(Journal photo)

Keller 2029?

It appeared that ABQ Mayor Tim Keller had rejected the possibility of seeking a fourth term while he was campaigning for the record setting third that he so handily won Tuesday. But hold on. It seems being a lame duck is already not settling well with His Honor. 

Keller campaign manager Neri Holguin moved to shoot down a statement on our Wednesday blog. We labeled the mayor a lame duck, saying that status could impact his relationship with the City Council. Holguin says the possibility of a Keller run for a fourth term is still alive: 

He has said before''--long ago, on PBS--something along the lines of “then it should be someone else’s turn,” and that’s accurate. But that was not an announcement. To be clear, the Mayor has no final plans — not to run, not to not run, not to do anything other than focus on the city for the next few years. Anything beyond that is pure conjecture until 2029. Of course, he's focused on upcoming work and not 2029.

Besides the PBS interview we recall the Mayor saying several other times that he would not seek a fourth, four year term. But put that aside and look at his quote from the "long ago" PBS interview Holguin references and that was actually not that long ago. It is time stamped September 12, 2025 on YouTube and in it Keller says:

We have to have someone strong and experienced stand up to President Trump and I will tell you there are fights weekly with the federal government on a range of issues and I don't think now is the time to try someone new. I really don't. I think we have to hold our city together for three and half years and then I'm sure it's time for someone else to be mayor. 

Sounds pretty clear that he is declaring that his third term would be his last, no?

Well, it's not uncommon for politicos to walk back decisions about running or not running. Keller is doing so as he faces a possibly more contentious City Council going forward. But the timing seems awkward, coming less than 24 hours after his victory. Says analyst Greg Payne:

Is the Mayor on a sugar high? He's raining on his own parade by talking about a fourth term. No one wants to hear it, and it only gets in the way of his honeymoon period which will be brief enough. There will be plenty of time to walk back previous declarations about running again but that time is not now. It seems like Tim is drifting into Chicago Mayor Daley territory. 

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley served as mayor from 1955, and the chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party from 1953 until his death in 1976. He has been called "the last of the big city bosses."  

Mayor Keller's worry seems to be who will be doing the bossing--him or the Council and without the threat of him seeking re-election they could get the better of him. 

Meanwhile, could the folks on the 11th floor of City Hall hold down the volume as they chant "Four More Years!"?  Some Folks are trying  to get some sleep. 

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.   

(ABQ Journal)

Refusing to be held back by a high disapproval rating and a relentless social media posse pouncing on his every word, Tim Keller made history in Albuquerque Tuesday night by becoming the first mayor to win three consecutive terms since the founding of the Mayor-Council form of government in 1974. 

It was a sweeping victory, a near landslide that saw Keller crush his Republican rival Darren White, a former sheriff who was saddled with political baggage accumulated over three decades in public life and who was tied to an unpopular President Trump and his immigration polices. 

In near final returns it was Keller 74,421 or 57.71 percent to White's 54,538 or 42.29 percent, a formidable 15 point win. 

Voter turnout for the runoff fell shy of the 134,000 who showed up for the initial Nov. 4 regular election but not by much. 129,392 turned out--a record for a runoff election. 

(Complete returns here.) 

The mayor's triumph--he called it "very, very special" in his victory speech--came despite deep concerns over crime and homelessness that have beset the city for a decade and which Keller acknowledged "are tough to solve." 

Still, as he did during the campaign he declared last night that there will be progress in his third term to "reduce the number of people on the street" and in building on the modest decline in crime that came late in his second term.  

The freshly re-elected Mayor said in an interview with us on KANW-89.1 FM "that more beds to treat addiction" will be at the top of his priority list.

He also held out an olive branch to the ABQ City Council with whom his relationship has grown rocky, saying there are a "number of initiatives we can work together on."

He was jubilant as he spoke from the Clyde Hotel downtown, revealing he has agreed to have a coffee meeting with opponent White at which he said an intense political debate will take place that "Albuquerque will never hear." 

HISTORY'S VERDICT 

While Keller made history with his threepeat, his standing remains incomplete. 

That he is one of the most accomplished state political figures of his generation is now unquestioned. He has run three brilliant mayoral campaigns but his ability to govern hasn't reached the same level. 

The next four years offers him a chance to change that and make what will be known as the Keller Era both a political and policy success. 

It wont be easy. He has announced he will not run for a fourth term, making him a lame duck mayor dealing with an often recalcitrant Council and facing the complicated and so far intractable problem of addiction and homelessness.  

WHITE'S END 

White

White gave a very early mayoral concession speech. He threw in the towel about an hour after the polls closed. 

The early vote cast before the election and which made up over 60 percent of all votes cast showed him trailing Keller by 17 points and needing to carry the Election Day vote with 67 percent in order to win. That was not in the cards. He conceded before a small gathering at a NE Heights hotel.

Many Republicans on the socials were quick to dismiss Keller's win as a party line vote that had little to do with his job performance but a longtime Republican active in the party came with other reasons for White's loss:

Reputational damage from past outings in public service; his campaign's failure to qualify for public financing; his flawed re-introduction to voters with a “put them in jail” mentality towards the homeless and his failure to separate from Trump’s harsh immigration policies which inflamed passions with the progressives. 

PROGRESSIVES THWARTED 

Councilor Klarissa Peña

The city's progressive groups, determined to give the City Council a progressive majority for the first time, fell short Tuesday when Councilor Klarissa Peña won by a hair her fierce battle with Teresa Garcia for the District 3 seat representing the SW Mesa.

Peña hung on for a 50.52 percent win over Garcia who garnered 49.49 percent. They were separated by just 68 votes with Pena at 3,338 to Garcia's 3,270.

The race attracted statewide attention as leading progressives split over the contest. 

Dem Guv candidate Deb Haaland backed Peña along with Rep. Melanie Stansbury. But Sen. Martin Heinrich went with Garcia as did ABQ state Sen. Katy Duhigg.

The race went ballistic when it was disclosed that Garcia had lied on her ABQ Journal questionnaire. She said he had never been arrested. But she had been arrested in 2015 in connection with a domestic violence incident with her then husband and was found not guilty. 

She and her supporters tried in vain to say she was being unjustly called to account, that it was an insult "to survivors" of domestic violence. But that argument did not address the fact that Garcia did not tell the truth when asked and it appeared to cost her the race. 

In westside District 1 Dem Stephanie Tellez, as expected, easily handled Republican Joshua Neal, winning 59 to 41 percent. She told us she will bring her background as a forensic accountant to the city budget process. 

For her part Councilor Peña will now continue her critical role as a swing vote on the nine member council which has four Dem progressives--including newcomer Tellez--and Dem Peña and four Republicans.

THE NIGHT

Election Night Crew

Veteran political analyst, Santa Fe attorney and former ABQ Councilor Greg Payne wins the contest for best prediction of the ABQ mayoral race. He nailed it with a 57 to 43 call for Keller. That was nearly identical to the outcome. 

Honorable mention goes to Dem anayst and lobbyist Sisto Abyeta who was unshaken in his view that the race would not be close. That confidence was based on his turnout model. 

Thanks to our KANW broadcast crew for a great job. 

Pictured here left to right are state Sen. Moe Maestas, BernCo GOP political director Amy Sanchez, your blogger, State Rep. Joy Garratt and Sisto Abeyta. 

Public radio's Jenny Kinsey reported for us from Keller headquarters. Kevin Otero was our producer, Mark Bralley took the pictures and KANW General Manager Michael Brasher presided over the broadcast.  

Also, thanks to you--our readers and listeners--for tuning in here and on the radio. 

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.   

JOIN US FOR LIVE ABQ ELECTION RESULTS AND ANALYSIS BEGINNING AT 6:30 TONIGHT ON KANW 89.1 FM AND KANW.ORG.

Turnout for today's ABQ runoff election probably won't top the record high of 134,000 that showed up for the regular election November 4 but it will be anything but shabby. 

Bernalillo County Clerk Michelle Kavanaugh reports 82,993 early and absentee ballots had been cast at the end of early voting Saturday. 

Fifty-three percent of the votes came from Democrats; 32 percent from Republicans and 14 percent independents. 

If 40,000 vote today (the high end of expectations by the Clerk's office) the turnout could go over a robust 120,000. 

There are 366,000 registered city voters.  

FINAL HOURS 

In the final hours before the polls opened at 7 a.m. today the Democrats were warning against complacency, with Mayor Tim Keller's campaign messaging supporters that the turnout "is shaping up to be more conservative." 

Keller is seeking a third consecutive mayoral term which has never been accomplished.  

Mayor Martin Chavez won three terms, one in '93 and two in a row in '01 and '05, but was rebuffed for the threepeat in 2009.

Supporters of Darren White are arguing that the "election is going to be "much closer than anticipated." 

White's campaign laid down $100,000 for a late TV buy while Keller and the Dems had their formidable get out the vote machine humming.  

MODELING TURNOUT 

Dem analyst and lobbyist Sisto Abeyta says his "propensity model," which has served him well in the past, has the early vote tilted toward Keller, as expected. 

The model examines the list of early voters and matches them with data from their past responses to surveys, polls and other data.

Keller has been getting his voters to the polls. Conservative voters are turning out but there are not enough of them to win. I am not in the camp that there are widespread Democratic defections to the Republican. The table is set for the incumbent to win. 

Sixty-four percent of the electorate voted for a candidate other than Democrat Keller in the Nov. 4 mayoral election. Keller received 36 percent. 

However all four Democratic candidates--Keller, Alex Uballez, Louie Sanchez and Mayling Armijo together took 67 percent of the vote. 

Party identification is generally considered the strongest indicator of voter behavior.

KEY COUNCIL RACE 

It is the City Council District 3 race that is drawing the most attention from the Alligators and Wall-leaners as the election comes to a close. In that SW Mesa area incumbent Councilor Klarissa Pena, seeking a fourth, four year term, is said to be locked in a tight battle with Teresa Garcia, a domestic violence communications specialist and a fave of progressive groups. 

Consultants close to the race are calling it "a dead heat" but the progressives who helped reshape turnout in the Nov. 4 election are projecting confidence over Garcia.

If Garcia should win that would likely mean for the first time five self-declared progressives would control the nine member panel. That in turn would have the GOP councilors looking for a break away vote on issues they feel push the city too far left. 

That would be the reverse of the current council which has four Republicans and one conservative Democrat who often goes their way--but who draws a line on issues such as immigration and stays with his fellow Dems. 

ELECTION NIGHT

Joe Monahan (2007)

Our wall-to-wall coverage of the ABQ runoff begins tonight at 6:30 on KANW 89.1 FM and KANW.ORG. 

Join me as I anchor the broadcast with the latest results and expert analysis. Our team that did a great job in the initial election is back. They include:  

--ABQ State Senator Moe Maestas, ABQ state Rep. Joy Garratt, consultant and lobbyist Abeyta and field reporter Jenny Kinsey. 

A new addition is Amy Sanchez, a Los Alamos native, who is political director for the BernCo GOP.  She has three decades as a campaign strategist in local and federal elections. As political director Sanchez oversees political strategy, campaign coordination, and candidate training. That's plenty of experience for her to keep the Dems in line.

See you tonight. 

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.   

There's a quiet confidence among Democrats on this Election Eve in Albuquerque. They have good reason. 

While the mayoral campaign between incumbent Tim Keller and Republican challenger Darren White has been intense, the Democratic lean of the city is well-established.

Bernalillo county has been instrumental in turning New Mexico into a Democratic stronghold across the board. It has been years since a Republican has carried the state's largest county in a statewide race. 

The GOP has had slightly better luck in the city of ABQ, capturing the mayor's office in 2009 and 2013. 

But '09 featured a three way race with two Democrats splitting the vote, allowing RJ Berry to run up the middle. There was no runoff and Berry won with 44 percent. In '13 Berry was easily re-elected but the Dems did not make a serious bid to oust him. 

Keller received 56 percent of the vote in a three way race in 2021 and his opponents combined for 44 percent. With Keller's disapproval rating at 47 percent in the late September ABQ Journal poll, some weakening could be expected. Still, a Republican mayor remains only a small possibility. 

That mid-40 range is a wall of resistance for White. The contrast and partisan divide between the two mayoral candidates is so stark that getting enough Democrats to defect may be too much of an ask. To win he would have to do it with a unified GOP, a big victory with independents and whatever conservative Dems he could muster.

Democrats are quietly confident but not exuberant because of the emotional turmoil in the electorate over the stubborn homeless problem. It's an issue that could prompt more party switching than they anticipate.

THE DECIDING FACTOR

The most memorable moment of the campaign goes to the yellow sweatshirt episode. That's where an unidentified Keller foe(s) apparently paid for sweatshirts and had them handed out to the homeless. On them was emblazoned the slogan "I Love Tim Keller." 

While that gimmick grabbed attention, the runoff has been mainly over the 19 percent of the vote that progressive Dem Alex Uballez captured November 4.

That vote appears to have steadily come back to Democrat Keller, with the Working Families Party the most prominent example. Other progressive groups who supported Uballez are now also on board with the mayor. 

If Dems do indeed come home to Keller it will be the deciding factor of ABQ Election '25 and he will take an unprecedented third consecutive term. And it will be those returning progressives who will be first in line to receive his thanks. 

SWEATSHIRT ORIGIN

Where did those memorable bright yellow sweatshirts that Keller condemned and that White said spoke to frustration over the many homeless, come from?  There are clues in this KOB-TV report

The sweatshirts were handed out at God’s Warehouse, a nonprofit feeding the homeless, according to a man interviewed by KOB. Chuck Aragon, the pastor at God’s Warehouse, welcomed the distribution but did not organize it. “They were young guys, two Hispanic and one said he was from El Paso,” said Aragon. Aragon took a picture of one of the men, who was in a gold SUV with Texas plates, but did not get a name. 

TURNOUT 

The County Clerk reports 65,678 early votes with some 7,000 absentee votes still outstanding as of late Friday. If the pundits are surprised again and the Election Day vote equals early turnout we would come close to reaching the city election record 134,000 set Nov. 4. If voting Tuesday backs off, that number could settle considerably lower. 

What impact a higher or lower turnout means for Keller or White is complicated. But it's easy to be part of the turnout. Here is a list of city voting sites for tomorrow's runoff.

PREDICTION CORNER

KANW Election Night

No guarantees, of course, but it's always fun to get the election predictions of the veterans of La Politica. 

We start with Greg Payne, Santa Fe attorney, former ABQ city councilor and political consultant for GOP Gov. Gary Johnson and ABQ Dem Mayor Marty Chavez. Greg has been analyzing elections for your blog for years. About this one, he says:  

A 54 to 47 Keller win over White would be a moral victory for White and a real wake up call for Keller. A 60-40 win is what Keller needs to have anything close to a renewed mandate. Keller only received 36 percent in the Nov. election. ABQ would love to pick someone other than the mayor for a third term. But I don't think they want White either. It's literally the "lesser of two evils" election. My guess is we end tomorrow night with Keller at 57 percent and White at 43. 

Former GOP state senator, BernCo commissioner and ABQ City Councilor Michael Wiener says enthusiasm among Republican voters and Keller's weak approval rating are the ingredients for a possible upset by White. "If it happens it would be a squeaker, maybe less than a 1,000 vote win." He says.

ABQ Dem state Senator Moe Maestas looks for "a single digit win" by Keller.  

A word to the wise--don't take any of those predictions to the bank, but do join us tomorrow night at 6:30 on KANW 89.1 FM and KANW.ORG as voters settle the suspense and get the final say. 

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.   

Keller

GOP problems are in the air nationally. Will they seep into next Tuesday's ABQ mayoral runoff election between Mayor Tim Keller and Republican Darren White: 

Republicans won Tuesday’s special election in Tennessee. But instead of celebrating, many are dreading what it means about the midterms. Republican Rep.-elect Matt Van Epps’ roughly nine point win marks a massive shift toward Democrats from 2024, when President Donald Trump carried the district by 22 points. That double digit swing — on the heels of crushing losses in off-year elections in November — could be a harbinger of what House Republicans will face in the midterms next year, members and strategists warned.

Keller's mayoral success has coincided with the rise of Trump. To clinch his first term in 2017 he won a runoff election against Trump supporter and City Councilor Dan Lewis 62 to 38. 

In 2021 against two Trump Republicans--Sheriff Manny Gonzales and radio talker Eddy Aragon--he claimed 56 percent of the vote to Gonzales's 26 and Aragon's 18.

White

White has done his best to separate from Trump, saying the election is no more about the president than it is Joe Biden. But Keller's media has tied White's tougher immigration enforcement stance to Trump and warned that accelerated ICE raids could be in store for ABQ, if White is elected. 

Meanwhile, early voting continues through Saturday. Republicans are happy with the turnout in far NE Heights Council District 8 where over 11 percent of registered voters have cast ballots early as of Wednesday. That's the most of any Council district.  

However, overall city turnout so far shows the majority Democrats casting 55 percent of the ballots to 30 percent for the R's and 15 percent from independents and minor parties. 

GAMING AN UPSET 

The only polling in the mayoral runoff came from the Keller campaign shortly after the polls closed Nov. 4 and showed that he would be in a runoff with White. Their GBAO survey had Keller with 45 percent and White at 38. The key point is that the poll presented a steep climb for White but did not put the race completely out of his reach. 

If White were to score an upset, it could open the floodgates for Republicans wanting to join next year's gubernatorial race and could also generate a credible GOP opponent(s) to take on US Sen. Ben Ray Lujan. Both contests are currently in the control of the Democrats but maintaining control of Bernalillo County is essential for that to continue. 

The ABQ Journal, which has cut back on its polling in recent years, did not conduct one for the runoff. That has added a bit more uncertainty about how the race will finally settle.   

All the questions will be answered when our panel gathers at the microphones of KANW 89.1 FM and kanw.org Tuesday, December 9 at 6:30 p.m. to bring you the very latest election results and analysis. We look forward to being with you.

HAALAND PREEMPTIVE 

There will be more air to breathe for the '26 gubernatorial candidates once the runoff in the state's largest city is put to rest, but that doesn't mean they aren't plowing ahead for the June primary. 

Deb Haaland's past struggles with alcohol are well known and there could be negative campaigning over her two DWI convictions that occurred before she found sobriety in 1988. 

Voters already considered the matter when they twice elected her to the ABQ congressional seat ('18 and '20) but in a heated Guv campaign the issue could still come up. In a text message to supporters Haaland comes with this preemptive statement:

I have achieved 35 years of sobriety Most people running for office wouldn't choose to speak candidly about alcohol addiction. But I'm not like most people running for office. I'm Deb Haaland - a 35th-generation New Mexican, proud member of the Laguna Pueblo, and former U.S. Secretary of the Interior. Now, I'm running to be the next Governor. My journey to sobriety taught me that you must face hard truths to make change which is why I'll never shy away from the tough fights that lie ahead for New Mexico. Crime, poverty, homelessness, and addiction are weighing heavy on our state, and I'm ready to tackle those challenges head-on as governor. Because I believe if we're brave, we can heal. I promise to be honest about topics that other politicians might try to sweep under the rug. 

Alcohol abuse and Native Americans has long been a stereotype among some voters (as it has for Irish-Americans). It's obviously a concern in the Haaland camp and getting out in front of it now could put it behind her. 

Haaland might further drive home her point about addiction and sobriety by refusing to take money from big liquor interests--which she has.

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.    

A City Council runoff election that could determine whether a progressive majority takes over the nine member panel has divided two Democratic heavyweights. 

Deb Haaland, the favorite to win the '26 Dem gubernatorial nomination, is all in for longtime City Councilor Klairssa Peña while Sen, Martin Heinrich is putting his bank on Teresa Garcia. 

Haaland is showing loyalty to a longtime friend and shedding her progressive stripes to endorse the moderate Dem incumbent. As a progressive darling, Haaland has plenty of room to stray from the fold. 

Heinrich, nicknamed The First Endorser here for his many endorsements, is also making a low risk move by backing. Garcia. It solidifies him with the left wing where he resides more regularly than when he began in politics. 

The split endorsement is a reminder that Haaland in effect forced Heinrich out of the '26 Guv race by making an early announcement and that she has also endorsed Mayor Keller in his runoff next Tuesday with Darren White while Heinrich has not. 

While Haaland's future is here, Heinrich is known to still have his eye on perhaps becoming Secretary of Interior as Haaland did. Strong support from progressives could help. Heinrich's name was floated  for Interior when Biden was elected, but he went with Haaland so there is a lot of history between these two.

Peña has represented Council District 3 on the ABQ SW mesa for three terms and seeks a fourth. Garcia is running with the support of key progressive groups who appeared to boost turnout in the initial November 4  election  to a record high. 

Peña finished first with 42 percent, shy of the 50 percent needed to avoid a runoff, while Garcia was close behind with 37 percent and Chris Sedillo at 21.

Sedillo, a retired Navy Senior Chief Radioman who also styles himself a progressive, has endorsed Garcia. 

The race is considered close. Peña has long-standing community and family ties in the district but the same voter fatigue that has put the reins on Mayor Tim Keller is being seen in this race. 

Major issues in addition to crime are growth, affordable housing and land use. 

Housing and businesses have seen considerable growth the last decade for which Peña takes some credit. 

Garcia is wary of the developers that she points out have given Peña donations through their PAC 

We don't recall a progressive majority on the Council in recent years but one would likely result should Peña lose.

Progressive Stephanie Telles is in a runoff for the westside District 1 seat but is expected to have an easy go of it over GOP engineer Josh Neal because of the heavy Dem registration there. 

Telles would join Councilors Tammy Fiebelkorn, Nichole Rodgers, Joaquin Baca in the progressive wing. 

If Garcia wins that would make a majority of five progressives, giving pause to Mayor Keller and the development community.

The Alligators and others are already gaming out that possible outcome and believe that downtown Dem Councilor Joaquin Baca could become the swing vote and sometimes side with the R councilors. He is a progressive but has shown a pragmatic streak as well. 

Preventing a hard-left swing on the Council would be the goal of those concerned.

The four Republican Councilors--Lewis, Bassan, Champine and Grout--are in line to lose the most after next Tuesday's balloting. That alliance they have had with conservative Dem Sanchez is coming to an end mo matter the results.

Sanchez gave up his District 1 seat to run unsuccessfully for mayor. He hasn't shed his GOP ways. He has endorsed Republican O'Neal to succeed him. 

THEIR OWN WORDS 

My approach has always been to build bridges, not walls. I’ve worked with mayors and councilors across the political spectrum to get things done, and I’ll continue to lead with collaboration and results in mind.--Klairssa Peña  

I am committed to amplifying the voices of my constituents and working collaboratively to address priority issues like crime reform, support for small businesses, and infrastructure improvement. Teresa Garcia

GARCIA OWNS UP

After being busted by the ABQ Journal for lying on their candidate questionnaire by falsely saying she had never been arrested, Garcia is bowing to political reality. She has stopped her attacks on the media for covering the 2015 domestic violence arrest which was found not guilty of, saying: 

Under the belief her record was expunged, Garcia said: "I will hold myself accountable that because of my misunderstanding, I thought (the arrest record)  was gone, it wasn't, and I will take responsibility for that." She added had she known her arrest was still public record, she would have answered 'yes' on the questionnaire."

