The Exploratory Period for Mayor began on March 3, 2025 and ended on April 19, 2025. It was during this time that all candidates for Mayor were required to notify and register with the City Clerk as a candidate for Mayor. Candidates were also required to declare if they would seek “public financing” or would seek “private financing” for their candidacy. One candidate has declared as a “private finance” candidate. Eight candidates have declared as “public finance” candidates. Two Measured Finance Committees have been formed, one to promote the candidacy of Mayling Armijo and one to promote the candidacy of Mayor Tim Keller.
This article is an in depth report on all nine candidates, their biographies with politcal commentary. It reports on the amount of money that they have raised in “seed money” as well what has been raised by the two measured finance committees.
NINE CANDIDATES AND THEIR BIOGRAPHIES
The following are the Nine candidates for Mayor who have registered with the City Clerk:
- MAYLING ARMIJO
BIOGRAPHY WITH COMMENTARY
Democrat Mayling Armijo is a former Deputy County Manager for Sandoval County. She is an Albuquerque native and was the first to announce. On her campaign website, she lists her priorities as crime, housing and homelessness, substance abuse, job growth, and setting term limits for the mayor’s office. She proclaims that she is not a politician and offers very little specifics on how she will bring down crime. Her experience includes working as economic development director for Bernalillo County, the deputy County Manager for Sandoval County and work with the New Mexico Economic Development Department. Armijo is the only privately financed candidate.
A link to a news source on Mayling Armijo’s announcement is here:
https://abq.news/2025/02/former-county-economic-development-manager-first-to-announce-run-for-mayor/
CITY CLERK’S CANDIDATE WEB PAGE
The following is the candidate information provided on the City Clerk’s candidate web page:
DATE REGISTERED: February 3, 2025
- Privately Financed
- Campaign address: 9633 Seligman Avenue NE Albuquerque, NM 87109
- Campaign phone number: 505-401-2767
- Campaign email: contact@armijo4mayor.com
- Campaign website: armijo4mayor.com
- Campaign Finances: View Candidate Disclosure
No campaign chairperson listed.
Treasurer: Sulema Lenz
COMBINED FINANCIAL TOTALS FROM CANDIDATE DISCLOSURE
- Total Contributions: $19,606.00
- Total Expenditures: $1,393.56
- In-Kind Contributions: $1,508.58
- In-Kind Expenditure: $0
- Current Cash Balance: $18,212.44
- Current Debt Balance: $0
TOP CONTRIBUTORS
- Chauling Armijo $6,000.00
- Katrina Tracy $6,000.00
- Four Winds Menchanical, Inc $6,000.00
- Green Castle Media $1,508.58
- David F. Poe $1,000.00
SAFER ALBUQUERQUE COMMITTEE (SAFER ABQ)
According to the City Clerk’s candidate website, the following Measured Finance Committee has been created to advocate Mayling Armijo for Mayor: SAFER ALBUQUERQUE COMMITTEE (SAFER ABQ)
Purpose: To advocate for Mayling Armijo’s candidacy for mayor during the Albuquerque 2025 mayoral race and align with values that reduce crime, reduce homelessness, and promote job growth
- Chairperson: Charles M. Rolison
- Address: P.O. Box 4004 Albuquerque, NM 87196
- Phone number: 505-975-4899
- Email: info@saferabq.com
- Website: saferabq.com
The Measured Finance Campaign Disclosure Statement for Safer Albuquerque Committee (Safer ABQ) reports as follows:
Combined Financial Totals
- Total Contributions: $120,080.00
- Total Expenditures: $31,651.57
- In-Kind Contributions: $0
- In-Kind Expenditures: $0
- Current Cash Balance: $88,428.43
- Current Debt Balance: $0
Top Contributors listed:
- Mary Chauling Armijo $40,000
- Katrina Tracy $40,000
- Four Winds Mechanical HTC/AC, Inc $40,000
- Charles Rolison $80.00
EDITORS NOTE: Chauling Mary Armijo is the owner of Four Winds Mechanical HTC/AC INC and she is the sister of Mayling Armijo. The fact that $80,000 has been contributed by Mayling Armijo’s family and business ownership raises a red flag of a potential coordination of her campaign with the Measured Finance Committee which is strictly prohibited under city ordinance.
- EDDIE VARELA
BIOGRAPHY WITH COMMENTARY
Eddie Varela is a Republican and is a retired Albuquerque firefighter and former California fire chief. Varela’s campaign website lists six issues, including safety, homelessness, transparency, seniors, youth and small businesses. Varela said he wants to restore public safety, rebuild trust in the government and revitalize the economy.
