The 2023 City of Albuquerque Municipal election and Albuquerque School Board election is now history. Following are the results:
ALBUQUERQUE CITY COUNCIL
DISTRICT 2 (DOWNTOWN, OLD TOWN, PARTS OF THE NORTH VALLEY AND WEST SIDE)
- Progressive Democrat Joaquin Baca (WINNER):
51%: Total Vote: 4,135, Absentee Vote: 671, Early Vote: 1,761 Election Day Vote: 1,703
- Moderate Democrat Loretta Naranjo Lopez:
24.97%: Total Vote: 1,941, Absentee Vote: 317, Early Vote 646, Election Day Vote: 978
- Independent Moises A. Gonzalez:
24.64%: Total Vote: 1,987, Absentee Vote: 220, Early Vote: 730, Election Day Vote: 1,037
DISTRICT 4 (NORTHEAST HEIGHTS)
- Conservative Republican Brook Bassan (WINNER):
50.76%: Total Vote: 5,175, Absentee Vote: 697, Early Vote: 2,318 , Election Day Vote: 2,160
- Progressive Democrat Abby Foster:
49.25%: Total Vote 5,021, Absentee Vote: 971 , Early Vote: 2,157, Election Day Vote: 1,893
DISTRICT 6 (NOB HILL, INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT) (Run Off)
Progressive Democrat Nichole Rogers:
40.14%: Total Vote 2,947, Absentee Vote: 373, Early Vote: 1,023, Election Day Vote: 1,551
- Progressive Democrat Jeff Hoehn:
32.42%: Total Vote 2,380, Absentee: 378, Early Vote: 986 , Election Day Vote: 1,016
- Progressive Democrat Kristin Greene:
17.94%: Total Vote 1,317, Absentee: 181, Early Vote: 479, Election Day Vote 647
- Progressive Democrat Abel Otero:
9,51%: Total Vote 698, Absentee: 124 , Early Vote: 217, Election Day Vote 357
Because non one of the 4 candidates running in District 5 received 50% plus one of the vote, a run off will be held between the two top vote getters Nichole Rogers and Jeff Hoehn.
https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/runoff-election-expected-for-district-6-city-council-seat/
DISTRICT 8 (NORTHEAST HEIGHTS AND FOOTHILLS)
- Conservative Republican Dan Champine (WINNER):
52.45%: Total Vote 6,110, Absentee Vote: 1,031, Early Vote: 2,664, Election Day Vote: 2,415
- Moderate Democrat Idalia Lechuga-Tena:
47.55%: Total Vote 5,540, Absentee: 1,283, Early Vote 2,116, Election Day Vote: 2,141
ALBUQUERQUE PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD
There were 3 of the 7 APS Board seats on this years ballot Following are the election results of those Districts:
DISTRICT 1
Janelle Astorga
48.49%: Total Vote: 2,979, Absentee Vote: 400, Early Vote: 917 Election Day Vote: 1,665
Verland Coker:
42.46%: Total Vote: 2,609, Absentee Vote: 375, Early Vote: 837, Election Day Vote: 397
Robert Trujillo
9,05%: Total Vote: 556, Absentee Vote: 85, Early Vote: 168, Election Day Vote: 303
DISTRICT 2
Ronalda Tome-Warito
42.33%: Total Vote: 4,438, Absentee Vote: 794, Early Vote: 1,903 Election Day Vote: 1,741
Incumbent Peggy Muller-Aragón
39.76%: Total Vote: 4,169, Absentee Vote: 764, Early Vote: 1,596 Election Day Vote: 1,809
Adrian Nogales
17.91%: Total Vote: 1,878, Absentee Vote: 373, Early Vote: 635, Election Day Vote: 870
DISTRICT 4
Heather Benavidez
82.4%: Total Vote: 9,735, Absentee Vote: 1,479 , Early Vote: 3,765 Election Day Vote: 4,491
Stephen Cecco
17.61%: Total Vote: 2,080, Absentee Vote: 338, Early Vote: 649 Election Day Vote: 1,093
ALBUQUERQUE GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS
All 7 of the City of Albuquerque’s General obligation bonds passed by comfortable margins of 70% or better. Following are the results for the General Obligation Bond questions
Public Safety bonds ($25 million):
76.32% YES or 50,877, 23.69% NO or 15,790
- $1 million toward the Albuquerque Community Safety facility
- $8 million for new fire stations and $2 million for existing station renovations
- $6 million for rehabilitation of and upgrades to the Albuquerque Police Department
Parks and Recreation bonds ($35 million):
76.87% YES or 51,833, 23.13% NO or 15,473
- $1 million to Balloon Fiesta Park improvements
- $5 million to the North Domingo Baca Aquatic Center
- $4.9 million for Little League fields rehabilitation
Senior, family, community center, homeless, affordable housing, metropolitan redevelopment and community enhancement bonds ($36 million):
75.57% YES or 50,746, 24.43% NO or 16,405
- $5 million for the Gateway Center
- $7.5 million for affordable housing
- A total $5.8 million for the Highland Senior Center, Manzano Mesa Multigenerational Center and Cibola Loop Multigenerational Centers
Energy and water conservation, public facilities and system z modernization bonds ($24 million)
