Latest news with #RegularLocalElection
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tim Keller seeks to make history, officially launches reelection bid
Mar. 13—Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller has formally launched his reelection campaign, seeking to become the first mayor elected to three consecutive terms. His announcement comes at a time when tensions are flaring with the city council; voters have favored charter amendments that chip away at the strong mayor system, and crime and homelessness are top of mind for residents. "I see what you see: the challenges with homelessness, with crime, with empty buildings, but I also see that we're finally getting traction on some of these big challenges," Keller said in a campaign ad released Thursday. Homelessness —in line with the national trend — has increased since Keller was elected. In 2017, the year before Keller took office, the annual Point in Time Count recorded 1,318 people experiencing homelessness in Albuquerque. In 2024 the same study counted 2,740 people sleeping on the streets in the city. Since his election, Keller's administration has focused on and spent millions on the Gateway network of shelters, which has a capacity of just over 800 beds and offers resources for medical and housing services. Keller also touts that crime numbers are down in the advertisement. Albuquerque Police Department crime stats indicate that property crime has steadily declined since Keller assumed office in 2018, whereas violent crime has experienced fluctuations. In August, Keller confirmed his intention to run for a third term and told KOAT-TV that he was doing so to "finish key projects." He was not made available for comment Thursday. His formal announcement to pursue a third term comes after a year when the City Council made multiple attempts to change the city charter, including a change that would have no longer required a 50% majority for a candidate to win the mayoral election; — Keller vetoed it. But voters approved a pair of charter changes in November 2024. The change boosts the council's power to fire police and fire chiefs and requires the council and mayor's office to quickly fill seats on a committee that aims to address separation of powers issues. Keller's announcement also comes on the heels of a meeting when city councilors overwhelmingly overturned a veto from and sided on a 7-2 vote with the local firefighter's union to override staffing changes from the fire chief appointed by Keller. The incumbent mayor will face off against former Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White, conservative radio show host Eddy Aragon, former Sandoval County Deputy County Manager Mayling Armijo, retired firefighter Eddie Varela and Patrick Sais, who garnered approximately 30 write-in votes during the last mayoral election. Additionally, City Councilor Louie Sanchez — one of the most vocal critics of Keller and Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina — told local non-profit news outlet City Desk that he is eyeing a run for mayor. Keller was first elected in a runoff election in 2017 and easily held on to his seat in 2021. The Regular Local Election, which also includes the seats in City Council Districts 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9, is slated for Nov. 4. The only mayor in the city's history to serve three terms was Martin J. Chávez from 1993 to 1997 and 2001 to 2009.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Darren White, former Bernalillo County sheriff, announces run for Albuquerque mayor
Mar. 6—The former secretary of the state Department of Public Safety who went on to become Bernalillo County sheriff announced Thursday that he is running for Albuquerque mayor. Darren White, who occasionally hosts a radio show on KKOB and has become an outspoken critic of Mayor Tim Keller and the Albuquerque Police Department, made the announcement by uploading a campaign video to the social media website X. White will be taking on incumbent Keller, who is vying to become the first mayor elected to three consecutive terms; Mayling Armijo, former deputy county manager for Sandoval County; Eddie Varela, a retired firefighter; and Eddie Aragon, a conservative radio show host. "Mayor Keller has presided over the most murders in Albuquerque's history. His weak approach to crime and homelessness has failed and it's time for change," White said in a news release. White did not return a call seeking comment Thursday. After serving as sheriff from 2002 to 2008, White earned the Republican nomination and challenged then-Albuquerque City Councilor Martin Heinrich for a U.S. House seat. White lost, earning 44% of the vote to Heinrich's 56%, and has not run for office since. Following his run for the House, White took a position as Albuquerque Public Safety director under Mayor Richard Berry in 2009. White retired from his post in 2011 after picking up his wife from a car crash where she showed signs of impairment but was never given a blood test. A subsequent probe by the city's Office of Inspector General found White did not interfere with how police officers and medical personnel handled the crash, according to Journal archives. During his time in law enforcement, White vehemently opposed the use and legalization of marijuana, and resigned from his post leading the state's public safety department after then-Gov. Gary Johnson pushed to legalize marijuana. But following his career in law enforcement, White started his own cannabis dispensary called PurLife. While he has run as a Republican, in 2018 White donated $5,500 to Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham's successful bid for governor. White has not officially filed to run for mayor yet. The deadline to file for publicly financed candidates is July 21 and for privately financed candidates is Aug. 26. The Regular Local Election, which also includes the seats in City Council Districts 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9, is slated for Nov. 4.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Who's running for Albuquerque mayor? Here's what we know.
Feb. 7—There are 270 days until the mayoral election, and so far one person has filed to run. Mayling Armijo, former deputy county manager for Sandoval County, is the first candidate listed on the City Clerk's website. If elected, she would become the first female mayor of the city. "I'm not a politician. I want the job. I want to fix this, I want to do this. I'm very passionate about the city," Armijo told the Journal on Monday. "Moving away is not an option. Fixing it is." While the mayor's race is technically nonpartisan, Armijo said she identifies as a moderate Democrat. Armijo worked as director of economic development for Bernalillo County and served in the Navy Reserve for 14 years with one deployment. She will challenge incumbent Tim Keller, who is vying to become the first Albuquerque mayor elected to three consecutive terms. Keller has not filed yet. "Mayor Keller is focused on running the city and will likely get to filing in March," Staci Drangmeister, a spokesperson for the mayor, said in a statement. Like Keller, Eddie Aragon is planning to file in March. The local conservative radio show host ran for the city's highest office in 2021, coming in third with 18% of the vote, as Keller cruised to reelection with 56%. Aragon told the Journal that he only got 18% of the vote because he entered the race so late and wasn't taken seriously by the media. "I brought a lot of energy. There were lines out the door. I believe that I got way more than 20%," Aragon said, adding that his vision for the city is the same as it was in 2021. Aragon won't be the only Republican-leaning candidate in the race. Eddie Varela, a 72-year-old retired firefighter who served as a deputy chief and union president, told the Journal he is running for the job. "I was born and raised here. It's been good to me, and I remember the days when it was a beautiful city, and I think we can do that again," Varela said in an interview last month. He also has yet to file. The Regular Local Election, which also includes the seats in City Council Districts 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9, is slated for Nov. 4. The deadline for candidates to file is Aug. 26.