Varela told politcal blogger Pete Dinelli he did not vote for Donald Trump nor Kamala Harris for President, but now that Trump has been elected, he feels that Trump is doing a “great job” as President. Varela has said that he agrees with President Trump’s and Elon Musk’s severe cuts to government and reducing the size of the federal government.
Varela admitted he attended Mayor Tim Keller’s March 12 “DEFEND ABQ, Standing Strong For Families” program where Keller spoke well over an hour and outlined the Trump Administration’s major cuts that will affect city services. The Trump cuts include federal affordable housing funding, cutting vouchers for the unhoused, and cutting funding for homeless shelters. Cuts to transportation include cutting federal funding for road improvements, bike lanes and trails, bus routes and for the city’s multimillion dollar “rail trail” development. Varela ostensibly is in 100% in agreement with the Trump Administration of cutting of federal funding to the city which will be in the millions of dollars.
A link to a news source on Eddie Varela’s announcement is here:
https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/eddie-varela-joins-race-for-albuquerque-mayor/
CITY CLERK’S CANDIDATE WEB PAGE
The following is the candidate information provided on the City Clerk’s candidate web page:
DATE REGISTERED: February 21, 2025
- Publicly Financed
- Campaign address: 6539 Lamy Street NW Albuquerque, NM 87121
- Campaign phone number: 505-249-2422
- Campaign email: eddierayvarela26@gmail.com
- Campaign website: eddievarelaformayor.com
- Campaign Finances: View Candidate Disclosure
Campaign Chairperson: Audra L Salinas
Treasurer: Audra L Salinas
COMBINED FINANCIAL TOTALS FROM CANDIDATE DISCLOSURE
- Total Contributions: $2,344.40
- Total Expenditures: $858.67
- In-Kind Contributions: $500.00
- In-Kind Expenditures: $0
- Current Cash Balance: $1,485.73
- Current Debt Balance: $0
TOP CONTRIBUTORS
- Eddie Varela $2,009.30
- The Grill $500.00
- Russell Bennett $239.40
- Denise Foor $95.70
3. PATRICK SAIS
BIOGRAPHY WITH COMMENTARY
Republican Patrick Sais ran for election to the New Mexico House of Representatives to represent District 26 in 2024 and lost in the general election on November 5, 2024. He ran for Mayor in 2021 and has no experience working in municipal government. He is a small business owner, retired truck driver and school bus driver and he went to Albuquerque High School. His campaign website (Sais4mayor@yahoo.com) states that he’s focused on “enhancing public safety, improving educational opportunities and promoting sustainable economic growth” yet he provides no specifics.
CITY CLERK’S CANDIDATE WEB PAGE
Following is the candidate information provided on the City Clerk’s candidate web page:
DATE REGISTERED: February 27, 2025
- Publicly Financed
- Campaign address: 11012 Suffolk Avenue SW Albuquerque, NM 87121
- Campaign phone number: 505-584-9075
- Campaign email: Sais4mayor@yahoo.com
- Campaign website: Not provided.
- Campaign Finances: View Candidate Disclosure
No campaign chairperson listed.
Treasurer: Gina Padilla
COMBINED FINANCIAL TOTALS FROM CANDIDATE DISCLOSURE
- Total Contributions: $103.00
- Total Expenditures: N/A
- In-Kind Contributions: $0
- In-Kind Expenditures: $0
- Current Cash Balance: $103.00
- Current Debt Balance: $0
TOP CONTRIBUTORS
Gina Padilla $103.00
- DARREN WHITE
BIOGRAPHY WITH COMMENTARY
Republican Darren White is the controversial former Cabinet Secretary of the Department of Public Safety for then Republican Governor Gary Johnson. White is a former two term Bernalillo County Sheriff and former Albuquerque Chief Public Safety Officer under Republican Mayor Richard Berry. In 2008, White was the Republican nominee for US Congress in New Mexico’s 1st congressional district facing then Albuquerque City Councilman Martin Heinrich. Heinrich defeated White in a landslide with Heinrich elected with 55.5% to Whites 44.5%.
When Darren White was Albuquerque Chief Public Safety Officer, he “retired” from the city after he interfered with an APD investigation of his wife involved in an accident. Following his career in law enforcement, White changed his strong opposition to the legalization of marijuana. He started his own cannabis dispensary company called PurLife when then Republican Governor Susana Martinez Administration awarded him a license to sell medical marijuana. He recently held a private event for his candidacy for Mayor with former Republican Congresswoman Heather Wilson flown in for attendance. Confidential sources have confirmed that Republican former Mayor Richard Berry is also in support of Darren White.