SWEATSHIRT CAPER (CONT.)

Reader react to the news of homeless people being spotted in yellow sweatshirts with the slogan: "I ♥ Tim Keller." Kelley of ABQ writes:

Joe, OMG, the yellow sweatshirts are disgraceful. I would not be surprised if this doesn’t hurt Darren White and help Mayor Keller. There are people who can see a problem, but acknowledge that these are human beings, God’s children. Not nothings. White talks “crime and homelessness” ad nauseum with no plan. He’s going to clear the tents, and then what?! My son is a new fireman, I remind him often that he’s a public servant everyday. All people are entitled to dignity, care and maybe sympathy. And if you can’t do that, then at least don’t ridicule and hate them.  

Reader Douglas Carver writes: 

Thank you for calling out the political stunt with the sweatshirts and the unhoused people in Albuquerque. You put it perfectly, especially how you closed: "[T]hey are people first--just like you and me--and homeless second." Amen to that. Thanks for keeping an eye on everything for all of us.

Both the White and Keller camp deny having anything to do with the sweatshirt caper. Keller condemns it as "disgraceful." White says it happened because of "frustration" with the homeless problem in the city. 

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.    

Real estate interests led by the National Association of REALTORS® raised a stunning $566,0000 in PAC money to take down Mayor Tim Keller in this year's mayoral elections. 

The massive haul is making possible multiple mailers supporting Republican Darren White in the December 9 runoff election with Keller.

The messaging focuses on the former BernCo sheriff's ability to "keep ABQ families safe" and do not dive into issues related to housing or homelessness, ranked as the second most important issue to voters in a late September ABQ Journal poll. 

The national realtors group has by far donated most of the cash, coming with $249,000 last week. Others giving include the New Mexico Association of REALTORS PAC--$17,000 and the NM Restaurant Association--$10,000.

The real estate PAC, titled the Albuquerque Coalition for Transformation and National Association of REALTORS Fund, is also mailing in support of runoff candidates ABQ GOP City Council candidate Joshua Neal in westside District 1 and Dem City Councilor Klarissa Peña, seeking a fourth term in District 3 in ABQ's valley. 

But most of the money the PAC ends up spending will be to boost White. 

Independent voters appear to be in the PAC's sights. Some of our independent readers report receiving multiple mailers. 

Keller and White had their third and final TV debate last night again covering the familiar terrain of crime, homelessness and immigration enforcement  

THE HOUSING SCENE 

It's not as though the Keller administration has been an enemy of real estate developers. In fact, progressives have accused him and Councilor Pena of being too close to the development community.

The City Council in January with Keller's support approved more liberal zoning laws that, according to the city, paved the way for more housing in the city including:

More Housing Types Near Transit and Main Streets--Duplexes, townhomes, and apartments are now allowed in all residential zones within ¼ mile of Main Streets (i.e., segments of Central Ave, 4th Street, Broadway, and San Pedro) and ART station areas).

More Flexibility in Building Height--There are no height limits for apartments in the same ¼-mile radius, allowing for more housing near transit.

Easier Parking Requirements in Key Areas--Parking requirements have been reduced by 50% in Urban Centers, Activity Centers, Main Streets, and Major Transit Corridors. In Premium Transit areas, the reduction increases to 60%. 

(In 2023 the Council and Mayor) approved Casitas that are now allowed on existing residential properties, helping families create more flexible living space for relatives, renters, or caregivers.

Converting Commercial Buildings to Housing: Former office buildings, retail spaces, and other non-residential structures can now be more easily converted into apartments or other types of housing.

Meanwhile, while the city's population has slowed to a trickle in the last decade, property values have not suffered. The median sale price of a home is $365,000. 

