The regular 2023 municipal election to elect City Councilors for City Council Districts 2, 4, 6, and 8 will be held on November 7, 2023 along with $200 Million in bonds to be approved by city voters. From June 5 to July 10, all city council candidates were required to collect 500 nominating petition signatures and $5.00 qualifying donations from voters within their districts to secure public financing. July 10 was the deadline for the candidates to turn in to the City Clerk all collected nominating petition signatures and qualifying donations for review and verification.
EDITORS NOTE: The postscript to this blog article provides an explanation on qualifying petition signatures, number of qualifying donations required and amount of public financing for each council district and private financing donation limits.
PROCESSED PETITION SIGNATURES AND $5 QUALFYING DONATIONS
On Friday, July 14, the City Clerk published on the City Clerk web site the tabulations of processed candidate petitions signatures and qualifying donations. Following are the tabulations and those who will be on the November 7 ballot and those candidates who will be given public financing:
DISTRICT 2 (DOWNTOWN, OLD TOWN, PARTS OF THE NORTH VALLEY AND WEST SIDE)
All 3 candidates in District 2 have qualified for the ballot with 2 candidates qualifying for public finance. The candidates are:
Joaquin Baca, Democrat, a hydrologist and elected member of the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District and president of the ABQCore neighborhood association. Baca secured 100% of the required 500 nominating petition signatures with 528 petition signatures verified and 54 signatures rejected by the city clerk. Baca secured 100% of the required 381 $5.00 donations with 458 donations verified and 14 donations rejected by the city clerk. Baca will be given $40,000 in public financing by the city.
Loretta Naranjo Lopez, Democrat, a retired city planner and current member of the New Mexico Public Employees Retirement Association Board. She is the President of the Santa Barbara-Martineztown neighborhood association. Ms. Naranjo Lopez secured 100% of the required 500 petitions signatures with 724 petition signatures verified and 101 signatures rejected by the city clerk. Naranjo Lopez secured 100% of the required 381 $5.00 donations with 456 donations verified and 23 donations rejected by the city clerk. Naranjo Lopez will be given $40,000 in public financing by the city.
Moises A. Gonzalez, community activist. Gonzales secured 100% of the required 500 petitions signatures with 539 petition signatures verified and 216 signatures rejected by the city clerk. Gonzales did not collect 100% of the required 381 $5.00 donations with 252 donations verified and 23 rejected by the city clerk and fell short by 129 donations. Mr. Gonzalez will not be given $40,000 in public financing by the city but his name will be on the ballot and he can continue his candidacy as a privately financed candidate.
DISTRICT 4 (NORTHEAST HEIGHTS)
Both candidates in District 2 have qualified for the ballot and one for public finance. The candidates are:
Brook Bassan, Republican, a stay-at-home mom and incumbent councilor who sought public financing. Bassan secured 100% of the required 500 petitions signatures with 570 petition signatures verified and 48 signatures rejected by the city clerk. Bassan secured 100% of the required 403 $5.00 donations with 411 donations verified and 21 donations rejected by the city clerk. Bassan will be given $40,262 in public financing by the city.
Abby Foster, Progressive Democrat, and private attorney. Foster secured 100% of the required 500 petitions signatures with 595 signatures verified and 64 petition signatures rejected by the city clerk. Foster did not seek public financing and will be a privately financed candidate and allowed to self-finance and spend whatever amount she can raise.
DISTRICT 6 (NOB HILL, INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT)
Five of 6 candidates have qualified for the ballot in District 6, with 3 candidates qualifying for public financing, 2 candidates privately financing and 1 candidate not qualifying for the ballot nor public financing. The candidates are:
Abel Otero, a Democrat, a barber and community activist. Otero secured 100% of the required 500 petitions signatures with 564 nominating petition signatures verified and 40 signatures rejected by the city clerk. Otero secured 100% of the 333 required $5.00 donations with 373 donations verified and 6 donations rejected by the city clerk. Otero will be given $40,000.00 in public financing by the city.
Kristin Green, progressive Democrat and community activist. Green secured 100% of the required 500 petitions signatures with 611 nominating petition signatures verified and 102 signatures rejected by the city clerk. Green secured 100% of the 333 required $5.00 donations with 356 donations verified and 10 donations rejected by the city clerk. Green will be given $40,000.00 in public financing by the city.
Joseph Pitluck Aguirre, an Independent, a dentist and software development company owner. Pitluck Aguirre secured 100% of the required 500 petitions signatures with 613 nominating petition signatures verified and 119 signatures rejected by the city clerk. Mr. Pitluck Aguirre did not seek public finance and is a privately finance candidate who has already raised well over $10,000 and will likely raise at least $40,000 or more.
Jeff Hoehn, Democrat, a nonprofit executive director. Hoehn secured 100% of the required 500 petitions signatures with 681 nominating petition signatures verified and 168 signatures rejected by the city clerk. Sources have confirmed that Hoehn initially sought public financing but elected to go private financing when his efforts to collect qualifying donations failed and he is now a privately financed candidate.
Nichole Rogers, Democrat, business consultant with background in health care, education and government and influencer in the Black community. Ms. Rogers secured 100% of the required 500 nominating petitions signatures with 575 nominating petition signatures verified and 107 signatures rejected by the city clerk. Rogers secured 100% of the 333 required $5.00 donations with 373 donations verified and 6 donations rejected by the city clerk. Rogers will be given $40,000.00 in public financing by the city.
Jonathan Ryker Juarez, party affiliation and background unknown. Juarez did not secure the 500 required petition signatures and collected 194 verified petition signatures with 51 signatures rejected by the city clerk. Mr. Juarez did not collect the 333 required $5.00 donations and collected 71verified qualifying donations with 2 rejected by the city clerk and falling short by 262 donations. Mr. Juarez did not qualify to be on the November 7 ballot nor qualify for public financing.
COMMENTARY: In order to be elected city council, the winner must secure 50% + 1 of the vote or there is a runoff between the two top vote getters. The fact that there are 5 candidates in District 6 that have qualified for the ballot makes it more likely than not that there will be a run off between the two top vote getters.
DISTRICT 8 (NORTHEAST HEIGHTS AND FOOTHILLS)
Both candidates in District 8 have qualified for the ballot and for public finance. The candidates are:
Dan Champine, Republican, a retired police officer and current mortgage lender. Champine secured 100% of the required 500 petitions signatures with 756 petition signatures verified and 48 signatures rejected by the city clerk. Champine secured 100% of the required 446 $5.00 donations with 541 donations verified and 23 donations rejected by the city clerk. Sources have confirmed that Champine was given significant last minute help from the Republican party and Republican City Councilor Trudy Jones when his own efforts were failing to collect both qualifying petition signatures and qualifying donations. Sources have also confirmed that Champine, a retire Albuquerque Police Officer, was also given discrete help from West Side Democrat City Councilor Louis Sanchez, who is also a retired police officer. Champine will be given $44,577.00 in public financing.
Idalia Lechuga-Tena, Democrat, a consultant and former state representative. Lechuga-Tena secured 100% of the required 500 petitions signatures with 795 signatures verified and 78 signatures rejected by the city clerk. Lechuga-Tena secured 100% of the required 446 $5.00 donations with 552 donations verified and 12 donations rejected by the city clerk. Sources have confirmed that Lechuga-Tena secured the petition signatures and qualifying donations almost single handedly by going door to door daily for 6 weeks. Lechuga-Tena will be given $44,577.00 in public financing.
The link to the City clerk’s website listing the qualifying candidates is here:
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
The municipal election is on November 7, almost a full 4 months from now, with a very hot summer in between and anything can and likely will happen with all 4 races being hotly contested, especially in District 6 where 5 candidates are running to replace the Progressive Democrat Pat Davis who is not seeking another term.
The November 7 municipal election could remake the council and perhaps there will be a shift in numbers from the current 5 Democrats control to a Republican control city council or at least a conservative shift to challenge Mayor Keller’s progressive agenda. After the 2021 municipal election, the city council went from a 6 – 3 Democrat Majority with the loss of one Democrat to a Republican and it became a 5-4 Democrat majority, but the ideology split is 5 conservatives to 3 progressives and 1 moderate.
THE KELLER FACTOR
Like it or not, the 2023 municipal election will be a referendum on the job performance of Mayor Tim Keller only because he himself and his supporters are inserting themselves into the races for city council when they should keep their noses out of the races. Mayor Keller is not on the 2023 ballot, but City Hall sources say he has already told key staff and financial supporters he is running for a third term in 2025.
Informed sources have also confirmed Mayor Tim Keller has met or spoken to at least 3 progressive democrats running and pledging his support to them. This is a clear indication that Keller is fully aware the stakes are high in the upcoming 2023 municipal election. Keller intends to take an active roll in electing city councilors who will support his progressive agenda during the final 2 years of his second term thereby setting himself up to run for a third term in 2025.