It is more likely than not that Republican Darren White has been encouraged to run by the Republican Party and his close personal friend Republican Political Consultant Jay McClusky with the ultimate goal to end the political career of Democrat Mayor Tim Keller. The goal also is to allow the Republican Party to exert greater influence over City Hall and the appointments to well-paying jobs as they did before with Republican Mayor Richard Berry.
Republican Mayor Richard Berry appointed influential Republicans Darren White as Chief Public Safety Officer, Rob Perry as City Attorney and then CAO after they forced out Democrat David Campbell as CAO, Gordon Eden as APD Chief, Jessica Hernandez as City Attorney and Republican politcal operative Tito Madrid. Jessica Hernandez was Republican Governor Susana Martinez’s general counsel first before Mayor Berry appointed her City Attorney. Gordon Eden was Governor Martinez’s Public Safety Cabinet Secretary before Mayor Berry appointed Gordon Eden APD Chief and Eden had absolutely no experience managing any law enforcement department. A Republican source has said that Darren White intends to appoint former Republican State Senator and retired APD police officer and former APD Union President Paul Pacheco APD Chief should White win.
The link to a news source for Darren White announcing for Mayor is here:
https://www.kob.com/news/top-news/darren-white-to-run-for-albuquerque-mayor/
CITY CLERK’S CANDIDATE WEB PAGE
The following is the candidate information provided on the City Clerk’s candidate web page:
DATE REGISTERED: March 6, 2025
- Publicly Financed
- Campaign address: 6701 Tennyson Street NE Apt. 7004 Albuquerque, NM 87122
- Campaign phone number: 505-400-4437
- Campaign email: info@darrenwhiteformayor.com
- Campaign email:dwhiteformayor@gmail.com
- Campaign website: darrenwhiteformayor.com
- Campaign Finances: View Candidate Disclosure
No campaign chairperson listed.
Treasurer: Sal Baragiola
COMBINED FINANCIAL TOTALS FROM CANDIDATE DISCLOSURE
- Total Contributions: $29,801.29
- Total Expenditures: N/A
- In-Kind Contributions: $2,311.24
- In-Kind Expenditures: $25.00
- Current Cash Balance: $29,801.29
- Current Debt Balance: $0
TOP CONTRIBUTORS
- Doug Peterson $1,700.00
- Caitlin Lardner $611.24
- GH & AW Tegtmeyer $500.00
- James and Cynthia McCory $500.00
- Bill and Alison Cox $500.00
5. TIM KELLER
BIOGRAPHY WITH COMMENTARY
Democrat Tim Mayor Keller is seeking a third 4 year term as Mayor and if successful would be the first to serve three consecutive terms. Voters elected Keller the first time in 2017 and then 2021. Keller is a former NM State Senator for the International District and a former New Mexico State Auditor. Keller says he is seeking a third term to complete the work on projects and programs he has started. Keller has said that his next term will focus on combating crime and homelessness while prioritizing redevelopment and housing, which is virtually identical to his last 4 years in office.
KELLER’S RECORD ON CRIME
Seven years ago when Keller ran the first time for Mayor, he proclaimed violent crime was out of control saying this:
“It’s unfortunate, but crime is absolutely out of control. It’s the mayor’s job to actually address crime in Albuquerque, and that’s what I want to do as the next mayor.”
Today, murders are at historical highs and violent crime continues to spike and is out of control. Mayor Keller and APD Chief Harold Medina have seriously mismanaged the ongoing train wreck known as APD with the department dangerously understaffed with about 850 sworn cops despite seven years of increased budgets, salary increases, and lucrative bonus pay.
APD is very top heavy with mid to upper management with only about 250 officers out of 850 actually patrolling the streets. Keller has literally thrown money at the problem, yet the department continues to languish. This coming from the Mayor who promised 1,200 cops during his first term. During a recent APD Academy graduation, Keller promised 1,000 cops by the end of the year which is not at all likely given expected retirements.
KELLER’S RECORD ON DEALING WITH A CORRUPT APD
The city is dealing with the largest corruption case in the city’s history involving the Albuquerque Police Department (APD). The DA has had to dismiss more than 272 DWI cases which were brought by APD Officers who accepted bribes and whose credibility became an issue. During the past year, a total of 15 APD Police officers, including a Deputy Commander and Commander of Internal Affairs, have been implicated in the scandal with four APD officers pleading guilty as charged. The former APD officers face up to 130 years in prison.
