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Runoff Likely In Albuquerque Mayor's Race

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Of the seven candidates running in Albuquerque’s mayoral race, none are likely to have the 50 percent of the vote needed to win Tuesday’s election, according to polls.

While Tim Keller led in three different polls from the Albuquerque Journal, KOB-TV and KRQE-TV, UNM Political Science Professor Gabe Sanchez said Keller probably wouldn’t get enough votes to win on Oct. 3.

“I would have it, along with a lot of other pundits, with Keller out with a comfortable lead,” Sanchez said. “He’s probably only going to secure between 30 and 35 percent of the vote.”

Sanchez said it’s a three-person race between Dan Lewis, Brian Colón and Wayne Johnson to see who ends up on a runoff ballot with Keller.

The runoff election will be more interesting because candidates will have to work harder to distinguish themselves, Sanchez said. 

If the mayoral race does go to a runoff the election, Albuquerque City Clerk Natalie Howard says it will be held Nov. 14, 2017.

Correction: This story has been updated with the correct date for the runoff election.