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Tuesday, October 07, 2025Commentary: KOAT's Exclusion Of Two Mayoral Candidates From their Debate Stage Rests On Shaky Ground And Raises Questions About Station's Fairness Having all six ABQ mayoral candidates on your debate stage October 15 is not unmanageable and is the only fair option. The exclusion of Mayling Armijo and Eddie Varela is unfair and raises questions about your station's objectivity in covering the November 4 city election. KOAT says their 7 P.M. prime time debate will feature only the four "leading candidates"--incumbent Tim Keller and challengers Darren White, Alex Uballez and Louie Sanchez. The exclusion of Armijo and Varela is based on the recent ABQ Journal poll--a cosponsor of KOAT debates--that shows Varela pulling only 2 percent and Armijo just one percent. The problem? All the challengers have very weak numbers. Uballez and Sanchez are only getting 6 percent, second place finisher White scores a humbling 16 percent and Keller is first with 29 percent. The station seems to be saying that there is no chance of either Varela or Armijo to advance in the election which could result in a run-off if no candidate secures 50 percent--a likely occurrence. Political observers would agree that Armijo and Varela have less chance than the other Keller challengers of advancing but neither are nuisance or vanity candidates who should be banned from the debate airwaves. Heck, when Trump was first seeking the GOP presidential nomination there was 17 unique candidates participating in 12 televised debates (some of which included both a main stage and an undercard). There is a way of doing this to fully serve the voters of Albuquerque. SHOWING UP
Armijo is a New Mexico native, a veteran of the US Navy who served as Director of Economic Development for Bernalillo County. She also served as Deputy County Manager for Sandoval County. Her friends and family have contributed $120,000 to a PAC in support of her candidacy. Varela is a retired firefighter with 30 years experience, including service as Deputy Chief for AFD and Fire Chief for Barstow, California. He has also served on the city council of Reserve, NM. These are not frivolous people. They are just unknown, just as Alex Uballez and Louie Sanchez are mostly unknown. The debate takes on added importance because it will apparently be the only prime time mayoral debate on KOAT, KOB or KRQE--the three major network affiliated stations with news departments, The exclusion of Armijo and Varela for the convenience of KOAT is unmerited and raises the question of fairness at the ABC affiliate, a question that has already surfaced because of the relationship of KOAT investigative producer T.J. Wilham with former Sheriff White. White--during the non election season--has been regularly featured by Wilham and KOAT as a guest expert on a wide range of law enforcement issues. Wilham was White's right hand man during the Republican mayoral administration of Richard Berry, serving as Public Safety Communications Director under White who was Chief Public Safety Director from 2009-2011. Wilham later became the Director of APD's Real Time Crime Center before joining KOAT-TV as an investigative producer and reporter in 2018 when Keller took over as mayor. In his official bio on the station's website, Wilham's high profile position with White is not mentioned. CONCERNING DECISION
It is also concerning that KOAT, led by a prominent African American broadcaster, is excluding a Hispanic ABQ native like Varela and Armijo, a native New Mexico woman of Asian-Hispanic heritage, in one of the most majority-minority cities in the US. KOAT needs to look in the mirror and remind itself that it serves under a federal license that requires them to serve the "public interest." Excluding two ABQ residents who have proven they are serious about the future of this city is not in the public interest, is unfair and a rebuke of KOAT's long tradition of fairness and inclusiveness. KOAT should let Armijo and Varela say their piece. They've earned it. And let the other candidates urge the station to reverse course. ACCURATE AD Reader Ralph Moller writes of Monday's blog on Mayor Keller's first TV ad: Joe, I was disappointed that you did not comment on the accuracy of the Mayor's ad. If all true, it sounds pretty impressive. Or is there some context I'm missing? It would be helpful to get your input. Keller's ad about his programs appears to be accurate. The context is the positive results of those programs that are implied in the ad and that led to the critical insights of the message. Hope that is helpful, Ralph. I'm Joe Monahan reporting from Albuquerque and. . . This is the Home of New Mexico Politics. |
 
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