Both Keller and Chief Medina have acknowledged that the nefarious conduct by APD police officers occurred the entire time they have been in charge of APD and that they never detected the conduct until the FBI brought it to their attention. They have failed to take any responsibility for what happened under their watch as they deflect and blame others. They both have blamed the Court’s, the DAs Office and the Public Defenders for the DWI dismissals.
KELLER’S RECORD ON THE HOMELESS
Keller has allowed the unhoused to proliferate city streets, parks and open space declining to aggressively enforce city and state vagrant laws and make arrests as allowed by a landmark United States Supreme Court ruling. Keller allowed Coronado Park to become the city’s de facto city sanction homeless encampment before he declared it to be the most dangerous place in the state forgetting it was he who sanctioned it and then he was forced to close it down because of out-of-control violent crime and illicit drug use.
Keller has spent over $300 million in the last 4 years on homeless shelters, programs, and the city purchasing and remodeling motels for low-income housing. Notwithstanding, the homeless crisis continues to surge and it has spiked by 18% as Keller allows the unhoused to proliferate city streets, parks and open space declining to aggressively enforce city and state vagrancy laws. The problem is 75% of the chronic unhoused refuse to accept city services yet Keller continues to throw city resources at the crisis.
Keller has taken an “all the above approach” to deal with the city’s homeless crisis. Keller has established a total of 5 shelters to deal with the homeless that should be operating as an integrated system:
- The Gibson Gateway shelter
- The Gateway West shelter
- The Family Gateway shelter
- The Youth Homeless shelter
- The Recovery Shelter
The blunt reality is that Mayor Keller has essentially proclaimed the unhoused as “wards of the city” when such a responsibility should be undertaken by the state or federal government.
The recent annual Point-In-Time homeless survey count found an 18% increase in the homeless with upwards of 3,000 chronic homeless in the city. It was reported 75% refuse city services preferring to be left alone to continue living on the streets. Despite Keller’s spending efforts to assist the unhoused, the city’s homeless numbers continue to spike as the crisis worsens and as the unhoused refuse services and as they take over our streets and parks.
The $300 million spent to help 3,000 to 5,000 homeless with 75% refusing services would have gone a long way to finance community centers, senior citizen centers, police and fire substations, preschool or after school programs, senior citizen programs, and police and fire programs.
A viable solution to deal with the mentally ill and drug addicted homeless who refuse city services is the initiation of civil mental health commitments by the state to mandate mental health care or drug addiction counseling in a hospital setting after a court hearing that determines a person is a danger to themselves or others. Such approach would in fact get the mentally ill and drug addicted the health care they desperately need and off the streets.
The link to a news source for Mayor Keller announcing for third term is here:
https://www.abqjournal.com/news/article_c4a7a8c8-0035-11f0-a187-6f113c184756.html
KELLER’S FAILURE TO HOLD CHIEF MEDINA ACCOUNTABLE
Keller has also refused to hold Chief Medina accountable for a vehicle crash where Medina negligently plowed into another driver putting the driver in the hospital in critical condition. Medina admitted to violating state law when he failed to have his body camera on during the incident that preceded the crash where he and his wife were shot at and he fled the scene and drove into on coming traffic after running a red light.
After the crash, Keller called Medina “arguably the most important person right now in these times in our city.” Medina’s appointed crash review board declared the crash as “non avoidable” even after Medina admitted to causing the crash. Medina was given a “slap on the wrist” with letters of reprimand and no demotion nor suspension. The City and Medina have been sued by the other driver and the case is still pending and will likely result in a significant judgement being paid for Medina’s negligent driving and his running of a red light.
Chief Medina’s numerous violations of standard operating procedures involving the car crash and his intentional violation of state law by not activating his lapel camera constituted grounds for Medina’s termination, but Keller refused to terminate Chief Medina for cause but instead defended his actions.
CITY CLERK’S CANDIDATE WEB PAGE
The following is the candidate information is provided on the City Clerk’s candidate web page:
DATE REGISTERED: March 12, 2025
- Publicly Financed
- Campaign address: P.O. Box 7208 Albuquerque, NM 87194
- Campaign phone number: 505-400-0415
- Campaign email: info@mayortimkeller.com
- Campaign website: mayortimkeller.com
- Campaign Finances: View Candidate Disclosure
No campaign chairperson listed.