75.5% YES or 50,436, 24.5% NO or 16,364
- $6 million for energy conservation
- $1 million for city vehicle replacements
Storm sewer system bonds ($14 million)
78.78% YES or 51,782, 21,22% NO or 13,947
- $5 million for Southeast Heights Green Stormwater improvements
- $2 million for Pueblo Also Mile-Hi Flood Mitigation
Street and transportation bonds ($50 million)
78.76% YES or 52,505, 21.24% NO or 14,159
- $1.9 million for renovations at the Transit Department’s Yale Facility
- $4.3 million for major street and intersection reconstruction
Library, museum and cultural facilities bonds ($16 million)
75.36% YES or 49,409, 21.24% NO or 16,155
- $3.2 million for library materials
- $2 million for the Tijeras Arroyo BioZone Education Center
- $4 Million for Unser Racing Museum
LOW VOTER TURN OUT
Slightly less than 1 in 5 eligible voters, or 19%, turned out for the 2023 electio to cast votes in an election that decided four Albuquerque City Council seats and three Albuquerque Public School Board races. The 2021 election had a 30.5% countywide turnout, but that election featured the mayoral contest between incumbent Mayor Tim Keller, who defeated then-Bernalillo County Sheriff Manuel Gonzales and radio talk show host Eddy Aragon.
A total of 81,392 ballots were cast, or a mere 19% of Albuquerque’s approximately 430,000 eligible voters. In all, 36,562 cast ballots in person at the polls on Tuesday, and at least 44,800 early and absentee ballots were cast. Bernalillo County Clerk Linda Stover had this to say of the voter turnout:
“It’s very low. It’s sad. We didn’t even hit 20%.”
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
DISTRICT 4 (NORTHEAST HEIGHTS) BASSAN VERSUS FOSTER
There is no getting around it. Conservative Republican City Councilor Brook Bassan dogged a bullet and lives to fight another day by winning a second term by a mere 154 votes over her challenger Progressive Democrat Abby Foster. Bassan won no doubt to the chagrin of Mayor Tim Keller whose campaign manager Neri Holguin managed the Foster campaign. There was little doubt that Foster was backed by Keller given the involvement of Holguin. Foster almost pulled off a major upset by hammering Bassan with last minute dubious allegations of voter fraud. The allegations involved Bassan’s legislative aide moving in with Bassan for a few months for “personal reasons” and then signing a Bassan nominating petition and making a $5 public finance donation. Simply put, one voter registration and one $5 donation does not make widespread voter fraud. The fact that Bassan also said she has a bachelor’s degree when she has an associate’s degree did not help even though she apologized and said it was an unintentional mistake. Bassan won with the early and the election day vote. It was the far northern precincts of District 4 that have strong Republican majorities that bailed out Bassan, but only at the very end when the votes were counted. Until then Foster had led all night. The final tally is Bassan 50.76% with a total Vote of 5,175 and Foster 49.25% with a total Vote 5,021,
DISTRICT 6 (NOB HILL, INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT)
As was predicted by many city hall politcal observers, in the District 6 City council race there will be a runoff between Progressive Democrats Nichole Rogers and Jeff Hoehn. It is expected to be very contentious. Although Rogers came in first with 40.14% to Jeff Hoehn’s 32.42%, Nichole Rogers candidacy and credibility was severely overshadowed and rocked virtually 5 days before the election by news reports of impropriety . The reports were that the nonprofit Rodgers founded and manages was not in good standing with the New Mexico Secretary of State until recently, that she failed to file required legal documents with the NM Attorney General and the Internal Revenue Service, that her nonprofit lost its federal 501 C 3 status as a charitable organization and that she still did fundraising for the none profit she formed after it lost 501 C 3 status and that she did not make full disclosure of what was raised and what it was expended on. The allegations no doubt had an impact on her final numbers, but early voting and absentee voting had already occurred with the news reports made 5 days before the election. Confidential sources are saying expect far more on her background to come out during the run off.
