telles had 36% of the vote and Neal had 26% according to unofficial results.
Telles is a forensic accountant and small business owner. From 2019-2022 she was the director of the Government Accountability Office. Telles’ win comes after a rocky road. She faced removal from the ballot in July after being found to be seven valid signatures short, but was later reinstated to run.
Telles has raised just over $34,000 for this election. She is endorsed by State Sen. Harold Pope, Jr. (D-Albuquerque)
Her campaign priorities include public safety, housing reform, and fiscal responsibility.
Neal is a civil engineer who worked on projects like Netflix’s Mesa Del Sol Studio and Amazon’s Westside facility. In 2024, he ran as a Republican for state representative, but lost to Democrat Cynthia Borrego.
Neal raised just under $33,000. He was endorsed by the New Mexico Commercial Real Estate Development Association PAC.
Neal’s campaign priorities include focusing on crime, increasing economic development, and tackling homelessness.
Democratic incumbent Klarissa Peña will face Teresa Garcia in a runoff for Albuquerque City Council District 3 - Jeanette DeDios and Megan Kamerick, KUNM News
Democratic incumbent Klarissa Peña will face challenger Teresa Garcia on Dec. 9 in a runoff race for Albuquerque City Council District 3.
Neither voter won 50% of the vote in the three-way race. Peña had about 41% of and Garcia had 38% Tuesday night.
Peña serves as this year’s City Council’s vice president, previously led the Southwest Alliance of Neighbors, and was a former Environmental Planning commissioner.
She said she’s focused on public safety by implementing speed cameras, and expanding mental health services.
Peña qualified for public financing and has raised over $41,000 . She is endorsed by public safety unions like the Albuquerque firefighters and Albuquerque police but also local labor unions.
She’s also been backed by U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján, U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury, and Speaker of the House of Representatives Javier Martinez.
Garcia is a first-generation Mexican Indigenous graduate with a biology degree and has lived in the Southwest Mesa for over 14 years.
Her priorities include equitable economic development, improving infrastructure and public safety.
Garcia was privately financed and has raised $11,000. She’s been endorsed by Young Democrats of New Mexico, Sierra Club, and local grassroots organizations.
Garcia is chair of the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Commission and former chair of the Southwest Community Policing Council.
District 3 covers Southwest Albuquerque south of Central Avenue across the Southwest Mesa.
Republican incumbent Dan Lewis retains Albuquerque City Council District 5 seat - Jeanette DeDios, KUNM News
Republican incumbent Dan Lewis has retained the District 5 seat for a fourth term, defeating Democratic challenger Athenea Allen.
Voters approved Lewis over Allen with 54% of the vote.
Lewis raised a total of $55,000 for his campaign. He’s earned endorsements by public safety unions including Albuquerque firefighters, and police officers association.
Lewis says his priorities are community safety and infrastructure, road improvements, and economic growth.
Lewis is currently the executive director of a trade association. He’s seeking a fourthHe served two terms on city council before vacating the seat to run for mayor. He retook the seat in the 2021 election, defeating then-councilor Cynthia Borrego.
District 5 is located in Northwest Albuquerque, west of the Rio Grande river.
Republican incumbent Renee Grout holds on to Albuquerque City Council District 9 seat - Jeanette DeDios, KUNM News
Republican incumbent Renee Grout will keep Albuquerque City Council District 9 seat after defeating Democratic challenger Colton Newman.
Voters approved Grout over Newman with 54% of the vote according to unofficial local results.
Grout has held the District 9 seat since 2021 and has lived within the district for more than 40 years.
Her main priorities include being tough on crime, growing the local economy, road infrastructure, and prioritizing families.
Grout has raised $51,000 in campaign funding with most of her contributors being the city of Albuquerque – since she qualified for public financing – and smaller donations from individuals.
District 9 encompasses the Southeast Heights and Foothills.
City Councilor Michael Garcia wins Santa Fe mayor race – by Megan Kamerick, KUNM News
Santa Fe City Councilor Michael Garcia has defeated seven other candidates to win the mayor’s race.
In the city’s ranked choice voting system, Garcia emerged victorious after several tabulation rounds.
Current Mayor Alan Webber has been in office since 2018, but chose not to run again. The Santa Fe New Mexican reports Webber has been criticized for rising crime and homelessness and what some have called subpar city services.
Garcia has been a vocal opponent of Webber’s and has focused on his own initiatives as a City Councilor to increase affordable housing. He has also pledged to focus on basics like fixing roads and maintaining infrastructure, while promoting government transparency.
Garcia was born in Santa Fe and has represented City Council District 2 since 2019. He is a program and partnership specialist with AmeriCorps VISTA. Garcia garnered high-profile endorsements from U.S. Sens. Ben Ray Luján and Martin Heinrich, as well as the Santa Fe New Mexican.
Garcia qualified for $60,000 in public financing and raised nearly $34,000 in matching funds.
Voters approve changes that curtail Santa Fe mayor’s powers – Megan Kamerick, KUNM News
Santa Fe voters approved twos ballot initiatives that would change the balance of power between the mayor and the city council.
One amends the municipal charter so that six city councilors in Santa Fe could remove the city manager, city attorney, and/or the city clerk. Unofficial results showed 71% of the votes backing the measure.