Treasurer: Clara Hardgrave
COMBINED FINANCIAL TOTALS FROM CANDIDATE DISCLOSURE
- Total Contributions: $15,621.12
- Total Expenditures: $2,500.00
- In-Kind Contributions: $0
- In-Kind Expenditures: $0
- Current Cash Balance: $13,121.12
- Current Debt Balance: $0
TOP CONTRIBUTORS
- Tim Keller $2,500.00
- Theodore Martinez $250.00
- Edward Romero $250.00
- Harold Gershen $250.00
- Karen Raff $250.00
ASCEND ALBUQUERQUE
According to the City Clerks Candidate website, the following Measured finance committee has been created to promote Mayor Tim Keller: ASCEND ALBUQUERQUE
Purpose: To support the election of Tim Keller as Mayor of Albuquerque
- Chairperson: Michelle Mayorga
- Address: 300 Tijeras Avenue NE Apt. 100 Albuquerque, NM 87102
- Phone number: 505-270-4079
- Email: sfitzer139@gmail.com
- Website: N/A
- Campaign Finances: View MFC Disclosure
Combined Financial Totals
- Total Contributions: N/A
- Total Expenditures: N/A
- In-Kind Contributions: $0
- In-Kind Expenditures: $0
- Current Cash Balance: $0
- Current Debt Balance: $0
- LOUIE SANCHEZ
BIOGRAPHY WITH COMMENTARY
Democrat Louie Sanchez is a first term District 1 City Councilor for the West side. He is a retired APD Police Officer and was head of former Mayor Marty Chevez’s security detail. He is the owner of the Louie Sanchez All State Insurance Agency. Sanchez is up for re-election to the city council and is giving up his council seat to run for Mayor. Sanchez’s campaign website calls for “safer communities,” “a stronger community” and “solutions for homelessness.”
Sanchez was elected to represent the Westside district in 2021, defeating incumbent Lan Sena, who Mayor Keller appointed after the death of long time City Councilor Ken Sanchez. When Louie Sanchez was first elected to city council, he immediately demanded the resignation of his predecessor City Councilor Lan Sena before her term ended demanding that he be sworn in immediately by the City Clerk Nathan Watts and proclaiming “the law is the law” and that it was he, and not Sena, who was the duly elected city councilor. City Clerk Nathan Watts ignored Sanchez’s demands to be sworn in to replace Sena resulting in political retaliation by Sanchez demanding council confirmation of City Clerk Nathan Watts by the new council so he could vote no on the Watts confirmation.
Sanchez, along with Republican City Council President Dan Lewis, demanded that Mayor Keller re submit appointments he made for Chief Administrative Officer, City Clerk, City Attorney and APD Chief, who already had been confirmed by the previous city council so they could conduct their own confirmation hearings and so they could vote NO on Keller the appointments.
Sanchez and Lewis both had a “bone to pick” with City Clerk Nathan Watts and CAO Sarita Nair and the City Attorney over the way their election to the City Council in 2021 was handled. Lewis in particular berated Watson’s handling of the election asking him “How can we trust you?” during his confirmation hearing. CAO Sarita Nair resigned after Keller essentially abandoned her efforts to get reconfirmed and she realized she did not have the support of the new city council.
Sanchez is considered by politcal observers to be a conservative Democrat. Many Democrats accuse Sanchez of being a Democrat in Name Only (DINO). Sanchez is considered the swing vote on the City Council and he has shown it by repeatedly voting with all 4 of the Republicans on the City Council to repeal ordinances enacted by the previous progressive city council.
It was on December 6, 2021, the then progressive City Council voted 6-3 to amend the city’s “Public Purchases Ordinance” to require Project Labor Agreements (PLA’s) on all future city construction projects that cost at least $10 million and that employ workers from at least three crafts according to the ordinance. On April 4, 2022 Councilor Sanchez voted with the 4 Republicans to repeal “City Project Labor Agreement” requirement. City Council Louie Sanchez offended all city unions when he said this about his vote to repeal the Project Labor agreement ordinance:
“I know the competition is good. … I really feel everybody has to have a piece of the pie. … Another thing I know, because I was a union member for so long, is that, there is a lot of slugs in the union. I know that for a fact.”
Sanchez is known to support ordinances sponsored by Republicans and oppose ordinances sponsored by Democrats. Sanchez supported the abolishment of the current strong Mayor form of government falsely proclaiming it does not work and he advocated it be replaced with a City Manager appointed by the Council, yet now he wants to be Mayor. Go figure!
During his term as city councilor, Sanchez has been a very vocal critic of Mayor Tim Keller and Chief Harold Medina. Sanchez sought the firing of Chief Harold Medina by the City Council with the introduction of a Resolution of “No Confidence” that he later withdrew knowing he did not have the votes on the City Council to remove Medina.
