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Lewis Vows To Make City Better After Runoff Loss

Victor Onimole / KUNM

Republican Dan Lewis gathered in a Downtown ballroom with his supporters to make sense of what happened. “This has always been about a cause, that is, to make the city better, to make Albuquerque thrive, to make it safer, and you believe in that,” he said. “I know you believed in it, you still do, and I do also.”

Lewis congratulated Democrat Tim Keller on his win but said he’s not done trying to change the city.

“I’m gonna work hard," he vowed. "I’m gonna continue to work hard as a businessman in this city, as a dad, as a husband, as someone who loves this city, loves this state, to continue to do what I can do to make it better."

Bronson Reyes said Lewis did a good a job on the campaign, but that Keller’s legislative background made him a formidable opponent. “I thought it was going to be an uphill battle for Lewis to win,” Reyes said, “but I went ahead and threw my support behind him. I’m very disappointed that he lost, and Keller was just a stronger candidate.”

Reyes said he’s worried about the city losing federal funding because of how immigration is handled. “And then the other thing I wish Tim Keller would do is try to do something about the homeless population because it seems like Albuquerque is like a mecca for a lot of homeless and that is a very big concern for me.”

“It’s a sad day for Albuquerque,” said David Bearshield, “but I believe that Albuquerque has to be much greater.”

A lot of voters don’t realize that an ethics board found that Tim Keller broke campaign finance rules during his run, Bearshield said, and he wants to see Keller hold himself accountable for that. “And then that’s what a leader’s going to be, that’s what I am going to expect from him.”

Lewis has a couple more weeks in office as city councilor in District 5. Democrat Cynthia Borrego will take over his seat after her win in last night’s runoff election, strengthening the Democratic majority in the City Council.

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