The second amends the charter so the mayor would only vote on issues before the city council to break a tie or provide the necessary number of votes to take action. That garnered 72% of the votes.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports a previous charter change approved by voters that gave the mayor more power coincided with Mayor Alan Webber’s two terms in office. Some councilors began making the argument that having the mayor as the top executive as well as a member of the council gave that office too much power.
Webber and others argued reducing the mayor’s voting power would reduce transparency.
Albuquerque voters approve 11 bond questions worth $135 million – Megan Kamerick, KUNM News
Albuquerque votes overwhelmingly approved 11 bonds worth about $135 million to fund libraries, parks and recreation facilities, public safety projects and facilities for seniors and the unhoused.
These include $27 million for community centers across all council districts and health, housing and homeless facilities.
The parks and recreation bond will raise $33 million to help fund numerous projects such as the Ken Sanchez indoor sports complex, a pickleball pavilion at LaderaGolf Course and an aquatic center at North Domingo Baca Park.
The energy and water conservation, public facilities and system modernization bonds include $1.3 million to rehab the city’s animal shelters and $5.4 million to design and construct renewable energy projects.
The affordable housing bond puts $10 million to design and construct workforce trust fund housing.
Approval of this year’s municipal bonds did not increase the current property tax rate.
Rural Roundup: Voters across Northern and Central New Mexico pass most public school bonds, incumbents in municipal governments earn mixed results
-Mark Haslett, KUNM News
Here are some highlights from races outside of Bernalillo and Santa Fe Counties.
Valencia County
Two city council spots were contested in Los Lunas. In District 1 Christopher Ortiz topped John Walker with 53 percent of the vote. And in Los Lunas District 3, Matthew Chavez finished ahead of Naithan Gurule and Cruz Munoz. In a close race, Chavez placed first with 38 percent of votes cast.
In Rio Communities, incumbent mayor Joshua Ramsell defeated challenger Matthew Marquez. Ramsell took 70 percent of the vote. For the Rio Communities City Council, five candidates contested two seats on the council. The top finishers were Lawrence Gordon and Michael Melendez.
On the Peralta City Council, Claudio Moya took 54 percent of ballots cast to beat Randy Smith.
In Bosque Farms, five candidates were vying for two seats on the City Council. Manuel Zamora finished first with 32 percent of votes cast. The next two candidates each finished with 18 percent of the vote. Unofficially, James Bruhn received 179 votes, while Dolly Wallace was just two behind with 177. The fourth- and fifth-place candidates weren’t far behind. Unofficial numbers have Clinton Kettle and Stefanie Sanland with 161 votes each, about 16 percent of the vote.
Unopposed Valencia County candidates include Belen mayor Robert Noblin and Peralta mayor Joseph Chavez.
Sandoval County
The Village of Corrales will have a new mayor. Challenger Fred Hashimoto earned 62 percent of the vote to unseat incumbent James Fahey. On the Corrales City Council, Rick Miera, Lawlor Knight, and John Alsobrook ran unopposed.
Rio Rancho voters passed an $80 million bond package for public schools. Bernalillo public school district voters approved a $30 million bond measure. School-district bond proposals also passed in Cuba and Jemez Valley.
Rio Arriba County
Chama voters re-elected Ernest Vigil and the village’s mayor. Vigil took 67 percent of the vote to defeat challengers Billy Elbrock and Yvonne Martinez.
Jemez Mountain Public School District voters passed an $8.1 million bond initiative.
Torrance County
In Mountainair, Peter Nieto will replace Ernesto Lopez as the town mayor. Nieto defeated the incumbent with 66 percent of the vote.
In Estancia, incumbent mayor Nathan Dial was defeated by challenger Runnel Riley, who earned 52 percent of the vote.
Elsewhere around Torrance County, Elias Sanchez ran unopposed for mayor of Encino. And Willard mayor Edward Redondo defeated write-in candidate Herminio Garcia.
Socorro County
In Socorro, the top finishers for the City Council’s four at-large seats were Damien Ocampo, Joe Gonzales, Mary Ann Chavez-Lopez, and Peter Romero.
San Miguel County
In Las Vegas, incumbent mayor David Romero was re-elected, with 68 percent of the vote. Romero defeated challengers Katrin Scholz-Barth, with 30 percent of ballots cast and Jaylene Quiles with 2 percent.
Las Vegas city council winners included Benito Pacheco in Ward 2, Barbara Perea-Casey in Ward 3, and Marvin Martinez in Ward 4.
There were 10 proposed amendments to the Las Vegas city charter. Nine of them passed, including a measure expanding the city council in the future to eight members, composed of two members each from the four existing wards. The lone failed amendment would have increased pay for municipal elected officials.
Pecos will have a new mayor. Challenger Ralph Lopez defeated Ted Benavidez. Lopez took 58 percent of votes cast.
Taos County
In Taos, four candidates sought to replace outgoing mayor Pascualito Maestas. Dan Barrone finished first, with about 50 percent of the vote. Marietta Fambro placed second with 43 percent of ballots cast. Candyce O’Donnell took 10 percent and Judith Cantu received 7 percent.
Taos County ballot measures all passed by large margins. Voters approved a $50 million school bond package, a $1 million dollar tax levy supporting Holy Cross Hospital, and renewed support for Penasco and Questa schools.
Colfax County
In Eagle Nest, Fox Guinn will be back for another term as mayor. Guinn earned 64 percent of the vote to defeat challenger Chrissi Lund.