Sources have confirmed that Progressive Political consultant Neri Holguin, who was Mayor Tim Keller’s 2021 campaign manager, is managing the campaigns of District 2 Progressive Democrat candidate Joaquin Baca and District 4 Progressive Democrat candidate Abby Foster leading to wide speculation that they are Mayor Keller’s selected candidates. Holguin was the campaign manager in 2019 for former Progressive Democrat State Senator Richard Romero who split the Democratic vote with Democrat Mayor Martin Chaves resulting in the election of conservative Republican Richard Berry. Mayor Tim Keller has yet to publicly endorse candidates and it is unknown to what extent Keller supporters and his city hall staff will go to help those candidates he is helping or will be endorsing.
Complicating Keller supporting and endorsing candidates for city council is Keller’s low approval ratings. On November 3, the Albuquerque Journal released a poll on the job performance of Mayor Tim Keller. The results of the poll showed Keller has a 40% disapproval rating, a 33% approval rating an with 21% mixed feelings. The low approval rating was attributed to Keller’s continuing failure to bring down the city’s high crime rates despite all of his promises and programs, his failure to deal with the homeless crisis and his failure to fully staff APD after promising to have 1,200 sworn police during his first term.
https://www.abqjournal.com/2545820/mayor-kellers-job-approval-rating-sinks.html
KELLER UNIVERASLLY DISLIKED AT THE DOOR
At least five candidates for city council have confirmed that as they went door to door collecting qualifying nominating signatures and qualifying $5 donations they discovered there was no shortage of voters who expressed a strong dislike for Mayor Tim Keller. Not at all surprising is the dislike for Mayor Keller in District 4 and District 8. Both city council Districts are Republican leaning Districts now represented by Republicans Brook Bassan and Trudy Jones respectively. Voters in both Districts 4 and 8 are hostile and very vocal over Mayor Keller and the City Council advocating and allowing city sanctioned Safe Outdoor Space homeless encampments. What came as a surprise to candidates going door to door is the dislike for Mayor Keller in District 2, the downtown, old town, parts of the north valley and west side district and District 6, the Nob Hill area and International District area and the most progressive district leaning Democrat.
City Council Candidates campaigning door to door in all 4 City Council Districts reported that they found that Keller is perceived as mishandling the homeless crisis with homelessness increasing, residents believing they are not safe in their own homes and that Keller has done a poor job dealing the city’s spiking crime rates with murders reaching all-time records under Keller. Voters asked city council candidates what they intended to do about the homeless crisis and crime that would be different.
It turns out that Mayor Keller did himself no favors with advocating for city sanctioned homeless encampments and casita and duplex developments in all areas of the city to favor developers over property owners and historic neighborhoods. The city council deliberations and votes approving Mayor Keller’s Housing Forward ABQ Plan occurred during the 6 week nominating petition and qualifying donation period resulting in voters being fully aware of what Keller was doing to change the city’s zoning laws to favor developers and investors.
In District 2, the downtown, old town, parts of the north valley and west side district, voters told city council candidates that they were very upset about Coronado Park that was a de facto Keller city sanctioned homeless encampment that destroyed the park and was riddled with violent crime and illicit drug trafficking. Wells Park area residents and businesses are particularly hostile to Keller because of his handling of Coronado Park over 5 years and him allowing it to become a homeless encampment. When Keller closed Coronado Park, the homeless merely infiltrated the neighborhoods adjacent to the park and negatively affected businesses.
District 2 voters have also expressed anger over Keller promoting Safe Outdoor Space city sanctioned homeless encampments with the Santa Barbara-Martitnezown Neighborhood Association successfully appealing a Safe Outdoor Space for 50 victims of sex trafficking on Menaul west of the freeway. It was City Council District 2 candidate Loretta Naranjo Lopez who is President of the Santa Barbara-Martineztown neighborhood Association who spear headed the opposition and filed the appeal to the Menaul Safe Outdoor Space Homeless encampment. She also opposed the city waste transfers station in the same area. Her main opponent is Democrat Joaquin Baca whose campaign manager is Nerie Holguin, Tim Keller’s 2021 campaign manager, raising speculation that Baca is Keller’s handpicked candidate to replace City Councilor Isaac Benton a strong Keller supporter and his policies.
District 6 has within its borders the Gateway Homeless Shelter which is the massive Loveless Hospital and Medical complex on Gibson. Mayor Keller infuriated more than a few neighborhood associations, area residents and businesses by ignoring their concerns as the city purchased the complex without first reaching a consensus with neighborhoods on how it was going to be developed and how it was going to be used as a 24/7 homeless shelter.