The link to a news source on Councilor Louie Sanchez announcing for Mayor is here:
https://www.abqjournal.com/news/article_92e5ea94-a46d-424a-9823-3602cda945e3.html
CITY CLERK’S CANDIDATE WEB PAGE
The following is the candidate information provided on the City Clerk’s candidate web page:
DATE REGISTERED: April 7, 2025
- Publicly Financed
- Campaign address: 7905 Marigold Drive NW Albuquerque, NM 87120
- Campaign phone number: 505-506-7864
- Campaign email: candidate@louie4abq.com
- Campaign website: louie4abq.com
- Campaign Finances: View Candidate Disclosure
No campaign chairperson listed
Treasurer: Rob Mangone
COMBINED FINANCIAL TOTALS FROM CANDIDATE DISCLOSURE
- Total Contributions: $11,750.00
- Total Expenditures: $9,975.29
- In-Kind Contributions: $0
- In-Kind Expenditures: $0
- Current Cash Balance: $1,774.71
- Current Debt Balance: $10,000.00
TOP CONTRIBUTORS
- Louie Sanchez $10,000.00
- Frances Lujan $250.00
- Yolanda Pickup $250.00
- Richard Pickup $250.00
- Robert Martinez $250.00
- ALPANA ADAIR
BIOGRAPHY WITH COMMENTARY
According to Alpana Adair’s “Link In resume” (https://www.linkedin.com/in/alpana-adair-a1b8602b7), she has been in Albuquerque since May 2023. Her party affiliation is listed as “other / DTs” and she first registered to vote in March, 2023. She has voted one time in the 2024 general election. She previously worked for a hospitality consulting firm before moving to Albuquerque. She is a Human Resources Consultant, a Communications Strategist and a Screenwriter.
Alpana Adair is currently the Chief Executive Officer for Bindie Productions, a film and wedding production company. On her campaign website, she states that she wants to reduce juvenile crime, create more jobs, and improve residents’ quality of life. Her Campaign highlights a campaign platform of lofty goals and platitudes including “Raise the Bar”, “Unite Our Communities For a Common Goal”, “Set Higher Standards for Excellence in Albuquerque”, “Empower Citizens To Actively Participate in Change” with no specifics. (https://votemayoradair.com/about-me/ )
The following is the candidate information provided on the City Clerk’s candidate web page:
DATE REGISTERED: April 14, 2015
- Publicly Financed
- Campaign address: 408 Grove Street SE Albuquerque, NM 87108
- Campaign phone number: 505-304-0064
- Campaign email: info@votemayoradair.com
- Campaign website: votemayoradair.com
- Campaign Finances: View Candidate Disclosure
No campaign chairperson listed.
Treasurer: John Vieira
CITY CLERK’S CANDIDATE WEB PAGE
Following is the candidate information provided on the City Clerk’s candidate web page:
COMBINED FINANCIAL TOTALS FROM CANDIDATE DISCLOSURE
- Total Expenditures: N/A
- In-Kind Contributions: $0
- In-Kind Expenditures: $0
- Current Cash Balance: $0
- Current Debt Balance: $0
- BRIAN FEJER
BIOGRAPHY WITH COMMENTARY
Brian Fejer, party affiliation unknown, is an Albuquerque resident, and does not have a campaign website. Instead, he has a Substack blog entitled “La Politica” with a post called “Brian Fejer for ABQ Mayor 2025,” which has the subheading “This is satire.” He has a FACEBOOK page (https://www.facebook.com/brianfejer/). According to his FACEBOOK profile he is a “Digital Creator”, he is from Albuquerque and went to Manzano High School, and his FACEBOOK page shows no work history. On his blog, Fejer says he would declare a “public mental health emergency,” focusing on the fentanyl crisis. He also calls for the creation of an Albuquerque subway system without any mention of how it would be financed with the cost likely to be in the billions of dollars.
CITY CLERK’S CANDIDATE WEB PAGE
DATE REGISTERED: April 6, 2025
- Privately Financed
- Campaign address: 520 Coal Avenue SW Albuquerque, NM 87102
- Campaign phone number: 505-712-9342
- Campaign email: brianfejer4abq@gmail.com
- Campaign website:
- Campaign Finances: View Candidate Disclosure
No campaign chairperson listed.
