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 Tellez 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. 

Tellez 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 come into this race offering a for the people of District 13. I am committed to amplifying the voices of my constituent and working collaboratively to address issues such as priority issues identified such as 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.