April 6, 2021 Mayor Tim Keller held a press conference in front of the Gibson Medical Center to officially announce the city has bought the massive complex and the city would transform it into a Gateway Center for the homeless. After his press conference, Mayor Keller came under severe criticism for his failure to reach a consensus and take community input before the Gibson Medical Center was purchased. On April 9, neighbors who felt they had been ignored and overlooked in the planning process and being asked to shoulder too big of a burden staged protests all for not. Keller said this in response to the protests:
“We know that our administration believes in experimenting … We’re going to experiment and find out what works best over time. … And so really what we’re looking at here is to move past this question of where … No matter how you feel about it, we’ve answered that question.”
After close to 3 years, the Gateway Center is still being remodeled and has yet to open.
Voters in Districts 2, 4, 6 and 8 also told candidates campaigning door to door for city council that they were upset with Mayor Keller’s support and advocacy of city sanctioned Safe Outdoor Space encampments for the homeless as well as his Housing Forward ABQ plan. In particular, voters, home owners and property owners object to the zoning changes allowing casitas to be built in neighborhoods taking away adjoining property owners rights to oppose and object to them and giving the city’s Planning Department exclusive authority to allow them. Mayor Tim Keller is now perceived by more than a few, especially by many in his progressive base, as placing “profits over people” and favoring the business and development community with his “Housing Forward ABQ Plan” that overwhelming favors developers and investors over historical neighborhoods and which encourages gentrification.
Another issue that came up as candidates for city council went door to door was that the Keller Administration spent $236,622 to purchase artificial turf for the Rio Rancho Events Center. The purchase was for the benefit of the privately owned New Mexico Gladiators to play their home football games. The City Inspector General noted in no uncertain terms that the New Mexico Department of Finance (DFA) found the purchase was in violation of “anti donation clause” which strictly bars public government entities from donating to private corporations. Mayor Keller tried to proclaim the artificial turf purchase was not a violation of the states anti donation clause, which it was as found by the DFA.
There is little doubt as the races for city council heat up, the candidates will be asked if they support Mayor Tim Keller’s progressive agenda and if they are Keller’s handpicked candidate who will do his bidding and follow his policies if elected to the city council.
FINAL COMMENTARY
The city is facing any number of problems that are bringing it to its knees. Those problems include exceptionally high violent crime and murder rates, the city’s increasing homeless numbers, lack of affordable housing, lack of mental health care programs and very little next to nothing in economic development. The city cannot afford city councilors who makes promises and offers only eternal hope for better times that result in broken campaign promises.
What is needed are city elected officials who actually know what they are doing, who will make the hard decisions without an eye on their next election, not make decisions only to placate their base and please only those who voted for them. What’s needed is a healthy debate on solutions and new ideas to solve our mutual problems, a debate that can happen only with a contested election. A highly contested races reveal solutions to our problems.
Voters are entitled to and should expect more from candidates than fake smiles, slick commercials, and no solutions and no ideas. Our city needs more than promises of better economic times and lower crime rates for Albuquerque and voters need to demand answers and hold elected officials accountable.
Best wishes and good luck to all the candidates.
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POSTSCRIPT
REQUIRED PETITION SIGNATURES
Candidates for City Council were required to collect 500 signatures from registered voters within the district the candidate wishes to represent. The City Clerk’s Office encourages candidates to collect more petitions signatures than required for the reason that signatures collected on paper forms must be verified as registered voters in the candidate’s district by the City Clerk’s Office once submitted to the city clerk. Signatures collected from voters not registered in the district are disqualified.
REQUIRED $5 QUALIFYING DONATIONS
Candidates for City Council who were seeking public financing were required to collect qualifying contributions from 1% of the registered voters in the district they wish to represent for public financing. The number of qualifying $5 donations is different for each district and changes based on the actual number of registered voters. The City Clerk’s Office encouraged candidates to collect more $5 qualifying donation than required in that donations collected from voters not registered in the district are disqualified.
The number of $5 Qualifying Contributions representing 1% of the registered voters in each City Council Disitrict were as follows:
- District 2: 381
- District 4: 403
- District 6: 333
- District 8: 446
PUBLIC FINANCING AND SPENDING LIMIT
Once a candidate submitted the required and verified $5 donations, the following public finance was given the candidates and they agreed to the following spending cap for their campaigns:
- District 2: $40,000.00
- District 4: $40,262.00
- District 6: $40,000.00
- District 8: $44,577.00
PRIVATELY FINANCED CANDIDATES
Candidates who did not choose public financing can collect and spend as much as they can in private financing from any source and there is no campaign spending cap. There are some limitations to privately financed candidates. A privately financed candidate may give him or herself an unlimited amount of money. However, another individual may only donate up to a certain amount. For a City Council candidate, an individual may only donate up to $1,683.00. A privately financed candidate may not accept money from a city contractor, any anonymous donor, or any foreign national. Privately financed candidates may accept contributions from individuals who live outside of New Mexico.