Treasurer: John Reiser
The following is the candidate information provided on the City Clerk’s candidate web page:
COMBINED FINANCIAL TOTALS FROM CANDIDATE DISCLOSURE
- Total Contributions: N/A
- Total Expenditures: N/A
- In-Kind Contributions: $0
- In-Kind Expenditures: $0
- Current Cash Balance: $0
- Current Debt Balance: $0
- ALEXANDER M. M. UBALLEZ
BIOGRAPHY WITH COMMENTARY
Democrat Alexander M. M. Uballez is the Former New Mexico U.S. Attorney who was fired by President Trump on Valentines Day February 14. Uballez is among more than 20 other U.S. Attorneys who were asked to step down and who were appointed by President Joe Biden. “Before leading the office, Uballez served as an assistant U.S. Attorney for six years. He also worked as a prosecutor in New Mexico’s 2nd Judicial District Court for three and a half years. He received a law degree from Columbia Law School in 2011. Although he has no experience as an elected official, Uballez [proclaims] his experience as a prosecutor, combined with his two years at the helm of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, would play a key role in addressing Albuquerque’s crime and public safety issues.”
Uballez singular biggest claim to fame is bringing federal charges against law enforcement officers and the ring leaders involved in the DWI bribery and conspiracy scandal to dismiss hundreds of DWI cases. Informed, confidential sources, report that Uballez pressured the FBI to turn over evidence in the case to his office so that his office could bring charges in January, 2025 before he was fired by Trump in an effort to get publicity and take credit for the prosecution and to hold on to his job as United Stated Attorney.
On January 25, 2024 United State Attorney Alexander Uballez wrote District Attorney Sam Bregman that outed the “ongoing covert investigation” of the Federal DWI Enterprise investigation and placed into jeopardy the federal investigation of APD by making it public. On January 25, 2024 the online news agency ABQ Raw reported that Uballez sent them the letter he wrote to DA Bregman. ABQ Raw then published the letter in full written on US Attorney letter head.
Uballez sending the letter to ABQ Raw was a serious breach of Department of Justice (DOJ) protocol of not commenting on pending investigations and prosecutions and likely was a violation of established DOJ ethical standards and guidelines. Uballez likely did not get permission from the DOJ main office in Washington, DC to send his letter to a news outlet.
In the letter Uballez sent to ABQ Raw, Uballez states the investigation is a covert federal investigation. The Uballez letter to Bregman and then Uballez sending the letter to a news outlet undermined the confidentiality of the criminal investigation for publicity sake and for political purposes.
At the time of publication of the letter, DA Sam Bregman was running for DA and he was under severe criticism by APD Chief Harold Medina for the DA’s office failure to advise APD of scheduled hearings thereby facilitating the dismissal of DWI cases and the bribery scheme. APD essentially accused the DA’s office for being responsible for the scandal. The Uballez letter to Bregman effectively deflected the criticism of Bregman by APD.
The link to the ABQ Raw article publishing the Uballez letter to Bregman is here:
https://abqraw.com/post/u-s-attorney-of-new-mexico-sends-letter-to-da-bregman-regarding-dwi-scandal/
The link to the quoted news source on the Uballez announcement is here:
CITY CLERK’S CANDIDATE WEB PAGE
DATE REGISTERED: April 17, 2025
- Publicly Financed
- Campaign address: P.O. Box 26421, Albuquerque, NM 87102-2142
- Campaign phone number: 505-508-6423
- Campaign email: alexuballez@gmail.com
- Campaign website:
- Campaign Finances: View Candidate Disclosure
No Campaign manager listed.
Treasurer: Veronica Gonzales
The following is the candidate information provided on the City Clerk’s candidate web page:
COMBINED FINANCIAL TOTALS FROM CANDIDATE DISCLOSURE
- Total Contributions: N/A
- Total Expenditures: N/A
- In-Kind Contributions: $0
- In-Kind Expenditures: $0
- Current Cash Balance: $0
- Current Debt Balance: $0
https://www.cabq.gov/vote/candidate-information/2025-candidates-and-committees-1
CANDIDATE CALENDAR DEADLINES OUTLINED
March 3 was the first day of the “Public Financing Exploratory Period” for Mayoral Candidates. The Exploratory Period began on March 3 and ended on April 18. March 3 was also the first day or Mayoral Candidates to submit Declaration of Intent to seek public financing.
The Seed Money Period for candidates for Mayor, or the time to begin collecting exploratory contributions, was from March 3, 2025 to April 18, 2025.
In order to File the Declaration of Intent, the applicant candidate for public finance had to schedule an appointment with the City Clerk at least one day prior to filing. The Clerk reviewed the public finance process with the applicant candidate and provided the Declaration of Intent for public financing.
The Qualifying Period for candidates for Mayor to collect 3,780 qualifying donations of $5.00 from Albuquerque registered voters for public financing began on April 19, 2025 and ends on June 21, 2025.
The Petition Period for candidates for Mayor to collect 3,000 or more signatures from Albuquerque registered voters began on April 19, 2025 and ends June 21, 2025.
SEED MONEY CONTRIBUTION LIMITS
From March 3, to June 21, candidates for Mayor are allowed to collect seed money contributions of $250 per person for an aggregate of $151,189.
https://www.cabq.gov/vote/candidate-information/publicly-financed-candidates
QUALIFYING PERIOD SIGNATURES AND QUALIFYING DONATIONS
The qualifying period for candidates for Mayor who are both publicly and privately finance candidates to collect qualifying petition signatures is from April 19, at 8:00am to June 21, 2025 at 5:00pm.
The qualifying period for candidates for Mayor who are publicly financed candidates to collect 3,780 qualifying donations of $5.00 each and to receive $755,946 in public finance from the city is from April 19, at 8:00am to June 21, 2025, at 5:00pm. In the event that a candidate does not collect the full 3,780 qualifying donations, those donations revert to the city and not to the candidates campaign. The candidate can declare to be a privately finance candidate and solicit private campaign donation funding until election day November 5.
Privately financed candidates can commence collecting campaign donations on April 19 and do so up an until election day of November 5.
https://www.cabq.gov/vote/candidate-information/publicly-financed-candidates
QUALIFYING PETITION SIGNATURES
Candidates for Mayor must gather at least 3,000 signatures from registered voters who only who reside within the Albuquerque City limits. Petitions are given to candidates and the qualifying signatures can only be collected from April 19, 2025, at 8:00am to June 21, 2025, at 5:00pm to qualify to be placed on the November 4 ballot.
https://www.cabq.gov/vote/candidate-information/publicly-financed-candidates
PUBLIC FINANCED CANDIDATE
Candidates for Mayor who seek public financing must collect Qualifying Contributions of $5.00 each from 1% of the registered voters which in 2025 is 3,780 qualifying donations of $5.00 each. Upon collecting the 3,780 verified qualifying $5.00 donations, the qualifying candidate will be given $755,946.00 by the city in public financing. A candidate who qualifies for the public financing must agree in writing to a spending cap of $755,946 and failure to adhere to the spending cap mandates a full refund and removal from office if elected.
https://www.cabq.gov/vote/candidate-information/publicly-financed-candidates
NO FUNDRAISING OR SPENDING LIMITS FOR PRIVATELY FINANCE CANDATES
Unlike publicly financed candidates, who may only spend the funds given to them by the City and agree to a spending cap, privately financed candidates have no fundraising or spending limits. There are, however, limits on individual contributions. Specifically, Article XIII, Section 4(d) limits the total contributions, including in-kind contributions, from any one person (with the exception of the candidate himself or herself).
The following limits per individual or corporation or entity are in effect:
“Limits to Contributions. No privately financed candidate shall, for any one election, allow total contributions, including in-kind contributions, from any one person with the exception of contributions from the candidate themselves of more $6,000 for Mayoral Candidates.”
https://www.cabq.gov/vote/candidate-information/publicly-financed-candidates
IN-KIND CONTRIBUTION LIMITS
Candidates for Mayor can accept individual in-kind contributions of up to $2,500 for a total aggregate of $75,594.60.
https://www.cabq.gov/vote/candidate-information/publicly-financed-candidates
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
With a total of nine candidates running for Mayor, now the real hard part begins for them to get on the ballot and collect nominating signature to be placed on the ballot and to collect the $5.00 qualifying donations. Unless the candidate has a strong volunteer base or has set up on line system to collect both signatures and donations, its likely they will not succeed.
All nine candidates must collect at least 3,000 qualifying nominating petition signatures from April 19, 2025 to June 21, 2025, a mere 4 weeks and 4 days. Each signature must come from registered voters in the Albuquerque area. The city clerks will go through each and every one of those signatures to confirm their registration and candidates can challenge each others signatures for disqualification. Those signatures of people who sign the nomination petitions and who are not actually registered voters are tossed and are not counted. It is expected that upwards 3 of the candidates running will no be able to secure the 3,000 qualifying signatures.
Eight of the nine candidates that are running for Mayor have declared themselves to be “public financed” candidates. The single most difficult task for candidates who are publicly financed candidates will be the collection of 3,780 qualifying donations of $5.00 each in order to secure $755,946 in city financing. The candidates are given from April 19, 2025 to June 21, 2025, a mere 4 weeks and 4 days to collect the 3,780 qualifying donations from registered Albuquerque voters. The city clerks will go through each and every one of the donations to confirm their registration within the city limits. It is more likely than not that at least 3 of the candidates, will not be able to collect the necessary donations and will be forced to go with private financing.
Best wishes to all the candidates and thank you for undertaking the task for running for Mayor of Albuquerque. Good luck!