KELLER NEW CITY COUNCIL STILL CONSERVATIVE COUNCIL
Come January 1, the new city council will look much the same as the old city council. Following is how the new city council looks:
Democrats
District 1 Conservative Democrat Louie Sanchez
District 2 Progressive Democrat Joaquin Baca
District 3 Moderate Democrat Klarissa Peña
District 6 Progressive Democrat Nichole Rogers OR Progressive Democrat Jeff Hoehn
District 7 Progressive Democrat Tammy Fiebelkorn
Republicans
District 5 Conservative Republican Dan Lewis
District 4 Conservative Republican Brook Bassan
District 8 Conservative Republican Dan Champine
District 9 Conservative Republican Renee Grout
Although the new City Council will still be split with 5 Democrats and 4 Republicans, Conservative Democrat Louie Sanchez has often allied himself with conservative Republicans Dan Lewis, Renee Grout, and Brook Bassan who still will be on the council and Conservative Republican Dan Champine is expected to join in allowing them to approve or kill measures on a 5-4 vote but being unable to override Mayor Tim Keller’ veto’s with the required 6 votes.
Confidential sources have confirmed that Mayor Tim Keller became actively involved in the campaigns of 3 progressive city council candidates. Those candidates were: Abby Foster, Joaquin Baca, Nicole Rogers.
Keller’s own campaign manager and politcal advisor and confidant is paid politcal consultant Neri Holguin who was Mayor Tim Keller’s campaign manager when Keller ran for State Senator, assisted Keller in running for State Auditor and was Keller’s campaign manager when he ran for Mayor. Holguin was also the campaign manager for former Progressive Democrat State Senator Richard Romero who ran against then Democrat Mayor Marty Chavez in 2009 thereby splitting the Democratic vote ensuring the election of Conservative Republican Mayor Richard Berry. Since the 2009 Mayor’s race, Holguin has become the “go to” campaign consultant for Progressive Democratic Candidates of her choosing and she exerts great influence over the candidates she elects even after they assume office.
Holguin was the paid politcal consultant and campaign manager for Progressives Abby Foster and Joaquin Baca and they were said to have the full support of Tim Keller. Holguin used many of the same tactics against Bassan as she did against former Sherriff Manny Gonzales when she managed Tim Keller’s successful 2021 re election campaign, including the allegations of voter fraud.
If there was any doubt that Keller was backing Joaquin Baca, that doubt was rendered moot election night November 7. Keller was caught up to be interviewed about the election results where he played it low-key and pointed out that the City Council in January will have a number of new faces that he will be working with. He made his comments from the home of Progressive Democrat Joaquin Baca.
Mayor Keller was also involved with the campaign of Nichole Rogers. She has worked for the Mayor Tim Keller Administration as a policy advocate and community organizer and for that reason is considered Mayor Keller’s preferred candidate in the race. Confidential sources confirmed that Rogers received significant help in collecting nominating petitions signatures and qualifying donations from at least 2 city hall employees who work directly for Mayor Tim Keller. Rogers also has gone so far as to tell Progressive Democrats privately in the District that she is Mayor Keller’s candidate to replace Progressive Democrat Pat Davis who is a Keller ally.
Mayor Tim Keller took an active roll in electing city councilors who he believes will support his progressive agenda over the final 2 years of his second term. He did so to set himself up to run for a third term in 2025. Keller has already made it known to top aides he intends to run for a third term.
The link to a related blog article is here: