Mailboxes of likely ABQ voters are starting to get cluttered as candidates in the four city council races begin a three week push to the November 5th Election Day.

Mailers, like the one posted here from ABQ GOP NE Heights Councilor Trudy Jones, are arriving just before widespread early voting begins Saturday.

Jones is one of the few council candidates who did not opt for public financing. In campaign  reports released Monday, she showed a cash balance of $42,000, and that's after spending $26,000 in the period.

Jones, seeking a fourth, four year term on the council, will far outspend her Dem opponent Maurreen Skowran who qualified for $40,000 in public financing. She reports already spending considerably, leaving her $5,250 for the final push.

Mayor Keller did not publicly endorse Dem Skowran as he did three other Dem council hopefuls, but campaign watchers say he is doing some walking of the district on her behalf.

OUTSIDE MONEY

Not that Jones seems to need it, but she will benefit from outside money to help her as will fellow Republican Brook Bassan who is seeking the District 4 NE Heights council seat long held by retiring Republican Brad Winter.

An independent committee called ABQ Vote has formed to support Jones and Bassan and is expected to soon begin advertising. One of the committee's contributions is from longtime ABQ GOP attorney and activist Pat Rogers. The fund starts with just $600 but is expected to grow considerably.

Bassan has two Dem opponents, the chief one being Ane Romero who like Bassan has been busy mailing voters.

Another independent committee (known as a "Measure Finance Committee" in City Hall lingo) has also formed for District 2 hopeful Zack Quintero. However, it reports raising only $2,300 and insiders don't expect much more.

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Quintero is in that six way race for the Downtown/Barelas/ N. Valley seat held by Dem Councilor Isaac Benton. Robert Nelson, like Quintero, is a first time candidate whose first mailer is pictured here. Benton is another longtime council member, first elected in 2005.

There is also a council election in SE Heights District 6 where incumbent Councilor Pat Davis is facing off against attorney Gina Naomi Dennis.

EARLY VOTING TIME

Bernalillo County Clerk Linda Stover reported Monday that since early voting began Oct. 8 at the Clerk's downtown annex over 200 ballots have been cast there. She will open 19 early voting centers across BernCo this Saturday. The center locations are here.

IN-DEPTH LOOKS

The Downtown ABQ News has been going in-depth on the District 2 council race and the newspaper has started its candidate profiles beginning with District 2.

NEW ELECTION LAW

A new law election law is in effect this year. It means elections that in the past were held separately have been consolidated for the November 5 balloting. Some are quite familiar to voters, like the CNM Board election and the ABQ Public Schools bond election.. But then there is the Ciudad Soil and Water Conservation District election for three supervisors. Say what?

ABQ Dem State Senator Daniel Ivey Soto, who sponsored the new law, says the district, which has the ability to tax voters, is required to have elections and has done so in the past. However, hardly anyone was aware of them because they were stand-alone elections.

The District is made up of most of BernCo and southern Sandoval County. One of the supervisor positions requires that a voter be a landowner as well as a registered voter to participate. For diehard political junkies, more info is here. A list of the candidates for the Ciudad District and all other BernCo elected offices on the ballot is here.

MORE INFO

BernCo residents can get sample ballots here. Here is a map of all nine of the ABQ council districts.

ALSO. . . 

There are other below-the-radar questions city voters will decide in this election, including a 10-year renewal of a 20-year-old transit tax that is used for road repairs, bicycle paths, hiking trails, and transit. Mayor Keller's office says taxes will not increase if the measure passes, but they would go down if the quarter cent gross receipts tax were rejected.

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2019