Las Cruces Mayor Bill Mattiace won the office for the second time this year, easily defeating Councilor Ken Miyagishima and three other challengers. Mattiace took nearly 40% of the vote to Miyagishima's 25%. Mattiace won a special election, also featuring Miyagishima, earlier this year to fill out the term of Ruben Smith who went to work in Governor Richardson's cabinet as Cultural Affairs Secretary. Smith lost the job soon after. Tuesday night Mattiace won a four year term.

The race was the most expensive in Las Cruces city history with the contenders spending about $150,000, much of it in the form of personal loans. Three of the six Las Cruces city council seats were also on the ballot Tuesday. Only one incumbent was defeated. Dolores Connor ousted Scott Leon Moore who was appointed to the council this spring when Mattiace left the council to take the Mayor's job. Connor won going away, garnering about 57%. Unofficial results from Cruces had 10,712 voters casting ballots in the mayor's race which represents a turnout among registered voters of about 30%, slightly above expectations. The city of Las Cruces has 75,000 residents. Dona Ana County population is 163,000. One of the major issues of the campaign was job creation. Mattiace said the city was doing well in bringing jobs to the area, but his opponents said too many low paying jobs were coming in. During the campaign the city lost 300 jobs at a call-in center when layoffs were announced.