While the real estate market is slowing here as elsewhere, over the last 25 years ABQ home values have had an annual average increase of 3.76 percent and in the last decade nearly double that rate, reports Venturi Realty.

HOMELESS HUNDREDS 

In contrast to those uplifting stats, there are the tent camps and hundreds of homeless that routinely congregate along Central Avenue in the SE Heights and the homeless seeking donations from drivers at street medians across the city. 

The seeming omnipresence of the homeless has been a focus of White's who has pledged that homeless camps will be gone on "day one" of his administration.

Continued high crime is a key issue for the development community. If people don't see ABQ as safe they will not move here and many will move out. The city has experienced both even as home sales and prices have avoided recession. 

Keller points to the multitude of expensive programs he has undertaken to lessen the problem, citing the Gateway Center for the homeless as the centerpiece. White was said by the newspaper as having no specific programs in mind to address housing. 

Keller points to the outbreak of fentanyl that fundamentally changed the homeless equation, making addiction more rapid, powerful and stubborn to resolve. He says arresting more drug dealers is one solution but has not specified plans.

White has talked little of fentanyl but has concentrated on crime in general and his promise to "clean up the city."

Messaging from city real estate interests has been dominated in the media by Republican investor Doug Petersen who owns a number of properties along Central and elsewhere and who for years has been one of Keller's most vociferous critics. 

However, Petersen and his social media allies have not offered nuanced programs to resolve the complicated homeless dilemma. They see it as a public safety issue and instead often post photos of the homeless taking drugs or committing acts of vandalism at or near his properties.

Other more moderate and well-known voices in the real estate community such as developer Dale Dekker, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association (formerly NAIOP) and the ABQ Chamber of Commerce have been quiet during this mayoral campaign, leaving the floor to the hard-right Petersen and now the out-of-state realtors PAC.

AI AND DIRTY TRICKS

Artificial intelligence has made its way into the ABQ mayoral race. A two minute video is circulating that uses Mayor Keller's voice to mock himself and his administration while showing scenes of crime and homeless camps. An excerpt:

People say the streets are dangerous but I traverse them daily. Well, I drive through with security windows up, doors locked but spiritually I am there. You see tents. I see rustic open air innovation lasbs.You see carjackings. I see spontaneous community led vehicle redistribution. It'd all about re-framing through an esoteric lens of progress. . . Downtown? Still physically present. That counts. Yes, businesses left but that is the invisible hand of revitalization clearing space for plywood, pop-ups and prophetic chalk art. . .

The AI voice is identical to that of Keller's and his critics will chuckle over the clever self-ridicule of the mayor but it does raise make one wonder about more subtle and advanced AI applications moving into campaigns. Will voters still be able to sort out what is real and what isn't? They won't be chuckling over it. That's for sure.

SWEATSHIRT CAPER

There's another final days dirty trick making the rounds--multiple homeless people wearing "I ♥ Tim Keller" yellow sweatshirts and pictured in unflattering circumstances. Keller called the sweatshirt caper "disgraceful. White said his campaign had nothing to do with the incident and that it grew out of "frustration" with the homeless. The Koch-brothers financed conservative Rio Grande Foundation posted the sweatshirt photos, saying:

Mayor Keller as mayor has certainly done his “best” to worsen the homeless situation in Albuquerque. Our favorite photo is of the top-left individual standing next to a burning pile of debris on the sidewalk in front of Renaissance Painting.

We don't have "a favorite." It's off-putting to see people down on their luck ridiculed and taken advantage of for political purposes. Where is the humor in the plight of tens of thousands of Americans living on our streets? Being numbed to their individual suffering can be understood as the problem persists, but they are people first--just like you and me--and homeless second. 

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.    

ABQ River of Lights

Early voting for the ABQ runoff election and one more TV debate between the mayoral contenders is on tap this first day of December when the focus starts on the holidays and candidates have to scramble to get their attention.